There was no beating Markus Pommer (33/Untereisesheim, Gebhardt Motorsport) in the first qualifying session in the Prototype Cup Germany at the Dekra Lausitzring. The Gebhardt driver qualified fastest, ahead of Torsten Kratz (53/Mönchengladbach, Konrad Motorsport) and Riccardo Leone Cirelli (16/ITA, BWT Mücke Motorsport). As such, Pommer is joined in the top three by a Trophy driver and a Junior, highlighting the diverse nature of the field.
“I am happy; it was a good qualifying, although not everything was perfect,” said reigning champion Pommer, summing up his qualifying session. Hungry to defend his title, Pommer has not only changed team, but also his team-mate – he now puts his faith in Gebhardt Motorsport and Valentino Catalano (18/Westheim). Last year, he won the title with Gary Hauser and the Racing Experience team.
Starting next to Pommer on the front row is Trophy driver Kratz, who is back in the Prototype Cup Germany after a year away and shares a Ligier with Danny Soufi (20/USA). “We made a minor change to the set-up before qualifying and did not know whether it was a good decision. They were only subtleties, but every fraction of a second counts here. I was able to improve on my final lap and take second place. I am very happy with that.”
With Kratz snatching second place, Riccardo Leone Cirelli had to settle for third place. “It was still a good qualifying. We have worked hard to get a position towards the front of the grid. I am driving at the Lausitzring for the first time, and this track is not easy to learn. It is relatively undulating and there are multiple lines in places. The fact that I finished third and not second was partly down to a mistake that I made on the last lap. Without that, I could have been looking at second place.” Cirelli is a rookie on the LMP3 scene. He drives alongside last year’s runner-up Julien Apothéloz (23/CHE). Sven Barth (43/Eberbach, Gebhardt Motorsport), who lines up together with Maxim Dirickx (20/BEL, Gebhardt Motorsport) and solo starter Antti Rammo (41/EST, MRS GT-Racing) complete the top five.
