Vitaphone fastest in Sunday warmup

　　The nr 5 Vitaphone Racing Team Saleen S7 was the fastest car on the track during the fifteen minute warm-up for today's 500 km race at Magny-Cours. The car, which will start from second on the grid today, set a time of 1:37.842 early in the session, and stayed fastest throughout. The pole sitter, nr 4 Konrad Motorsport Saleen, improved to second shortly before the end, with a time of 1:38.561. They were followed by the two GPC Giesse Ferrari 575 M Maranello cars.

　　In N-GT, the nr 62 GPC Ferrari, which will start from pole, was fastest for much of the session, until the nr 99 Freisinger Porsche improved right at the end, setting a time of 1:42.791

　　Third pole for Walter Lechner Jr

　　22-year old Austrian driver Walter Lechner Jr took his third FIA GT pole position in Magny-Cours today, following on from Anderstorp and Oschersleben last year. Driving the nr 4 Konrad Motorsport Saleen S7, he set a time of 1:36.174 during the first qualifying session, nearly a second faster than the second-placed car, the nr 5 Vitaphone Saleen S7 driven by Michael Bartels and Uwe Alzen. "I'm very happy to be in front today," Walter said. "Our car has been very good all the time. I have to thank Pirelli for the great work they've been doing. The new tyre compound is really fantastic." Third place on the starting grid for tomorrow went to Fabrizio Gollin, in the nr 2 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550 Maranello, despite carrying 80 kg after two wins so far this season. The leading nr 17 JMB Racing Ferrari 575 Maranello was fourth, with reigning Champion Matteo Bobbi fifth in the nr 1 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550 Maranello, while Jamie Campbell-Walter took sixth for the Creation Autosportif Lister Storm - the team's best qualifying performance this season.

　　Pescatori claims first Ferrari N-GT pole of 2004

　　Ferrari claimed its first N-GT pole of the season today, with Christian Pescatori leading an extremely close group of cars in the heated battle for the category lead. The Italian set a time of 1:41.630, just under a tenth of a second faster than the nr 99 Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-RS of Lucas Luhr, and two tenths faster than the nr 50 Freisinger Yukos Motorsport Porsche, driven by Stéphane Ortelli and Emmanuel Collard. "It's our first pole position for this year, so I'm very happy for my mechanics and Pirelli," Pescatori explained. Fourth place went to Fomenko and Vasiliev, in the nr 77 Freisinger Yukos car, followed by the AB Motorsport and Proton Porsches.

　　(FIAGT.com)