The third qualifying session for the Prototype Cup Germany finished in surprising fashion. Initially it featured Markus Pommer (33/Untereisesheim, Gebhardt Motorsport) and Julien Apothéloz (23/CHE, BWT Mücke Motorsport) battling for first place, and as the end of the session approached it seemed that the Swiss driver would prevail. However, Keanu Al Azhari (16/UAE, Mühlner Motorsport) then produced a final fast lap to overtake both his rivals and move to the top of the standings. He was just 0.07 seconds ahead of Apothéloz, with Pommer in third place, 0.188 seconds behind the leader.
Al Azhari did not enjoy an easy Friday, as he struggled to overcome a defective fuel pump in the first qualifying session. This put him at a disadvantage and seventh place was the limit of his achievements. However, the pump was in working order once more during the rain-affected second session as he improved to finish fourth. “The setup was still not quite right,” he explained. With his ideal setup in place, the 16-year-old was then able to show what he was capable of in the third qualifying session. “It was not easy today, as we hardly had any grip on the track due to yesterday’s rain. That’s why I needed a few laps to get to the limit. I went extra slow on my penultimate lap to build up a gap ahead of me. That allowed me to attack on the final lap, and that was enough,” revealed a delighted Al Azhari, who is racing at the Lausitzring for the first time. “Having had all those problems on Friday makes it all the nicer to place so well today.”
Apothéloz did not come out on top but was still happy with his second position. “I still have a really good starting position for the race from second on the grid. I made a minor error in qualifying, which cost me pole position. However, in general I think it is good for there to be several drivers vying for the top spot. And we knew that Keanu had it in him, as he was very fast at the opening race in Spa.” Qualifying did not go as expected for Pommer, who finished third. “Today, we were unable to get close to yesterday’s times. I then started trying too hard, overdid it a bit and flat-spotted a tyre as a result. That led to some significant vibration during the final laps and I was unable to improve. However, third place is not a crisis and anything is possible during the race.”
Torsten Kratz (53/Mönchengladbach, Konrad Motorsport) and Maxim Dirickx (20/BEL, Gebhardt Motorsport) are in fourth and fifth positions, ahead of Antti Rammo (41/EST, MRS GT-Racing). The Trophy driver and newcomer to the series was unable to take part in testing on Thursday. While satisfied with his development over the weekend so far, but is hoping to improve still further. “The circuit is very uneven, which makes it tricky to find the right braking points. However, I am sure that I can continue to learn and improve in the three races that are still to come here at the Lausitzring.”
