Nick Yelloly sets fastest qualifying time at the Hockenheimring
In qualifying for round five of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Nick Yelloly (Fach Auto Tech) secured pole position. On Saturday, the British driver topped the time sheets with 1:43.379 minutes during his fastest lap on Germany’s Hockenheimring. “It couldn’t have gone better for me. I anticipated that the track would be better after the rain towards the end of the session. I managed to get a free run during my last lap and the strategy paid off,” said Yelloly. Taking up the race on Sunday alongside the Englishman on the first grid row is Mikkel Pedersen (MRS GT-Racing) from Denmark. Italy’s Mattia Drudi (Dinamic Motorsport) planted his 485 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup on the third grid spot at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg.
After rain fell at Hockenheim in the morning, the track was still wet at the beginning of the qualifying session. With a temperature of 20-degrees Celsius, all vehicles tackled the 30-minute session on wet tyres. The top time on the damp track was initially posted by Porsche Junior Thomas Preining (A/BWT Lechner Racing). The situation turned gripping in the last five minutes: Once the track surface dried, the drivers switched to slicks and lap times tumbled, with the names at the top of the time charts changed constantly. With the session almost over, Preining was in the lead and Yelloly and Pedersen were still out on their flying laps. At first Pedersen set a new best time, then Yelloly undercut the 21-year-old to snatch pole position. “I’ve never actually raced at Hockenheim before, so quite honestly I didn’t expect this. I’m really happy and I’m feeling optimistic for the race,” said Pedersen. The driver from the Danish town of Struer turned his best lap in 1:43.632 minutes and takes up the international one-make cup for the first time from the first grid row.
Drudi also posted his best time after the session had already finished. The driver from Misano Adriatico in Italy concluded his fastest lap in 1:43.895 minutes. “That was a really crazy qualifying session. It was lucky that I crossed the finish line just before the end of the session and could attempt another hot lap,” said Drudi. Preining lines up on the second grid row next to the Italian. The Porsche Junior drove a total of 14 qualifying laps, and turned his fastest lap on his 20th birthday in 1:44.131 minutes. “Basically I’m satisfied because I was fast today. I wish I’d had time for another fast lap because the conditions improved considerably towards the end,” said Preining.
The fifth grid spot is occupied by the current leader of the championship Michael Ammermüller (BWT Lechner Racing). Behind the German sits Dylan Pereira (Momo Megatron Lechner Racing) from Luxembourg. The seventh quickest time on the venerable 4.574-kilometre racetrack was claimed by seasoned Porsche specialist Jaap van Lagen (Fach Auto Tech). The Dutchman, however, received a penalty at the previous race in Silverstone and was relegated five places down the grid. Igor Walilko (MSG Huber Racing), a guest driver from Poland, starts from position seven.
Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer (martinet by ALMERAS) tackles the race in Germany’s Upper Rhine Valley from eighth place. In the final minutes of the qualifying, the 19-year-old Frenchman drove his best time in 1:44.798 minutes. “This was a difficult qualifying with changing conditions; we started on a wet track and towards the end it dried. I was on my fast lap shortly before the finish but I made a small error in the second sector,” said Andlauer. The best driver in the ProAm category was Roar Lindland (Lechner Racing Middle East) from Norway.
Round five of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup gets underway on Sunday at 12.05 hrs local time. Fans can watch the race via live timing and web radio on www.racecam.de. Eurosport broadcasts the race in more than 60 countries. Moreover, the TV channel Sky airs the international one-make cup series live in both the UK and Italy.
Qualifying Hockenheim:
1. Nick Yelloly (GB/Fach Auto Tech), 1:43.379 minutes
2. Mikkel O. Pedersen (DK/MRS GT-Racing), 1:43.632 minutes
3. Mattia Drudi (I/Dinamic Motorsport), 1:43.895 minutes
4. Thomas Preining (A/BWT Lechner Racing), 1:44.131 minutes
5. Michael Ammermüller (D/BWT Lechner Racing), 1:44.329 minutes
6. Dylan Pereira (L/Momo Megatron Lechner Racing), 1:44.568 minutes
*7. Jaap van Lagen (NL/Fach Auto Tech), 1:44.675 minutes
8. Igor Walilko (PL/MSG Huber Racing), 1:44.788 minutes
9. Julien Andlauer (F/martinet by ALMERAS), 1:44.798 minutes
10. Zaid Ashkanani (KWT/MRS GT-Racing), 1:45.203 minutes
*has been moved five positions down the grid due to a penalty from the Stewards of Silverstone.
