Yuan’s demotion hands Deng Race 1 pole; Ojeda sets searing Q2 pace

Deng Yi and Jayden Ojeda will start the GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS season finale up front on Sunday after claiming a pole position apiece at the Beijing Street Circuit.

Championship leader Bob Yuan set Q1’s two fastest times to limit the damage caused by his and Leo Ye’s 10-place grid penalty. The Origine Porsche’s demotion helped Harmony’s Ferraris to share row one after Silver leader Deng lapped 0.09s quicker than team-mate Zhang Yaqi in a frenetic first session.

The second was no less exciting thanks to five Pros setting fast times in quick succession. Dorian Boccolacci appeared to have collected his and Phantom’s first pole of the season until Ojeda’s mighty final lap – set long after the chequered flag fell – ensured Craft-Bamboo’s Mercedes-AMG took top spot by 0.357s.

Q1 set the tone for what would become 2025’s best qualifying session by some distance.

Fittingly, Chinese teams and drivers dominated a first 15-minute run that largely yo-yoed between Yuan and Deng who traded fastest times throughout. Harmony’s #96 Ferrari set what could be considered, at that stage at least, a representative time before Origine’s Porsche responded two laps in succession.

Deng was back out front 30 seconds later and by what appeared to be a handy two-tenths advantage before the reigning champion again underlined his credentials – and desire to retain the crown – by returning to the top. 

His session-long rival pitted after that, which essentially sealed ‘pole’ for the 911. But a 0.09s advantage wasn’t sufficient for Yuan who rammed home the result by setting a 1m45.571s on his final flyer to end up 0.125s clear.

The 10-place penalty his co-driver Ye collected at Okayama meant the final grid positions would always favour Deng, but Yuan’s pace suggests Race 1’s opening stint will make for essential viewing tomorrow.

Harmony’s other Ferrari was also a front runner without ever setting fastest time. Zhang now starts alongside his team-mate in what could be a nervy run to the first corner for a squad that also won the opening race at Okayama last time out.

Absolute Corse’s Huang Ruohan enjoyed his best qualifying performance of the season en route to third overall and first of the Silver-Am cars, while Nazim Azman (Absolute) impressed on his series debut by taking fourth in the corrected result.

Yuan’s grid drop leaves Anthony Liu (Phantom) as the best placed overall title contender in fifth. He shares row three with another, Cheng Congfu (FAW/Phantom), who could wrap up the Silver title on Sunday morning.

AMAC’s Ben Porter finished as the top Am class driver in 13th.

The action continued in Q2 with Bastian Buus, Nico Menzel, Patrick Pilet, Boccolacci and finally Ojeda taking turns to lead over the final six minutes.

Boccolacci was a constant threat and appeared on course for his first pole by going back to the top just over two minutes from the end. Others, such as Ben Green, improved their times to move into the top six but couldn’t dislodge Phantom’s Porsche until Ojeda obliterated the fastest lap deep into motorsport’s equivalent of stoppage time.

The Australian’s 1m43.336s was almost four tenths faster than the Frenchman with whom he shares Race 2’s front row – the same difference covering positions two through eight.

They include Green (JMR), Pilet (Absolute) and Luo Kailuo’s Harmony Ferrari which was again fastest of the Silver entries in fifth.

Menzel and home hero Ye Yifei were next up, while Alexander Sims, Buus and Silver-Am leader Anders Fjordbach completed the top 10. EBM bagged Am pole courtesy of Liam Talbot.

Results are HERE