GT World Challenge Europe at Misano: Practice and Pre-Qualifying Results
Free Practice Overview
Alessio Rovera topped Free Practice for the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup at Misano, setting a blistering time of 1:32.467 in the #51 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari 296 GT3. This lap eclipsed Maxime Martin’s earlier benchmark by 0.307 seconds. Martin secured second place with a time of 1:32.774 in the #9 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.
Dennis Marschall was the fastest Bronze driver, finishing third in the #74 Kessel Racing Ferrari, followed by Arthur Leclerc in the #50 AF Corse entry. Valentino Rossi showcased competitive pace, clocking a 1:32.918 for fifth in the #46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo.
Completing the top five were Al Faisal Al Zubair and Alex Aka, who led the Gold and Silver Cups, respectively. A brief Red Flag interrupted the session when Sergio Sette Camara’s #270 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin came to a halt at Turn 15.
Pre-Qualifying Highlights
Jordan Pepper seized the fastest overall time in Pre-Qualifying with a lap of 1:32.393 in the #63 GRT – Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2. His session dominance began after Dennis Marschall had a 1:32.306 invalidated for exceeding track limits.
Vincent Abril in the #51 Ferrari closely trailed Pepper, falling short by just 0.004 seconds. The #777 AlManar Racing by WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo led the Gold Cup once more, with Jens Klingmann following closely in third.
Marschall continued to excel, maintaining the fastest Bronze time of 1:32.548. Charles Weerts in the #32 BMW, along with drivers from Emil Frey Racing and Team WRT, rounded out the top ten.
Both the #52 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari and the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche completed the most laps, each managing 29 tours of the 4.226-kilometer circuit.
Upcoming Sessions
Qualifying 1 is set for 12:00 CEST, with Race 1 scheduled for 20:15 CEST. Track action promises to intensify as teams look to capitalize on the competitive groundwork laid in practice and pre-qualifying.
Summary
- Fastest in Free Practice: Alessio Rovera (#51 Ferrari) – 1:32.467
- Fastest in Pre-Qualifying: Jordan Pepper (#63 Lamborghini) – 1:32.393
- Key Performers: Maxime Martin (#9 Mercedes), Dennis Marschall (#74 Ferrari), Valentino Rossi (#46 BMW)
- Next Session: Qualifying 1 at 12:00 CEST; Race 1 at 20:15 CEST.
Images courtesy of SRO/JEP.
