GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup – Zandvoort: Free Practice and Pre-Qualifying Summary
Zandvoort, Netherlands – The GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup commenced at Circuit Zandvoort with notable performances in both Free Practice and Pre-Qualifying sessions.
Free Practice Results
Ricardo Feller claimed the fastest time, setting a 1:33.622 in the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche 911 GT3.R (992). His performance cemented his position at the top of the session, leading a field of 41 cars without any Red Flag interruptions.
Alex Aka finished second in the #99 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II with a time of 1:33.767, emerging as the fastest in the Silver Cup category.
Luca Stolz, driving the #9 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, was third overall, followed closely by Dennis Marschall in the #74 Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 GT3. Dylan Pereira (#66 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi) and Loris Spinelli (#85 Imperiale Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2) rounded out the top six.
Notably, Al Faisal Al Zubair led the Gold Cup with a time of 1:34.232 in the #777 AlManar Racing by WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo, achieving the quickest lap in the session’s initial 40 minutes reserved for Silver and Bronze drivers.
Lap Statistics: The #52 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari logged a session-high 52 laps, followed by three cars with 50 laps each.
Pre-Qualifying Results
Eddie Cheever III topped Pre-Qualifying, clocking a 1:34.049 in the #93 Ziggo Sport Tempesta Ferrari 296 GT3, while Christian Engelhart was second with a time of 1:34.115 in the #1 GRT – Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2.
Dennis Marschall secured third, continuing the Bronze Cup dominance. Championship leader Lucas Auer finished fourth in the #48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, ahead of Marcos Siebert, who led the Silver Cup in the #52 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari.
The session saw a brief interruption due to an incident involving Siebert’s co-driver, Jef Machiels, but rapid pacing at the start ensured no changes in the top positions post-red flag.
Top lap statistics confirmed three cars, including the #50 AF Corse Ferrari and #24 Steller Motorsport Corvette, completed a maximum of 28 laps, highlighting their competitive mileage.
Upcoming Schedule
Track action will continue with Qualifying 1 scheduled for 10:00 CEST and the first race of the weekend commencing at 15:00 CEST. Teams remain focused as they strategize for the upcoming challenges in Zandvoort.
Results Summary: For full results, refer to the official event page.
Images courtesy of SRO/JEP.
