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Porsche Mobil 1 Supercuc - Barcelona 2018

Qualifying

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercuc - Barcelona 2018
Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Qualifying, Round 1, Formula 1 race in Barcelona/Spain, Qualifying
Michael Ammermüller takes up round one from pole position

Michael Ammermüller (BWT Lechner Racing) has secured the top grid spot at the season-opener qualifying at the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Barcelona: On Saturday, the German turned the fastest lap and with a time of 1:47.252 minutes planted his 485 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup on pole position for race one on Sunday. “That was great fun. After the pit stop I went back out on the track at the perfect time. This was decisive for my top time,” said Ammermüller. Lining up on the first grid row next to the 32-year-old is Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer (F/martinet by ALMERAS). Andlauer’s French teammate Florian Latorre takes up the race on the Circuit de Catalunya from position three.

In sunny weather and an outside temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, 30 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup took part in the qualifying. Ammermüller underpinned his claim on the pole position by posting his first top time just eight minutes into the session. With only six minutes before the end of the 30-minute qualifying, Latorre clocked the fastest time on fresh tyres. Shortly after, 18-year-old Andlauer undercut his compatriot’s time. However, Ammermüller as a seasoned Porsche specialist kept a cool head and snatched pole position in a last-minute dash. A time of 1:47.416 minutes put the young racer Andlauer on P2. “The session was really intense and exciting to the finish. Prior to my last stint we made some minor changes to the vehicle and that enabled me to improve on my time,” said Andlauer.

On the 4.655-kilometre racetrack, Latorre set the third quickest time of the day in 1:47.587 minutes. The 21-year-old from Bordeaux contests his first full season in the international one-make cup. “It makes me really happy to immediately qualify on third. My team put an excellent car on the track for me today and I got a clear run on my fastest lap. I’m looking forward to the race and, of course, I’d like to defend my position,” stated Latorre.

Porsche Junior Thomas Preining (BWT Lechner Racing) occupied the twelfth grid position during qualifying on the track north of Barcelona. Similar to the Porsche Junior Andlauer, 2018 marks the debut season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup for the 19-year-old Austrian. “Obviously I’d hoped to do better at the season-opening weekend, but now I have to figure out how to improve for the race. On Sunday, I’m looking forward to an intense race and I want to get the most out of it,” said Preining.

In the Nations League, Germany has the best starting position thanks to Ammermüller. Behind Germany, France follows with its two representatives Andlauer and Latorre. Unlike last season, all drivers can now earn points for a country to represent the respective Porsche market in the race series.

The season-opener of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup gets underway on Sunday at 12.45 hours. Fans can watch the race via live timing on the internet at www.racecam.de. Eurosport broadcasts the race in more than 60 countries. Moreover, the broadcaster Sky airs the international one-make cup in both the UK and Italy.

Qualifying Barcelona
1. Michael Ammermüller (D/ BWT Lechner Racing), 1:47.252 minutes
2. Julien Andlauer (F/martinet by ALMERAS), 1:47.416 minutes
3. Florian Latorre (F/martinet by ALMERAS), 1:47.587 minutes
4. Jaap van Lagen (NL/Fach Auto Tech), 1:47.617 minutes
5. Nick Yelloly (GB/Fach Auto Tech), 1:47.634 minutes
6. Mattia Drudi (I/Dinamic Motorsport), 1:47.704 minutes
7. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team Project 1), 1:47.849 minutes
8. Dylan Pereira (L/Momo Megatron Lechner Racing), 1:47.897 minutes
9. Alberto Cerqui (I/Dinamic Motorsport), 1:47.932 minutes
10. Philip Hamprecht (D/Lechner Racing Middle East), 1:47.965 minutes



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