Spa-Francorchamps. Everything is ready for the classic endurance race in the
On Friday afternoon, it was time for a different event, the FANATEC Esports GT Pro Series race. This sim racing series is a central element of the FANATEC GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, which also includes the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps. Each team nominates a driver who competes in the race on the Assetto Corsa Competizione platform and can score points for the real overall standings. Victory at Spa-Francorchamps went to BMW as Pittard won the sim race for the Walkenhorst Motorsport team.
Super Pole followed on Friday evening, a shootout with two flying laps for each car. Rain began to fall just before the start of the final qualifying session, but the conditions were still conducive to driving on slicks. The two BMW M6 GT3s went out onto the track, one after the other.
"That was a really good Super Pole for us and that makes me happy," said
"It is not easy to compete against the world's fastest GT3 drivers in Super Pole, and when you see a bit of rain as you are getting into the car, things get a bit more tense. But we were still able to push on dry tyres and the track conditions were good," reported Neubauer. "Us
The #10 BMW M6 GT3 car from
Right after Super Pole, BMW M Motorsport provided a glimpse of the future as the new BMW M4 GT3 completed several demonstration laps of the 'Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps'. The new GT3 flagship, which will be competing as of 2022, appeared with Glock at the wheel before Klingmann took over.
"It was so much fun driving the new BMW M4 GT3 here. Those were my very first laps in this car, but I have to say that all the hard work that has been put into this race car has really paid off," explained Glock later. "As soon as you get into the BMW M4 GT3, you feel good. The driving position and the level of driving comfort are just as good as everything else. The car feels very, very good right away and delivers convincing driveability. The guys really did some outstanding work. I am already looking forward to getting some more laps in with the car, but that was a very positive start."
"Driving the first demo laps with the new BMW M4 GT3 was definitely something special," said Klingmann. "That gives you an idea of what next year will be like, when we will hopefully be battling for overall wins with that car. But I think that the demo laps were enough to realise just how much potential the car has. I can now compare it directly with the BMW M6 GT3, which I am also driving here this weekend, and I think that the car gets a great reception in the paddock. A lot of teams have already shown an interest, which shows that BMW M Motorsport is on the right path with the BMW M4 GT3."
The 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will start on Saturday, 31st July at 16:30.
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