FIA GT ZOLDER
ZOLDER
MAY 18 - May 20
Weather:
Saturday was slightly brighter and warmer than Friday, with no sign of rain.
First Qualifying Session:
33 cars took part in today's extremely close first qualifying session, after the withdrawal of the #63 JMB Competition Ferrari 360 Modena and the #59 Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R due to engine and accident damage respectively. The top six cars in GT qualified within half a second, with the top six N-GT cars doing likewise. Fastest early on was Marc Duez in the #6 Rafanelli Ferrari 550 Maranello, but his time was soon eclipsed by the two Carsport Holland Chrysler Viper GTS-Rs. Ten minutes into the session, Didier Defourny set a time of 1:30.436 in the #11 Paul Belmondo Racing Chrysler Viper, followed by a trip across the grass. None of his rivals could improve on this time, and he took provisional pole. Tom Coronel, in the #1 Lister Storm, and Emanuele Naspetti in the #5 Team Rafanelli Ferrari 550 Maranello, improved mid-session, with Coronel finishing third despite a spin in the Lister, and Naspetti fourth, demoting the #3 Carsport Holland car to fifth. Final car to qualify for the Superpole was Vincent Vosse in the #12 Paul Belmondo Racing Chrysler Viper. Jean-Philippe Belloc, in the Championship-leading Larbre Competition Chereau Chrysler Viper GTS-R, was ninth, behind the #9 ART Chrysler Viper. “We're feeling our extra weight. It's going to be really hard here, but we're not in despair yet - our morale is good !” Christophe Bouchut said.
In N-GT, the #62 JMB Competition Ferrari 360 Modena was fastest in the first minutes of the session, until Luca Riccitelli knocked a tenth of a second off Pescatori's time to claim the provisional pole. Third fastest was the EMKA Porsche 996 GT3-R, continuing their best weekend of the season, with the #69 Redolfi Orlando Porsche in fourth place. “It's going really well,” Joel Camathias said. “Philipp Peter did the time, and the team did a great job to repair the car after I went off yesterday.
The set-up is good, and our objective was to get into the Superpole, so we managed it !” The #50 Larbre Competition-Chéreau Porsche 996 GT3-R was fifth, with the #54 Art Engineering car taking the final spot in the Superpole line-up.
Provisional pole for Didier Defourny:
The #11 Paul Belmondo Racing Chrysler Viper GTS-R set the fastest time in the first qualifying session, ensuring their place in the Superpole session. Didier Defourny set the time of 1:30.436. “He set the time with new tyres, and we've kept one set for the Superpole" his new team-mate Anthony Kumpen said afterwards. Kumpen, who finished in third place at Silverstone, has moved from the #10 Paul Belmondo Competition car to the #11 Viper for this race. “I was used to the #10 car, and I'm finding it rather difficult to adapt to Didier's car,” the young Belgian driver admitted. “After driving the other car for 4 races, I've got used to it, and I knew what to do. The #11 didn't respond in the same way to changes I made, which isn't so good for my confidence. But it's nice to be on home ground for once, at a track I know well.” The Vosse/Derichebourg #12 Paul Belmondo Racing Chrysler Viper GTS-R was sixth fastest, with Vincent Vosse setting a time of 1:30.819. “We're in the top six, and that's the main thing,” he said.
Both Carsport Holland cars in the Superpole:
For the first time, both Carsport Holland Chrysler Viper GTS-Rs will be in the Superpole, with Sebastiaan Bleekemolen setting the second time in the #4 Viper, and Mike Hezemans fifth in the #3. “The tyres are really only good for one fast lap, and we used two different sets," Sebastiaan said afterwards. “I know the track very well from Formula Ford and Renault Meganes, and although it has changed a bit, it still really helps.” The car shared by Mike Hezemans and Jeroen Bleekemolen is suffering from the fuel problems that have afflicted it since Magny Cours. “It seems as if the problems occur when the fuel temperature goes above a certain level, and then everything stops,” Sebastiaan explained.
First Superpole for Tom Coronel:
For the first time this season, Tom Coronel will do the Superpole in the #1 Lister Storm, instead of Jamie Campbell-Walter. "Tom was so quick off the mark here that we decided to let him do the Superpole," Lister's Fiona Pearce explained. "He seems naturally suited to this track ! In first qualifying he set a time of 1:30.671, placing the car in third place. “I just did two timed laps, and then scrubbed in one set of tyres for the Superpole. And now I have to try and put it on pole,” the Dutch driver said. “You really need a front row start at this track, as it is difficult to overtake. But the car is good, and we don't have to make any more changes. The last time I drove here was in 1993, with Formula Fords, so I can't say I know it well, but I feel good here, it's only two hours from home !” The second Lister missed the Superpole by less than a tenth of a second, with Julian Bailey and Nicolaus Springer in seventh place.
RWS Motorsport fastest N-GT:
Luca Riccitelli set the fastest N-GT lap in the first qualifying session, with a time of 1:34.545 in the #77 RWS Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R. "We have a good set-up for qualifying and the race, and the time was quite easy to make here," Luca explained. "The team keep on reminding me that we have 50 kg penalty weight, and we're the only Porsche with that much weight, which is hard with all the braking and accelerating at this track. But I'm happy, as the car is good and it was a good time. And I'm very happy to be driving with Andrea Boldrini this weekend. It's his first time in a Porsche 996 GT3-R, although he drove in the Championship in 1997 in a Lotus Elise. But I've known him for 20 years, we began racing together when we were eight years old. I know he's a really good driver, and that's a good feeling. But I think it's going to be a hard race on Sunday - after two laps, it's going to be really dirty out there.”
Second fastest for JMB Competition:
JMB Competition, who won the N-GT category at the last two rounds with their Ferrari 360 Modena, had a difficult time on Friday, needing to change the engine. “After some laps to check the new engine was OK, I just did two timed laps, and did not need to do any more, because we were OK for the Superpole,” Christian Pescatori explained. “It's very important to get into the Superpole, because I think it's going to be a difficult race : the track is quite short, and the GT cars are going to be lapping us before we've done 15 laps.”
The Return of the Lamborghini:
Reiter Engineering's Lamborghini Diablo is making its first FIA GT appearance this season, driven as usual by Germans Michael Trunk and Bernhard Müller. The car set the 14th time in the GT class during free practice, but had a difficult first qualifying session. “The team changed the gear-box and engine overnight, and Michael took the car out this morning,” Müller explained. “For two laps it seemed nice and smooth, but then something broke.” The team hopes to have the car repaired for the second session. “We're glad to be back in the Championship,” Müller continued. “We'll now be here for the rest of the season. We had intended to do the whole year, but family circumstances prevented it. But we've been following the championship, and seen that the level of competition has risen, so we will have to try to catch up.”
Debut for PSI Motorsport:
Belgian team PSI Motorsport is making their FIA GT Championship debut at Zolder, with a Porsche 996 GT2 car. Former British F3 frontrunner and Marlboro Masters 1996 winner Kurt Mollekens is one of the drivers, with fellow Belgian Stephane Cohen alongside him. “It's early days yet, but it could be going better,” Kurt said after setting a time of 1:37.522 in the first qualifying session. “The team should have entered the Championship earlier in the season, but the car was not ready. And we're still definitely not ready to go up against the GT competition. But we're considering this weekend as a test session, then we have four weeks before Budapest to work on it. And then we're hoping for a rapid rate of progress. The car is a 996 Turbo, the only one out there, and the first time a Porsche 996 has run in this configuration, so there are no parameters to compare with, no benchmarks. The team has developed it. It would have been easier to just buy a Viper, but this is a lot more satisfying.”
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