Comments of Barcelona polemen

Ferrari took its first pole of the season in the final round of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, something it just missed out on at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The 296 GT3 number 51 of AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors was the fastest, courtesy of the excellent times set by its drivers.

Alessio Rovera: “We are delighted because we know that overtaking is very difficult on this track, so starting at the front can be a major advantage, especially if we can build a good gap over our rivals. The car ran very well this morning, although we know it will be tougher in the race because of the heat, which will aggravate tyre degradation. It will be crucial to manage the tyre during the first few laps and then create a bit of a gap.”

Robert Shwartzman: “It was a good qualifying for us, although traffic significantly affected my attempt. The guys still did a fantastic job minimising the time I lost. We set off from first, although we know the race will be difficult because of the heat, which significantly affects the tyres. I hope for a trouble-free race so we can win that long-awaited P1.”

Nicklas Nielsen: “It was a fantastic qualifying for us. We finally secured pole position. The car was challenging to drive but, fortunately, proved very quick. We have our fingers crossed for the race but have shown great potential so far. We know the starting position is crucial on this track, so we hope to convert the qualifying result into something positive.”