In what was a relatively trouble-free qualifying session, with no safety car intervention or stoppages, 2022 champion Engstler (Scuderia GT) had things all his own way as yesterday’s race winner Roman Ziemian was absent in qualifying.
Manuela Gostner (CDP-MP Racing) tried her best until the very end to take the top slot away from the Scuderia GT man, but had to settle for second, just one-tenth behind. The session was however red flagged with a minute and a half remaining as Corinna Gostner (CDP-MP Racing) went off at the Variante Alta and was left stranded in the gravel.
Ernst Kirchmayr (Baron Motorsport) made a late move up into third place with a time of 1m44.8s, one-tenth ahead of Joakim Olander (Scuderia Autoropa), who reappeared on track today, in P4 and first of the AM category contenders.
Claudio Schiavoni (Scuderia Niki-Iron Lynx) and Axel Sartingen (Lueg Racing-Herter Motorsport) will make up the third row of the grid for this afternoon’s 30-minute encounter, with the German now guaranteed the runner-up slot in the championship. Series veteran, the unusually down-on-form Fons Scheltema (Kessel Racing) just managed to scrape into the top 10 with a time of 1m45.8s.
With his P4 position Olander was well ahead of the rest of the field in the AM group, Peter Christensen (Formula Racing) and Alexander Nussbaumer (Gohm Motorsport-Herter Racing) both finishing six-tenths of a second behind in P8 and P9.
FERRARI CHALLENGE - Imola: Q2 Coppa Shell EU
