A super version of Maro Engel gave Mercedes Pole Position for the 12h of Bathurst, the first seasonal event of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
After signing the new lap record along the sunny Mount Panorama track during the Qualifying stages, the GruppeM Racing driver was also lightning in the Shootouts reserved for the top 10 finishers of the previous session.
Among other things, returning from Pole at Daytona, Engel didn’t need to be asked and brought his AMG #999 which he shares with Mikael Grenier and Raffaele Marciello in front of everyone in 2’00″881.
In the front row next to him there will be another Mercedes, the #888 of Triple Eight Race Engineering that Broc Feeney put in second place, narrowly beating the Porsche #912 of Manthey EMA entrusted to Matt Campbell.
#46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3: Augusto Farfus, Maxime Martin, Valentino Rossi
Photo by: SRO
In the Top5 we also find the Mercedes #75 of Sun Energy 1 with Jules Gounon at the wheel and author of an error at the ‘Chase’ corner which cost him a delay of 0″409 from the top, followed by Dries Vanthoor with the BMW M4 #32 of Team WRT at 0″8 from the leader.
Sixth fastest time at 0″9 and top of the PRO-AM Class for the local idol Chaz Mostert on the Audi #65 of the Melbourne Performance Centre, who has the R8 #74 driven by Mattia Drudi and prepared by The Bend Motorsport Park behind him /MPC.
Only eighth Maxime Martin with the BMW #46 of Team WRT that the Belgian will share with Valentino Rossi and Augusto Farfus, accusing a gap of 1″6 from the record.
The Top10 is completed by the #44 Mercedes of Valmont Racing, which with Zalloua/Padayachee/reis/Cameron is on Pole in Class Silver, and #77 of Craft-Bamboo Racing with Daniel Juncadella above.
The 12h of Bathurst will start at 19.45 Italian time on Saturday 4 February and will be visible in live streaming on Motorsport.com.
IGTC – Bathurst 12h: Qualifying 1
IGTC – Bathurst 12h: Qualifying 2
IGTC – 12h di Bathurst: Shooutout
