Ghiretti Smashes Spa Qualifying Record for Pole Position

Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti secured a dominant pole position for the upcoming race at Spa-Francorchamps, setting a new qualifying record on the challenging circuit. His teammate, Flynt Schuring, will start alongside him on the front row, highlighting a strong performance from the Schumacher CLRT team.

Key Takeaways

• Alessandro Ghiretti claims pole position with a new qualifying record.

• Teammate Flynt Schuring secures second on the grid.

• Championship leader Robert de Haan qualifies in third.

• Guest driver Benjamin Paque impresses with fourth.

• Porsche Junior Theo Oeverhaus faces a setback due to track limits.

Ghiretti Dominates Qualifying

Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti demonstrated exceptional pace at the "Ardennes rollercoaster," lapping the 7.004-kilometer circuit in 2:19.249 minutes. This blistering time shattered the previous qualifying record by nearly a second. Ghiretti expressed his satisfaction, stating, "There’s a lot of work behind this pole position. Together with my teammate and the entire Schumacher CLRT squad, we prepared perfectly for the race at Spa." He also emphasized the team's collaborative spirit, noting, "Having Flynt alongside me on the front row makes it even better. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t overtake me if he can, but of course, we’ll try to work together to get the best result for the team."

Front Row Lockout for Schumacher CLRT

Flynt Schuring, the highest-placed rookie, will start from second place, just 0.041 seconds behind his teammate. Despite feeling under the weather, Schuring was pleased with his front-row start. "The car was great, and I managed a clean lap. The plan for tomorrow? Get off the line well and go for it…" he commented.

Championship Contenders and Guest Star

Championship leader Robert de Haan secured third on the grid, expressing optimism about closing the gap to the frontrunners. "We managed to shrink the gap to the two black cars to less than a tenth of a second. That’s a good sign for tomorrow’s race," he said. Belgian driver Benjamin Paque made a strong impression on his guest appearance for Martinet by Alméras, qualifying fourth. "It feels good to be back in the Supercup after two years," Paque stated, aiming for a podium finish.

Setbacks and Challenges

Not all drivers had a smooth qualifying session. Porsche Junior Theo Oeverhaus was initially eighth but had his best lap deleted due to a track limits violation, dropping him to 19th. "P19 is obviously far from ideal," a frustrated Oeverhaus admitted. Experienced driver Jaap van Lagen was also hampered by a brake system leak, which relegated him from a potential top-five position to 15th on the grid.

The fifth round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season is scheduled to commence on Sunday at 11:45 am, with drivers set to complete 12 laps.