Mercedes-AMG Leads Practice at GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup in Monza
Monza, Italy – Mercedes-AMG showcased formidable performance during practice sessions for the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup at Monza, with Jules Gounon leading both Free Practice and Pre-Qualifying.
Free Practice Highlights:
Gounon surged to the top of the timesheets with a lap of 1:45.629 in the #17 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, marking a dominant display as Mercedes-AMG locked out the top five positions. Maximilian Götz followed closely in the #9 Boutsen VDS AMG GT3 Evo, clocking a 1:45.634 despite missing the initial hour due to a sensor issue.
Kazuto Kotaka emerged as the leader in the Gold Cup category in the #611 Nordique Racing entry, followed by Marvin Dienst in the #81 Winward Racing entry leading the Bronze Cup. The top five was rounded out by Lucas Auer in the #48 MANN-FILTER Mercedes-AMG, just 0.058 seconds off Gounon’s pace.
Notably, Alex Aka topped the Silver Cup with a sixth overall finish in the #99 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II at 1:45.739. The session saw four red flags, primarily due to single-car incidents, including a significant off from Antoine Potty in the #270 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin, which rendered the car unusable for Pre-Qualifying.
Pre-Qualifying Summary:
Gounon continued to dominate in Pre-Qualifying, setting a best time of 1:46.003. Maximilian Götz’s co-driver, Maxime Martin, secured second in the #9 AMG GT3 Evo with a 1:46.047.
Jordan Pepper finished third in the #63 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini, followed by Maro Engel in the #48 Mercedes-AMG and Franck Perera in the #163 VSR Lamborghini. The Silver Cup saw Tanart Sathienthirakul take the lead in the #6 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG, while the Gold Cup was led by Thierry Vermeulen in the #33 Verstappen.Com Racing Aston Martin.
Two red flags hampered the session, including an incident involving Arthur Leclerc in the #50 AF Corse Ferrari, a setback for the Prancing Horse, as none of their 296 GT3s positioned themselves near the top. The #96 Rutronik Racing Porsche missed Pre-Qualifying due to a mechanical issue.
Upcoming Events:
Qualifying is scheduled for 09:50 CEST, leading into the three-hour race commencing at 15:00 CEST tomorrow.
Results Summary:
- Free Practice Winner: Jules Gounon (#17 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo) – 1:45.629
- Pre-Qualifying Winner: Jules Gounon (#17 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo) – 1:46.003
This dominant performance from Mercedes-AMG sets the stage for an exciting race day at Monza.
