GT: Vanthoor tops Blancpain qualifying for Audi

WRT Audi driver Laurens Vanthoor claimed pole position for the qualifying race at the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup opener at Misano.

The Belgian ended up second in the final 10-minute qualifying session that sets the grid for the opening race, before being promoted to the top spot when ISR Audi driver Franck Perera lost his best time for a track limits violation.

Vanthoor posted a 1m33.262s aboard the #1 Audi R8 LMS on his first flying lap during a session held in light drizzle.

"There were more drops on my windscreen as I started my first lap, but the second and third sectors were OK, and after that it was too wet to improve," said Vanthoor, whose teammate Frederic Vervisch had been fastest in the opening session of qualifying.

"I'm very happy to be on pole. We achieved that quite a lot last year, but the level is much higher this year."

Alvaro Parente was content with second after his first dry laps in a McLaren around the Italian circuit.

"We didn't do this race last year and it was wet for practice yesterday, so I was driving in the dry for the first time," he explained.

Norbert Siedler was a further two tenths back in third place in his Rinaldi Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 on a 1m33.504s. Robin Frijns took fourth in the second quickest of the fleet of WRT Audis with a 1m33.518s.

Giacomo Piccini was fifth fastest and the Pro-Am class pole winner with a 1m33.566s in his Kessel Racing Ferrari. Markus Winkelhock rounded out the top six in the fastest of the Phoenix Racing Audis.

Perera end up 12th with a 1m33.851s after his 1m33.199s was scrubbed from the results.

The one-hour qualifying race runs Saturday night.

LEADING QUALIFYING TIMES:

Originally on Autosport.com