Free Practice for the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup at Valencia ended with Ferrari in control. The 50-minute session ran shorter than planned after red flags. Despite the interruptions, lap times stayed close across the 39-car field, setting up a tense weekend.
Kessel Racing on top of the GTWC Free Practice in Valencia
Kessel Racing set the pace in Free Practice at Valencia. Dennis Marschall put the #74 Ferrari 296 GT3 first with a lap of 1:32.156. The Bronze Cup entry surprised the field and proved fastest overall. Emil Frey Racing made it a Ferrari one-two. Thierry Vermeulen and Chris Lulham finished second in the #69 Ferrari with a 1:32.268, only 0.112s slower. Garage 59 completed the top three. Thomas Fleming and Louis Prette placed the #58 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO third on 1:32.318.
Red Flag stops running
Proceedings were brought to a close in Valencia after roughly one hour of the GTWC Free Practice when track repairs became necessary. A red flag was shown, and after a long stoppage, officials confirmed the session would not restart. The early end meant many teams lost valuable running time and had to cut their programs short. Drivers missed the chance to complete longer stints, while engineers gathered less data on tyres and setup. The disruption created extra uncertainty heading into qualifying, with several front-running cars unable to show their full pace.
Close battle across classes
Silver Cup showed strong pace. Paradine Competition’s #992 BMW of Maxime Oosten and Mex Jansen set a 1:32.347 for fourth overall. Walkenhorst Motorsport led Pro Cup in fifth. Mateo Villagomez and Henrique Chaves recorded 1:32.395 in the #35 Aston Martin. AlManar Racing by WRT placed sixth with the #777 BMW, followed by Tresor Attempto Racing’s #88 Audi in seventh. GRT Grasser Racing took eighth as Jordan Pepper and Luca Engstler posted 1:32.523 in the #63 Lamborghini. Team WRT’s #30 BMW ranked ninth, while Boutsen VDS closed the top ten with the #10 Mercedes-AMG.
Tight margins ahead of Qualifying
Bronze Cup teams also showed depth. Lionspeed GP’s #80 Porsche finished eleventh, and Paradine Competition’s #991 BMW took thirteenth. Pro Cup remained closely matched, with WRT, Garage 59, and AF Corse all within tenths of Walkenhorst’s Aston. Less than two seconds split the top 37 cars during Free Practice in Valencia. The session ended early after red flag interruptions, leaving teams with limited preparation. The tight gaps set the stage for a competitive qualifying session in Valencia.
With Valencia marking the final Sprint Cup weekend of the season, every lap will count. The championship fight remains open, and the titles will be decided on Spanish soil.
Results: GTWC Europe Valencia Free Practice
