+ Result: Pre-Qualifying, Donington Park
Team Abba Racing laid down a marker ahead of this afternoon’s vital qualifying session, with Sam Neary leading a Mercedes-AMG one-two in Pre-Qualifying at Donington Park.
Having run at the sharp end during practice, Mahiki Racing’s Lotus Emiras made it count this time by securing the top two times in GT4, with Jack Mitchell and Steven Lake narrowly ahead of Josh Miller and Aiden Neate.
Two red flags disrupted the session and led to a charging finish for both the Team Abba and 2 Seas Mercedes-AMGs, which both overhauled the #78 Barwell Lamborghini that had led for the majority of the session.
Callum Macleod set the initial pace in the #3 Optimum McLaren before Sandy Mitchell put the Huracan ahead before the first red flags flew when Mark Smith beached the Paddock McLaren in the gravel at Hollywood. Running resumed soon after with the Am drivers installed, but soon a second red flag was needed when Mike Price slipped the #3 into the gravel and needed recovery.
That left just 17 minutes when the session went green again, and Maximilian Götz made the first move by putting the Mercedes-AMG he shares with Kevin Tse fastest, 0.023s ahead of Mitchell. Things looked settled until Sam Neary went for it with five minutes left, nipping past the 2 Seas car to secure the top time by 0.049s. Jonny Adam and Giacomo Petrobelli completed a top four covered by less than 0.2s in their Blackthorn Aston Martin.
Mahiki fought to the front of a tightly packed GT4 field, where fractions separated the fastest times. The #90 Optimum McLaren of Marc Warren and Jack Brown was fastest initially before Phil Keen moved the Team Parker Mercedes-AMG ahead just before the first stoppage.
Warren moved back out front again before being usurped by the #84 Lotus in the hands of Jack Mitchell shortly before the second red. Josh Miller and Aiden Neate closed to within 0.025s of the sister car to secure the Mahiki one-two.
Keen and Jon Currie improved to third late on, with Brown and Warren winding up fourth yet less than a tenth behind.