Jules Gounon claimed pole position for the second GTWC Europe Sprint Cup race at Misano after leading a tightly contested Qualifying 2 session. The Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing driver set a 1:32.017 to beat Kelvin van der Linde by only 0.057 seconds, while Kobe Pauwels completed the top three just 0.068 seconds away from pole.
The session produced several strong performances throughout the field, with three different manufacturers occupying the first three positions. Less than a quarter of a second separated the top six, while all 42 participating cars recorded a classified lap time.
Gounon leads close fight for pole during Qualifying 2 at GTWC Europe in Misano
The leading drivers quickly established the pace around the 4.226-kilometre Misano World Circuit. Maro Engel set his fastest time on his second lap for Winward Racing, before several of the front-running drivers improved during their following attempts. Van der Linde moved the #32 Team WRT BMW to the top of the order with a 1:32.074 on his third lap. However, Gounon responded during the same stage of the GTWC Europe Qualifying 2 at Misano and produced a 1:32.017 to take provisional pole by 0.057 seconds.
The Frenchman’s benchmark remained unbeaten for the rest of qualifying and secured Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing its first pole position in the championship. It also marked Gounon’s first Sprint Cup pole for two years and Mercedes-AMG’s first since the 2025 Brands Hatch event.
Gounon’s result completed a significant recovery for the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO. An opening-lap accident during the previous evening’s race damaged the car and forced the team to continue its repairs late into the night. Despite the limited turnaround, Gounon immediately returned the car to the front of the field in Qualifying 2.
Van der Linde retains front-row position
Van der Linde finished second and secured a front-row starting position for the #32 Team WRT BMW, which he shares with Charles Weerts. His lap left him narrowly behind Gounon but comfortably inside the leading group. The stewards investigated Team WRT after the session for an unsafe release involving the #32 car. However, they issued the team with a fine rather than a sporting penalty, allowing Van der Linde to retain second place on the grid.
Pauwels delivered one of the standout performances of the session for Comtoyou Racing. The Belgian continued improving and set his best lap on his sixth tour, recording a 1:32.085 in the #7 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO. His effort placed him only 0.011 seconds behind Van der Linde and earned Comtoyou Racing its strongest Sprint Cup qualifying result of the season. Pauwels will therefore start the second race from third alongside Max Hesse on the second row.
Hesse heads the chasing group
Hesse placed the #46 Team WRT BMW fourth with a 1:32.204. He finished 0.187 seconds behind Gounon and gave Team WRT two cars inside the opening two rows. Arthur Leclerc followed closely in fifth for AF Corse. The Monegasque driver recorded a 1:32.217 in the #50 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO, leaving him just 0.013 seconds behind Hesse.
Engel completed the top six in the #48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG. His early 1:32.264 placed him 0.247 seconds away from pole and secured Winward Racing a place on the third row alongside Leclerc. The narrow gaps highlighted the competitiveness of the session. Only 0.200 seconds separated Gounon from Leclerc in fifth, while Engel remained within a quarter of a second of the fastest time.
Rougier claims Gold Cup pole
Arthur Rougier led the Gold Cup field after qualifying seventh overall for CSA Racing. He set a 1:32.364 in the #111 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, finishing only 0.347 seconds behind Gounon. Rougier also qualified ahead of several Pro-class entries and secured the class pole by more than two tenths of a second. Alessio Aka finished as the next Gold Cup driver in 11th for Tresor Attempto Racing, while CSA Racing’s Romain Andriolo placed 12th overall and third in the category.
Ben Green took eighth place for Emil Frey Racing in the #69 Ferrari, with his teammate Konsta Lappalainen following in ninth aboard the #14 car. Jordan Pepper completed the top 10 in the third Team WRT BMW. Only 0.510 seconds separated Pepper from Gounon, demonstrating how small mistakes could significantly affect a driver’s position within the leading group.
Panis tops the Silver Cup runners
Aurélien Panis secured Silver Cup pole for GetSpeed Team Bartone Bros after placing 14th overall. The Frenchman recorded a 1:32.722 in the #6 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, finishing 0.705 seconds behind the outright pole time.
Panis established a sizeable advantage over his nearest class rival. Miguel Villagomez placed the #34 Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin second in the Silver Cup and 21st overall with a 1:33.061.
Marcus Porter qualified third in the category for Optimum Motorsport, just 0.032 seconds behind Villagomez. Ivan Montenegro followed in fourth for Team WRT, while Maxime Robin completed the Silver Cup top five for Walkenhorst Motorsport.
Dawson earns Bronze Cup pole
Charles Dawson claimed Bronze Cup pole for 2Seas Motorsport in the #222 Mercedes-AMG. He set a 1:33.181 on his fifth lap, placing 25th overall and finishing 1.164 seconds behind Gounon’s benchmark. Dawson qualified four positions ahead of his closest class opponent, Phil Dempsey. The Ziggo Sport Tempesta Racing driver placed 29th overall in the #93 Porsche with a 1:33.420.
Dennis Marschall took third in the Bronze Cup for Kessel Racing, followed by Rinat Salikhov in the #87 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG and Darren Leung in the #991 Paradine Competition BMW.
Championship leader faces difficult starting position
Bastian Buus endured a challenging session in the championship-leading #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche. He recorded a 1:32.696 and qualified 13th, leaving the car outside the leading group for the second race. The result carried further significance because the Porsche’s main title rivals secured positions within the top six. Buus and teammate Ricardo Feller will therefore need to recover ground during the race while their closest championship opponents begin near the front.
Patric Niederhauser placed the new Rutronik Racing Lamborghini 15th, ahead of Louis Prette’s Garage 59 McLaren and Matías Zagazeta’s AF Corse Ferrari. Marvin Kirchhöfer finished 18th, while Mattia Michelotto and Gilles Stadsbader completed the top 20. Officials deleted selected lap times for track-limit infringements during the session. Nevertheless, all 42 cars that participated received classified results, while the #66 car withdrew.
