In an exciting turn of events, the #99 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi secured the top spot in Pre-Qualifying at Monza, thanks to a remarkable performance from Lorenzo Patrese. The 17-year-old Silver Cup contender set an impressive time of 1m46.568s, taking the headlines at the end of the 90-minute session.
Simon Gachet, driving the #25 Saintéloc Junior Team Audi, secured second place overall with a time of 1m46.632. Meanwhile, the #88 Akkodis ASP Mercedes-AMG, which paced this morning’s Free Practice, finished third, 0.169s behind the leader in Pre-Qualifying.
Winward Racing and CSA Racing Lead Gold Cup and Bronze Cup
Winward Racing once again took the lead in the Gold Cup order with its #57 Mercedes-AMG, as Indy Dontje clocked a time of 1m47.165s (P8 overall). In the Bronze Cup, the #888 CSA Racing Audi, driven by Igor Walilko, claimed top honors (P12 overall). Car Collection Motorsport continued to dominate in the Pro-Am category, with Ivan Jacoma showcasing an impressive performance (P29 overall).
During the session, two red flags emerged in quick succession during the second half. Valentino Rossi was the first to encounter problems, losing control of the #46 Team WRT BMW and spinning into the barriers at Parabolica. Fortunately, Rossi was unharmed, but the session had to be halted for 15 minutes while the #46 car was removed and the barriers repositioned.
Further Interruptions and the Road Ahead
With 35 minutes left on the clock, the session resumed, but the green flag conditions did not last long. The #62 Team Parker Racing Porsche found itself beached between the Lesmo curves, resulting in another red flag. This time, the clean-up was quicker, and the green flag flew once more with 25 minutes remaining.
During Pre-Qualifying, a full-course yellow and safety car period also took place. This was a pre-planned systems check before tomorrow’s race, as a new wave-by procedure has been implemented for this season’s Endurance Cup.
Upcoming Qualifying and Esports GT Pro Series
Cars will return to the track tomorrow morning at 09:00 CEST for Qualifying. The format remains unchanged for 2023, with the aggregate time from three quick-fire sessions determining the grid for the afternoon’s season-opening race at 15:00.
Before the main event, the Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series will kick off its 2023 season with a one-hour Assetto Corsa Competizione race at 18:00. With an action-packed weekend ahead, fans are eager to see who will come out on top in Monza!
