The No. 3 Verstappen Racing Mercedes‑AMG GT3 dropped to 15th on the Portimão grid, while the rival GetSpeed entry, No. 17, secured a front‑row position.
Qualifying misfires for Verstappen Racing
In Q1, Ben Barnicoat posted the slowest stint for the team, slipping to 21st with a gap of 0.679 seconds to rival Porsche leader Morris Schuring. Chris Lulham then led Q2 but remained 16th, 0.799 seconds behind Dorian Boccolacci.
Max Verstappen’s Q3 effort finished 15th, a 0.441‑second deficit to Fernando Ogden Birch’s Porsche, though his fastest lap of 1:42.093 s reflected the track’s cooling temperatures.
After the free‑practice gains proved hard to maintain, Barnicoat admitted that a late set‑up tweak backfired, leaving the car “sparking” and “bouncing” on straights. He added that the team was “confident we can fix this” ahead of Saturday’s race.
Boutsen VDS clinches pole in Porsche
Morris Schuring, Dorian Boccolacci and Alessio Picariello combined for an average time of 1:42.071 s, edging the GetSpeed Mercedes by 0.108 seconds to take pole. The VDS trio shot to the front as the team’s co‑owner lost a 78‑year‑old legend earlier this season.
Front‑row battle and top‑10 standings
- GetSpeed Mercedes‑AMG GT3, No. 17, second on the front row.
- Lionspeed Porsche 911 GT3 R 992, No. 80, started third.
- HRT Ford Mustang GT3 Evo, No. 64, fourth.
- AF Corso Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo, No. 50, fifth.
- Winward Mercedes‑AMG GT3, No. 48, sixth.
Ferrari, Mercedes‑AMG and Porsche occupied the top seven, with a Ford, McLaren and Aston Martin also in the top ten. A total of 29 cars qualified within one second of the grid‑setting benchmark.
BMW struggles across the field
The best Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo, No. 32, saved 14th place. Rowe Racing’s BMW 98, No. 98, was 35th. Valentino Rossi’s lap was deleted for track‑limit infringement, leaving the No. 46 Team WRT entry at the rear.
Race schedule and outlook
The three‑hour event is set to commence Saturday at 5:00 PM local time, with Verstappen Racing facing a steep uphill battle to recover the precious 15th‑grid position.
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