Indian driver Arjun Maini has set the early pace at the “Green Hell” for this weekend’s Nurburgring 24 Hour Race. Piloting the #6 Bilstein-Mercedes-AMG, Maini clocked an impressive time of 8:13.190 minutes during the second qualifying session on Thursday evening, securing the fastest time of the day. Earlier in the afternoon, he had already claimed the top spot in the first qualifying session with a time of 8:14.785 minutes.
Maini, alongside Australian driver Jordan Love and team principal Hubert Haupt, is among the contenders fighting for a spot in Top Qualifying 2, on Friday evening.
However, there is a possibility that the #6 Bilstein-Mercedes-AMG may lose its best time during the third qualifying session on Friday from 13:30 to 14:45.
The #911 Manthey-Porsche, which recorded a time of 8:13.469 minutes, could snatch the top spot due to a speeding offense committed by the Mercedes-AMG team in the pit lane. As a consequence, the Mercedes-AMG trio will be stripped of their fastest time from all qualifying sessions after Qualifying 3.
Team principal Hubert Haupt acknowledged the mistake, stating, “Unfortunately, I messed up the penalty myself. Coming out of the pit lane, I hit the limiter too early. But tomorrow the faster times will be set anyway.”
Thirteen teams have already secured their place in Top Qualifying 2, set to take place on Friday afternoon, the session will determine the final starting grid for Saturday’s race and the recipient of the coveted Glickenhaus Trophy for pole position.
In addition to the fastest team in the Pro-Am class, determined through the three qualifying sessions, five more grid positions are up for grabs in Top Qualifying 2. These spots will be awarded to the five fastest cars in Top Qualifying 1, which will be conducted as an individual time trial consisting of two fast laps.
