Macau GP | FIA GT World Cup | Qualifying | Fuoco leads Ferrari 1-2 in first-ever Super Pole session - Motorsport

Spread the love

Sweeping through the streets of Macau with authority, Antonio Fuoco turned his speed into pole position for the Macau GP Qualifying Race of the FIA GT World Cup. The Italian led a Ferrari 1–2 in the first-ever Super Pole session during the Macau GP, guiding the No. 50 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 to the best lap of 2:15.535. Just behind, fellow factory driver Yifei Ye secured second place for Harmony Racing, missing out on top spot by only 0.274 seconds.

Ferrari on top of the first Super Pole Session for the FIA GT World Cup Qualifying of the Macau GP

In Super Pole, the top ten from Q1 faced intense pressure, each getting just two flying laps to set the grid. Running as the penultimate driver, Fuoco headed out knowing Ye had already laid down a strong benchmark. Rising to the challenge, he pieced together a clean, attacking lap that edged the Harmony Ferrari and locked in pole for Saturday’s Qualifying Race.

Earlier, it had been Joel Eriksson who set the tone. The Swede topped the first qualifying session with a 2:15.927 in the Audi Sport Asia R8 LMS GT3 Evo II, earning the right to run last in Super Pole. Under the spotlight of the single-lap shootout, though, he could not replicate that pace and slipped to fifth on the final times.

Mortara on third after almost not making it through

Behind the Ferrari duo, Edoardo Mortara emerged as the best of the rest. Handling the No. 63 Absolute Corse Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 with trademark precision, he became the last driver to dip under the 2:16 mark. Close behind, Thursday pacesetter Alessio Picariello guided the No. 911 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R to fourth, ending the session exactly half a second away from Fuoco’s pole time.

From there, the order remained tight. Raffaele Marciello placed sixth in the ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO, unable to quite threaten the front-runners but firmly in the mix. Behind him, DTM champion and Macau rookie Ayhancan Güven impressed with seventh in his Porsche, while Laurin Heinrich followed in eighth to complete a strong showing for the marque.

Crash during the first Qualifying session of the FIA GT World Cup and late drama reshape Macau GP Super Pole session

Lamborghini and Audi then shared the remaining Super Pole spots. Benefiting from late drama in Q1, Luca Engstler put his Lamborghini ninth, while Christopher Haase rounded out the top ten in the second Phantom Global-run Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.

Outside the Super Pole positions, several big names saw their hopes dashed early. Eight minutes into Q1, Sheldon van der Linde’s Team WRT BMW nosed into the barriers at Moorish, triggering red flags and ending his chance to fight for a top-ten spot. The incident left him watching the Super Pole session from the sidelines.

Controversy then reshaped the cut-off. Dorian Boccolacci initially appeared to have grabbed tenth place in his Phantom Global Porsche and a shot at Super Pole. However, post-session checks revealed his best lap had been set with too much power. Officials deleted the time, dropping him to 14th on the grid and promoting Engstler into the top ten.

Agony in the margins as Vanthoor misses Super Pole, Goethe leads mixed-brand charge from just outside the top 10

There was frustration, too, for Laurens Vanthoor. After his Absolute Porsche had been rebuilt following a heavy crash in Thursday free practice, the Belgian mounted a spirited recovery in Q1. Despite the effort, he missed the Super Pole cut by just 0.065 seconds and will start the Qualifying Race from 11th.

Just behind, Benjamin Goethe placed the sole Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo in 12th, adding another brand to the sharp end of the grid. Completing the group eliminated after Q1, Adderly Fong’s Uno Racing Audi and Deng Yi’s Harmony Racing Ferrari will line up further back, both looking to make progress once the lights go out.