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Vita4One BMW one-two in Slovakia GT1 World qualifying race

The Vita4One BMWs took an ultimately comfortable one-two finish in the GT1 World Championship qualifying race at the Slovakia Ring

Team boss Michael Bartels led from pole position and initially had to fend off a four-car train, led by Markus Winkelhock's Munnich Mercedes, with the second BMW of Mathias Lauda, WRT Audi driver Oliver Jarvis and Winkelhock's team-mate Thomas Jager on their tails.

The Audi dropped out of contention with an early puncture, and by quarter distance Bartels was starting to edge away a little.

His team-mate Yelmer Buurman then extended that advantage following the pitstops, while the second BMW dropped to fourth in the pits but soon passed both Mercedes as Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof produced an excellent charge back up to second.

As the Vita4One cars stretched away to score a result that extended Bartels and Buurman's championship lead, the two Mercedes managed to fend off Stephane Ortelli in the second Audi to secure third and fourth.

After Albert von Thurn und Taxis' heavy qualifying crash, Reiter prepared a new Lamborghini from its workshop in Germany in time for the race. It finished last in the slim field.

The SUNRED Ford, which had qualified sixth, was withdrawn pre-race due to illness afflicting driver Milos Pavlovic.

Results - 29 laps:

Pos  Drivers                     Team/Car                Time/Gap
 1.  Buurman/Bartels             Vita4One BMW        1h00m32.986s
 2.  Mayr-Melnhof/Lauda          Vita4One BMW            + 3.214s
 3.  Basseng/Winkelhock          Munnich Mercedes       + 12.730s
 4.  Pastorelli/Jager            Munnich Mercedes       + 13.713s
 5.  Ortelli/Vanthoor            WRT Audi               + 13.996s
 6.  Kox/O'Young                 Reiter Lamborghini     + 24.534s
 7.  Vilander/Salaquarda         AF Corse Ferrari       + 42.046s
 8.  Makowiecki/Dusseldorp       Hexis McLaren          + 43.285s
 9.  Demoustier/Parente          Hexis McLaren          + 51.693s
10.  Ide/Castellacci             AF Corse Ferrari       + 56.829s
11.  von Thurn und Taxis/Rosina  Reiter Lamborghini   + 1m59.542s

Retirements:

     Stippler/Jarvis             WRT Audi                  7 laps

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