The 2022 season of the GT World Challenge Europe is about to open its doors with the first round of the Endurance Cup. The start of the 3 Hours of Imola will be this Friday with the so-called ‘Bronze Test’, although the reality is that the activity on the track has already started this Wednesday. Under the format of official tests ‘stuck’ to some of the appointments on the calendarnamed as ‘Paid Test’, a total of 50 of the 52 GT3 vehicles that will compete this weekend on the Italian circuit have had their first contact with asphalt.
This ‘Paid Test’ has been developed in dry conditions. In fact, the grip on the track has been really good, to the point that the fastest times have far exceeded those achieved in the GT World Challenge Europe classification in 2020, a season in which Imola was also part of the Endurance Cup calendar. Regarding the 1:41 that were marked in the classification of that event, in this test times of 1:40.8 have been seen almost as soon as it started.
A scenario in which the Mercedes #2 the GetSpeed team has set the reference time after signing a time of 1:40.816. The author of this time trial has been, against all odds, Steijn Schothorst, since two ‘colossi’ like Maro Engel and Luca Stolz compete with him. In any case, this time has been 23 thousandths faster than the best time achieved by one of the #38 McLaren drivers of the JOTA team. It should be remembered that Oli Wilkinson, Rob Bell and Marvin Kirchhöfer compete in this GT3. For its part, the Mercedes #88 in which Dani Juncadella is present finished the ‘Paid Test’ in third position.
If the first three GT3 finished separated by 80 thousandths, Audi #32 is not far behind them. In fact, the GT3 in which Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts compete – current GTWC Europe and Sprint Cup champions – together with Kelvin Van der Linde closed this test 119 thousandths off the lead. For its part, the Audi #46 closed the ‘top 5’ and the double of the GT3 of Team WRT in the top positionsin turn taking the name of Valentino Rossi to the top of the time table.
Some of the GT3 called to do very well in Imola were also seen by the leading positions at the end of the ‘Paid Test’. ANDIt is the case of Audi #12 in which Mattia Drudi, Luca Ghiotto and Christopher Haase coincide or the first of the new BMW M4 GT3. Wearing number #98, the ROWE Racing unit shared by Augusto Farfus, Nick Yelloly and Nicky Catsburg closed the day 225 thousandths off the lead. In Spanish terms, Albert Costa’s Lamborghini #63 was eighth, while Miguel Molina’s Ferrari #51 finished 21st.
Photos: GT World Challenge Europe