12 Nov 2011 Zhuhai 6 hours qualifying : poles for Peugeot and BMW

Photo : P.SAIVET - VSC Pictures

Photo : ZHUHAI (GUANGDONG, CHINA), ZHUHAI 6 HOURS, QUALIFYING, 12 NOV 2011. As Petit Le Mans, the previous round ILMC, Anthony Davidson and Sebastien Bourdais will start from pole position.

After dominating the three free practice sessions, the two Peugeot 908 set the two best LM P1 qualifying times for the final round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, while BMW did the same in LM GTE Pro.

Already the fastest of the last open session, Sebastien Bourdais and Anthony Davidson (#7) took the last pole of the season ahead of their team-mates Franck Montagny and Stephane Sarrazin (#8), both cars being separated by only 7 hundredths of a second. The two Audi R18 TDI both share the second row, with Tom Kristensen / Allan McNish (#2) ahead of Timo Bernhard / Marcel Fässler (#1). The first petrol engined car was the Lola-Toyota of Neel Jani / Nicolas Prost (#12) who completed the top five, ahead of the OAK Pescarolo Nicolet / Premat / Pla (#24), the Lola-Aston Martin of Meyrick / Primat / Mücke (#007) and the second OAK Pescarolo Lahaye / Moreau / Ragues (#15).

As for the LM P2 prototypes, the duel between the Oreca of Signatech Nissan Vernay / Ordonez / Mailleux (#26) and OAK Pescarolo Lafargue / Da Rocha (#35) has once again turned to the advantage the former, who will start from ninth on the grid.

In LM GTE, BMW Motorsport seems determined to throw all its forces in the battle with Ferrari for the title of the LM GTE Pro class: The two M3 Farfus / Müller (#55) and Priaulx / Alzen ( #56) set the first and third time, split by the the AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia Fisichella / Bruni (#51). BMW has recovered one point in the manufacturers' rankings by taking pole.

In LM GTE Am is another Ferrari, the F430 GT CRS Racing (#62) in Ehret / Mullen / Wills which leads the only Porsche is at Zhuhai, the 911 GT3 RSR of Lietz / Roda / Ried (#63) and one Ferrari, that of Krohn Racing (Krohn / Jonsson / Rugolo,#57). These three teams are fighting for second place overall in the category, and ahead of the Corvette Larbre Competition (#50) Beretta / Bornhauser / Canal, who took the series title in the previous round at Petit Le Mans.

6 Hours of Zhuhai will take place tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 13.

The start will be at 11 am local (03:00 in UK).

Jean-Philippe Doret