Comtoyou Racing produced a masterclass in consistency during Sunday morning’s atmospheric, three-part qualifying session to claim overall pole position for Round 7 of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup at the 5.137-kilometer Nürburgring Grand Prix Circuit.
Under dry conditions in the Eifel region, the trio of Mattia Drudi, Marco Sørensen, and Nicki Thiim delivered three razor-sharp stints behind the wheel of the No. 7 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO. Their combined average time of 1:53.591 across Qualifying 1, 2, and 3 proved impossible to beat, putting the Belgian squad on the prime starting spot for the upcoming 3-hour main event.
Front-Row Drama and Pure Speed
The battle for top spot was decided by the fine margins that have defined GT World Challenge Europe competition all season long. Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed pushed the No. 7 Vantage to the limit, with Maxime Martin, Maximilian Götz, and Fabian Schiller posting a combined average of 1:53.718 in their Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO. Falling just 0.127 seconds short, the GetSpeed crew will share the front row, setting up a thrilling sprint down to the Mercedes-Arena at the green flag.
Lionspeed GP put in an impressive showing to lock down third on the grid. Ricardo Feller, Thomas Preining, and Bastian Buus hauled the No. 80 Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO to a 1:53.789 average, finishing just seven hundredths off a front-row spot. Behind them, Garage 59’s No. 59 McLaren (1:53.867 average) and Team WRT’s No. 32 BMW (1:53.888 average) completed a top five representing five different manufacturers—Aston Martin, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, McLaren, and BMW.
While Comtoyou Racing took overall pole honors through combined average times, the absolute fastest lap of the session belonged to Ben Dörr. Driving the Silver-class No. 23 Team RJN McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, Dörr unleashed a blistering 1:53.070 in Q3, setting the single quickest benchmark of the entire weekend so far.
Deep Dive Into Class Honors
- Gold Cup Supremacy: Garage 59 proved to be a force in both Pro and Gold categories. The No. 58 McLaren trio of Tom Fleming, Louis Prette, and Benjamin Goethe dominated the Gold Cup class, capturing 7th overall on the grid with a 1:53.912 average. Fleming laid down an exceptional 1:53.412 in Q1 to build an early foundation. Tresor Attempto Racing’s Audi (#99) completed the top 10 overall to take second in class.
- Silver Cup Precision: Team WRT locked up class pole in Silver, placing 17th overall courtesy of Ignacio Montenegro, Matisse Lismont, and Amaury Cordeel. Their 1:54.439 combined average in the No. 30 BMW M4 GT3 EVO edged out the No. 23 RJN McLaren, which suffered from slower bookend sessions despite Dörr’s heroics in Q2.
- Bronze Cup Thriller: 2Seas Motorsport earned top honors in Bronze Cup. Drivers Kiern Jewiss, Charles Dawson, and Ricky Barr recorded a 1:54.493 average to put their No. 222 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO 18th overall on the 55-car grid. Barr’s late 1:53.919 effort in Q3 sealed the class top spot over the No. 87 Haupt Racing Team Mercedes-AMG.
Stage Set for 3-Hour Endurance Battle
With all 55 cars classified and minimal gaps separating the front-runners across all four classes, Sunday afternoon’s 3-hour race promises high drama. Track position into Turn 1 will be critical, but pit stop strategy, fuel conservation, and navigating traffic through the 17-turn circuit’s tight hairpin sections will ultimately decide who lifts the trophies at the Nürburgring.