FIA GT – Loeb and Parente win the Qualifying Race

What revenge! After having was penalized by 5 places on the starting grid following the qualifications, Sebastian Loeb and Alvaro Parente delivered a sublime performance during the FIA ​​GT Series Qualifying Race in Slovakia. By starting from 8th position, the McLaren MP4-12C n°9 made a truly fantastic start thanks to the talent of the Portuguese driver to move up to 2nd place from the first corner! If René Rast, starting from 1st place, seemed untouchable, a long neutralization of the race behind a safety car will redistribute the cards: the fault of an exit of the BMW Z4 no. 6 of BMW Team India. Once behind the wheel, Sébastien Loeb was able to take the lead thanks to a better pit strategy than his rival, Niki Mayr-Melhnof. Under pressure from the Audi R8 LMS ultra n°12 of the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT then by the Mercedes SLS MAG n°1 by Alon Day and Maximilian Buhk of HTP Gravity Charouz, the nine-time world champion WRC was able to hold on to win his team's second victory of the season, after that obtained during the very first round, in Nogaro. A success which will allow them to start from pole position during the final round of this Slovak weekend, this Sunday at 13:30 p.m.

The podium is completed by championship leaders Stéphane Ortelli and Laurens Vanthoor, in the No. 8 Belgian WRT Audi R11 LMS ultra, who now have 76 points in the lead ahead of their teammates Sandström-Stippler, 60 points. Peter Kox and local Stefan Rosina completed the podium in the #560 Lamborghini LP4-24 for Blancpain Reiter.

In the No. 3 Mercedes SLS AMG GT2 of the Simonsen-Afanasiev duo, HTP Gravity Charouz took victory in Pro-Am while victory in the Gentlemen went to the Ferrari 458 Italia n°50 from Af Corse, from the Sdanewitsch-Rugolo duo.