Montserrat and Prette score scorching pole positions at Misano

Two electric contests played out at the Italian circuit on Saturday morning. Prette left it late to confirm the top spot for the all-Italian Maserati crew in Q1, before Monserrat lowered the best time of the weekend once again to grab Q2 bragging rights in the #115 Mercedes-AMG, which he shares with fellow Spaniard, Alberto De Martin.

For much of the opening 20-minute session it appeared as though ART-Line were on course to take pole position for their GT2 Europe debut, as Shota Abkhazava set the early pace in the #12 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo 2.

Lap times began to tumble in the closing minutes however, and it was Prette who found the most from his Maserati as the LP Racing driver grabbed his second overall pole position of the season with a time of 1:35.400s - also topping the Am class in doing so. Abkhazava, who shares the ART-Line entry with Egor Orudzhez, finished just 0.223s adrift but secured a front row start for the opening contest as best of the Pro-Am competitors.

De Martin was a close third, ahead of Davit Kajaia in the RTR Projects KTM X-Bow he shares with Mato Homola. It was a slow burner of a session for Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra, but eventually Bronek Formanek was able to unlock a time good enough for fifth in the Pro-Am points-leading Lamborghini.

Diego Locanto was victim to track limits on more than one ocassion, but was able to push the DL Racing Lamborghini up to sixth place eventually, beating DINAMIC Motorsport’s (Maserati) Roberto Pampanini and the Mercedes-AMG of Christophe Bourret (Akkodis ASP).

A thrilling Q2 followed, with series rookies ART-Line and DL Racing trading record pace throughout much of the session before a dramatic conclusion, when Monsterrat broke the timing beam in 1:34.315s to usurp both Lamborghini crews, and score the NM Racing its first pole position of the term.

Luca Segù took over the wheel of the DL Racing entry from Locanto, and after having his best lap removed for track limits, the Italian swiftly returned to the circuit to surge briefly back to the head of the times - only to lose out to Montserrat by just 0.010s.

Orudhez was not far away, taking third place for ART-Line ahead of Homola’s KTM and Mauro Calamia in the DINAMIC Motorsport Maserati. With the top five all Pro-Am contingents, Prette was again best of the Am class in sixth overall. Luca Pirri was next up, sharing the LP Racing Audi R8 LMS GT2 with Stéphane Ratel.

Stefan Rosina suffered a spin meanwhile as the Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra Lamborghini could only manage eighth in the final classification.

Results are HERE