The Mercedes-AMG Team HRT has secured the third position for the start of the iconic Total 24 Hours of Spa. While placing the #4 on fifth place in the qualifying last night, Maro Engel ensured a start from the second row in tomorrow’s race at Spa-Franchorchamps. The second Mercedes-AMG GT3 will head into the action from P34.
The #4 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of the Mercedes-AMG Team HRT driven by Maro Engel (GER), Luca Stolz (GER) and Vincent Abril (FRA) placed on fifth position during Thursday’s combined qualifying, which ensured competing in the shoot out for the top 20 starting positions on Friday.
The pace of Maro Engel in the Super Pole session was good enough for the third place with a lap time of 2:32.522 minutes, only .356 seconds shy of the pole position for one of the biggest GT races in the world and the second to last stop of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup.
The Silver Cup squad of the #5 HRT car, led by team owner Hubert Haupt (GER), had a tough time in qualifying on Thursday. Having had a fantastic start to the timed sessions with Gabriele Piana (ITA) leading the pack in Q1, the crew with Michele Beretta (ITA) and Sergei Afanasiev (RUS) behind the wheel, fought with difficult track conditions, managing to place the car in the middle of the field, on 34th position and 8th place in the Silver Cup rankings.
The lights of the Total 24 Hours of Spa will go green at 3.30 p.m. CEST on Saturday with 56 cars competing for the win.
Sean Paul Breslin, Team Principal HRT: “P3 – I’m happy with that. Good job from Maro, good job from the team and now we get to start on the second row for the Spa 24 Hours. Less pressure from our crew and then we go for it for the race tomorrow.”
Maro Engel, driver, Mercedes-AMG Team HRT #4: “P3 in this strong field is definitely a very good qualifying for us. The car was absolutely great. The lap was good, but in the end I was a little too cautious in the last chicane, so I must have left a little time behind. The last pole positions didn't really bring us luck in the race, so we hope that it might be a good omen for us not to start from pole this time. With Luca and Vincent we have a great team behind the wheel. It will certainly be an exciting race! Congratulations to Raffaele (#88 Mercedes-AMG GT3), who drove a great lap."
