GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup: Magny-Cours Day 1 Report
Magny-Cours, France – Jordan Pepper and Dylan Pereira emerged as the standout performers on the opening day of the penultimate round of the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. Pepper set the pace in Free Practice, while Pereira topped the wet Pre-Qualifying session.
Free Practice Highlights
Jordan Pepper claimed the fastest time in Free Practice, clocking a remarkable 1:37.192 in the #63 GRT – Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo. This time was the best of the session, surpassing the previous benchmark set by Luca Stolz of Boutsen VDS. Ricardo Feller followed closely in the Bronze Cup-entered #80 Lionspeed GP entry, finishing just 0.037 seconds behind. Sven Müller in the #96 Rutronik Racing Porsche secured third, a mere 0.020 seconds off Pepper’s pace.
The session featured a decisive performance by Chris Lulham, who topped the Gold Cup rankings in the #69 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3. Arthur Leclerc (AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors) and Lorens Lecertua (Sainteloc Racing) completed the top five, with championship leaders Team WRT struggling to find pace, finishing 30th.
Pre-Qualifying Overview
Dylan Pereira dominated Pre-Qualifying, securing the fastest lap at 1:40.837 in the #66 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II. Pereira’s last-minute effort placed him 0.404 seconds clear of Romain Andriolo’s #64 HRT Ford Performance Mustang GT3, marking a strong performance for the 18-year-old driver. Notably, the session saw the leaderboard change hands over 25 times as track conditions evolved.
The drying track contributed to significant lap time improvements, with Lionspeed GP’s Porsches finishing third and fourth, led by Bastian Buus. Loris Spinelli (Imperiale Racing) and Eddie Cheever III (Ziggo Sport Tempesta Ferrari) rounded out the top five, both featuring in the competitive Bronze Cup category.
Championship leader Kelvin van der Linde finished seventh, while several teams including the #96 Rutronik Porsche, which had shown promise earlier, fell back by session’s end.
Next Steps
The event continues tomorrow with Qualifying 1 at 14:45 CEST, followed by Race 1 at 20:30 CEST. All 40 cars participated in a clean Pre-Qualifying, setting the stage for an exciting race weekend ahead.
Pre-Qualifying Times:
- Dylan Pereira – Audi R8 LMS GT3: 1:40.837
- Romain Andriolo – Mustang GT3: +0.404
- Bastian Buus – Porsche 911 GT3.R: +0.712
- Ricardo Feller – Porsche 911 GT3.R: +0.784
- Loris Spinelli – Lamborghini Huracán: +0.836
- Eddie Cheever III – Ferrari 296 GT3: +0.848
Next Session Schedule:
- Qualifying 1: 14:45 CEST
- Race 1: 20:30 CEST
Images Courtesy of SRO/JEP
