Nurburgring Blancpain: WRT Audi's Mies puts leader Vanthoor on pole
Laurens Vanthoor will start the Blancpain Endurance Series finale on pole position, as WRT Audi team-mate Christopher Mies set the fastest time in a rain-affected qualifying session at the Nurburgring
Mies, subbed into the #1 WRT Audi to support Vanthoor's title effort, set his lap time in Q2, just before the heavens opened which rendered the usually quicker Q3 redundant.
All the drivers took to the circuit in the final segment nevertheless, in preparation for a potentially wet race.
WRT Audi locked out the front row, with Frank Stippler setting the second fastest time. He and James Nash still have an outside chance of the title, but no doubt WRT's main focus will be on Vanthoor.
Third on the grid is the top Pro-Am AF Corse entry. Marco Seefried set the lap time, but Francesco Castellacci is the man set to benefit as he leads the class, now having the advantage over his former team-mates at Villorba Corse.
The #7 Bentley - another car with an outside shot at the championship - will start fourth on the grid ahead of the #99 ART McLaren.
The second Bentley will start sixth, ahead of the #85 HTP Mercedes of outgoing champion Max Buhk.
The Oman racing team completes the top eight, with Michael Caine providing the Motorbase-run team with its best qualifying performance of the season.
Pos Cls Drivers Team/Car Time Gap 1. PRO Ramos/Mies/Vanthoor WRT Audi 1m55.708s 2. PRO Nash/Basseng/Stippler WRT Audi 1m56.168s +0.460s 3. PAM Laursen/Seefried/Castellacci AF Ferrari 1m56.408s +0.700s 4. PRO Kane/Meyrick/Smith M-Sport Bentley 1m56.653s +0.945s 5. PRO Soucek/Korjus/Estre ART McLaren 1m57.020s +1.312s 6. PRO D'Ambrosio/Tappy/Leclerc M-Sport Bentley 1m57.244s +1.536s 7. PRO Dusseldorp/Afanasiev/Buhk HTP Mercedes 1m57.519s +1.802s 8. PRO Caine/Al Harthy/Jelley Oman Aston Martin 1m57.612s +1.904s 9. PRO Sandstrom/Ortelli/Guilvert Sainteloc Audi 1m57.663s +1.955s 10. PRO Firth/Hughes/Sims Triple Eight BMW 1m57.763s +2.055s
Premat returns to ART line-up for Nurburgring Blancpain round
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