Mühlner Motorsport driver will start from the front of the grid in his Duqueine D08 for the second time this season in the Prototype Cup Germany. Second place in qualifying went to Felipe Fernández Laser from the Frikadelli Racing Team in a Ligier.
The race weekend in the Prototype Cup Germany at Circuit Zandvoort remains dominated by cold temperatures and heavy rain. The 4.259-kilometre track on the North Sea coast of the Netherlands was again at its most inhospitable in qualifying for Saturday’s race. As in Free Practice 2, it was youngster Keanu Al Azhari (16) from the United Arab Emirates who coped best with the difficult conditions. The driver from Mühlner Motorsport set a time of 1:41.933 minutes to secure pole position.
“Driving in the rain is a lot of fun here. Mühlner Motorsport has given me a super car – I felt that as soon as I was on my outlap,” said a beaming Al Azhari after qualifying. “I then produced my fastest lap really early in the session. It is my second pole position of the season in the Prototype Cup Germany. The field is evenly matched, but we want to get our first win of the season in the race. That is definitely the goal.”
In second place, 0.104 seconds slower than Al Azhari, was Felipe Fernández Laser (35/Leipzig) in a Ligier JS P320 run by the Frikadelli Racing Team. Fernández Laser lines up alongside team principal Klaus Abbelen (63/Barweiler). Julien Apothéloz (23/CHE), who shares a Duqueine with Riccardo Leone Cirelli (16/ITA, both BWT Mücke Motorsport), also impressed in qualifying. The Swiss was third fastest, missing out on pole by 1.020 seconds.
Fourth place went to the Ligier of championship leaders Danny Soufi (20/USA) and Torsten Kratz (53/Mönchengladbach, both Konrad Motorsport), who were 1.021 seconds off the top spot. Rounding out the top five were Valentino Catalano (18/Westheim) and Markus Pommer (33/Untereisesheim, both Gebhardt Motorsport) in a Duqueine.
The Saturday race in the Prototype Cup Germany at Circuit Zandvoort looks set to deliver plenty of excitement. Race start is at 14:15. As usual, the action can be followed in a free livestream on the ADAC Motorsport channel.
