There are few names in motorsport that carry quite as much weight as the Nürburgring. But this weekend there will be no journey into the Green Hell. Instead, Matisse and the GT World Challenge Europe field will take on the GP circuit, a very different challenge with its own particular way of punishing mistakes.
Opened in 1984, the modern Nürburgring is a place where finding lap time is rarely about one spectacular corner. The 5.137 kilometre layout asks for a little bit of everything. Heavy braking, slow technical sections, quick changes of direction and corners where carrying just a fraction more speed can make the difference. Linking it all together is the real challenge, with rhythm and precision every bit as important as outright commitment.
And then, of course, there is the Eifel. The Nürburgring has a reputation for producing unpredictable conditions, and even on the Grand Prix circuit the weather can quickly become part of the story. One cloud, one shower, one change in track temperature and suddenly the reference points from the previous lap no longer mean quite the same thing.
For Matisse, this weekend carries more significance than most. Twelve months ago, the Nürburgring marked the beginning of his journey with Team WRT. Now he returns to the same circuit for a second time with the Belgian squad, with a full year of shared experience behind him and considerably more on the line.
Together with his teammates, Matisse arrives in Germany with the chance to secure the Endurance Silver Cup title. At the same time, he and Nacho remain in contention for the overall combined Silver Cup crown, adding another layer of significance to a weekend that could become one of the defining moments of their season.
The first official session of the weekend gave the #30 Team WRT BMW a solid start to proceedings at the Nürburgring.
Conditions stayed dry throughout the 90 minutes, with the track temperature at 23 degrees and no major incidents disrupting the running. That allowed the team to work consistently through its programme and give all three drivers valuable mileage around the GP circuit.
Ignacio Montenegro started the session in the #30 before handing over to Matisse Lismont. Once behind the wheel, Matisse settled into the rhythm of the 5.137 kilometre layout and continued the set up work over several runs.
The pace remained competitive throughout. Matisse set the car’s fastest lap of the session on lap 23 with a 1:55.302. The #30 had already taken the lead in the Silver Cup with Nacho at the wheel and held that position for the remainder of the session.
Amaury Cordeel took over for the final part of the running, completing a trouble free opening practice for the trio.
The #30 Team WRT BMW ended Free Practice 1 P1 in the Silver Cup and P9 overall.
One final practice session remains this afternoon before qualifying tomorrow, with the action resuming at 16:15.
Free Practice 2 brought Saturday’s testing at the Nürburgring to an end, with the #30 Team WRT BMW completing its final preparations before qualifying and the race tomorrow.
The 90 minute session started on a wet track, giving the team a different set of conditions to work with compared to the morning. As the session progressed, the circuit gradually dried, while the track temperature remained at 17.8 degrees.
Ignacio Montenegro started the session before handing over to Amaury Cordeel, with Matisse Lismont taking the wheel for the final main run. All three drivers completed their planned mileage, allowing the team to work through its programme as the track conditions continued to evolve. With no incidents during the session, the #30 enjoyed another clean outing ahead of Sunday.
The car’s best lap came on lap 9 with a 1:55.347 set by Nacho. At the end of the session, the #30 once again finished P1 in the Silver Cup and P5 overall.
With testing now complete, the focus turns to tomorrow. Qualifying starts at 09:45, and that is where the real action begins.
Qualifying unfolded in dry conditions and without any major drama, with the three sessions each split into Group A and Group B. Silver and Bronze Cup cars ran in Group A, with ten minutes available in each session to set a representative lap.
The final starting position for this afternoon’s race was determined by the average of the three qualifying times, putting the emphasis on consistency across the full driver line-up.
Ignacio Montenegro was first out for the #30 Team WRT BMW and opened the morning with P2 in the Silver Cup in Q1.
Matisse Lismont was next and delivered the strongest lap of the three drivers. His 1:35.815 put the #30 at the top of the Silver Cup classification in his session and provided the key reference for the car.
Amaury Cordeel completed the qualifying effort in Q3, finishing P9 in the Silver Cup.
Once the three times were combined, the #30 secured P1 in the Silver Cup and P17 overall.
That means the car will start this afternoon’s race (15:00) from the ninth row of the grid, with the Silver Cup field led by the #30 Team WRT BMW.
Subscribe our newsletter
x
