Menchaca-Siebert in pole for the GT Open 500 at Spa

The championship leaders Diego Menchaca and Marcos Siebert, in their Motopark Mercedes, will start from pole position tomorrow in the GT Open 500.

The South American pair was the fastest at the end of the qualifying exercise, which combined the best lap times of each driver, with an average lap time of 2.17.212. The pair built its advantage in the first session, where Siebert was fastest, and kept it despite a difficult second session (12th) for Menchaca, who couldn’t believe the final result.

“Frankly, I am surprised”, said the Mexican, “as I got trapped in traffic, but Marcos really did a great job in the first session, all the credit should be on him”. The Argentine denied that  (”It’s a team effort always”) but the two agreed they will have a good opportunity tomorrow to reinforce their leadership.

Session 2 saw Christopher Haase (Eastalent Audi) top the rankings in session 2 ahead of Alessio Piariello (Lionspeed Porsche, +0s533), Fabian Schiller (GetSpeed Mercedes, +0s550) and Nico Menzel (Car Collection Porsche, +0s571).

In the combined rankings, the other Mercedes by al Manar, with Faisal Al Zubair-Mikaël Grenier will be in first row along the polemen (+0s106), while in second row will be the Car Collection Porsche of Gustav Bergström-Nico Menzel (+0s178) and the Comtoyou Aston of young Belgians Matisse Lismont and Lorens Lecertua (+0s217), one of the good surprises so far. In third row, the first of the Oregon Lambos, with another fast young duo, Marzio Moretti-Artëm Petrov (+0s378) and the GetSpeed Mercedes of Anthony Bartone-Fabian Schiller (+0s384).

The top Pro-Am car, the Olimp Racing Audi of Marcin Jedlinski-Karol Basz, is 12th overall right ahead of the Lionspeed Porsche of Antares Au-Alessio Picariello and the Triple Eight Mercedes of Prince Jefri Ibrahim-Jordan Love.

In Am, pole for the Il Barone Rampante Lambo of Giuseppe Cipriani-Dmtry Gvazava.

Quite naturally, the Oregon Lambo #63 was withdrawn from the event after being severely damaged in Rolf Ineichen’s crash in session 1.