Hexis McLaren takes pole position for Qualifying Race in Slovakia
Frederic Makowiecki took a last-gasp pole position for Hexis McLaren ahead of the FIA GT World Championship qualifying race in Slovakia
The Frenchman's 2m01.652s lap - the fastest by anybody all weekend - was just enough to deny Yelmer Buurman, in the Vita4One BMW, of the top spot in a dramatic final segment of the session.
Matteo Cressoni's final flying lap was good for third quickest in the Sunred Ford GT, the car having the set the pace in final practice.
Frank Stippler ended up being the fastest Audi, after the WRT team's hope for pole, Stephane Ortelli, spun wildy on the exit of Turn 9. He initially caught the lurid moment in the R8 on the left-hander before over-compensating and shooting off into the gravel on the right over the crest.
That put the Frenchman last of the eight Q3 runners, behind Toni Vilander and Francesco Castellacci in the AF Ferraris as well as Gregoire Demoustier in the sister Hexis McLaren that he shares with Alvaro Parente.
The Reiter Lamborghinis looked a threat for pole initially with Tomas Enge setting the pace in Q1, but his team-mate Albert von Thurn und Taxis couldn't get the car in to the final shoot-out.
Meanwhile Darryl O'Young ran wide and damaged his Gallardo at Turn 1 in Q2 which ultimately stopped him from progressing.
Both Exim Porsches went off. Benjamin Lariche ensured the #8 911 GTR 3 was the only car not to progress from Q1 after spinning into the gravel at Turn 1, while Mike Parisy hit the barriers at Turn 9 during Q2 in a similar incident to Ortelli's.
Pos Drivers Team/Car Time Gap 1. Makowiecki/Dusseldorp Hexis McLaren 2m01.652s 2. Bartels/Buurman Vita4One BMW 2m01.934s + 0.282s 3. Cressoni/Pavlovic Sunred Ford 2m02.262s + 0.610s 4. Jarvis/Stippler WRT Audi 2m02.345s + 0.693s 5. Vilander/Salaquarda AF Corse Ferrari 2m03.001s + 1.349s 6. Castellacci/Ide AF Corse Ferrari 2m04.833s + 3.181s 7. Demoustier/Parente Hexis McLaren 2m05.083s + 3.431s 8. Ortelli/Vanthoor WRT Audi no time Q3 9. Lauda/Mayr-Melnhof Vita4One BMW 2m02.861s Q2 10. Basseng/Winkelhock Munnich Mercedes 2m02.984s Q2 11. Halliday/Parisy Exim Porsche 2m03.080s Q2 12. Enge/von Thurn und Taxis Reiter Lamborghini 2m03.198s Q2 13. Rosina/O'Young Reiter Lamborghini 2m03.331s Q2 14. Pastorelli/Jager Munnich Mercedes 2m04.881s Q2 15. Lariche/Lunardi Exim Porsche 2m06.867s Q1
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