Garage 59’s #58 McLaren went fastest in the GTWC Europe qualifying in Barcelona, banking the ROWE Pole Position Award and a crucial championship point. Edging the sister #59 to complete a decisive front-row lockout at the seasons’ finale.
Ultimately, what began as a three-way fight with AF Corse turned into a historic moment for Garage 59. The #58 became the first Gold Cup entrant to secure overall pole at an Endurance Cup round, the first non-Pro to do so since Spa 2023. Underscoring how fine the margins are in a title run-in where composure matters as much as outright pace.
With a Garage 59 one-two and the championship picture tightening, the pressure on the remaining contenders intensifies. Grid position and that single bonus point could prove pivotal when the final laps of the season are counted.
Track-limit shuffles and late laps
Ten minutes into Q1, the rhythm was set by AF Corse Francorchamps Motors as Alessio Rovera put the #51 Ferrari on top. Garage 59 answered immediately: Joseph Loake placed the #59 second, Adam Smalley the #58 third. As the times dropped late, track limits and traffic management became the story—clean laps were at a premium, and every preparation lap mattered. When the segment ended, Ferrari held the headline time, but both McLarens were firmly in the window, keeping the pole shootout squarely between the #51 and the Garage 59 duo.
The pole decider at the GTWC Europe qualifying in Barcelona
Q2 swung the momentum as Marvin Kirchhöfer fired the #59 to P1 with a 1:39.283—the day’s best—while Louis Prette kept the #58 securely in the top three. Sharpening the story into Ferrari versus two McLarens with only tenths in it. The tension carried into Q3, where restraint mattered as much as aggression in the aggregate format. Dean MacDonald stayed cool and banked a measured P5, sealing overall pole for the #58. Benjamin Goethe’s tidy P9 put the #59 alongside and completed a Garage 59 front-row lockout that spoke to their consistency across the day. Yifei Ye fought hard but a tough P18 left the #51 Ferrari to settle for third overall for AF Corse. Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed’s #17 rebounded after a muted Q1 and slotted into the second row.
Championship undercurrents after GTWC Europe qualifying in Barcelona
The title fight tilted toward Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter as the #48 qualified sixth and sat comfortably ahead of key rivals. Meanwhile, the #96 Rutronik Racing Porsche started 10th. In contrast, Team WRT’s #32 BMW lined up P21. Thus, small gains today looked decisive for tomorrow. In the classes, history was made in the Gold Cup as the #58 McLaren took overall pole. Garage 59 struck again in Silver, with the #188 McLaren of James Baldwin, Guilherme Oliveira, and Tom Fleming claiming class pole and finishing fifth overall. Additionally, Kessel Racing’s #8 Ferrari of Nicolò Rosa, David Fumanelli, and Niccolò Schiro secured Bronze Cup pole.
Results: GTWC Europe Qualifying Barcelona
