3 cold Pole Positions in Japan

The qualifying for the 4 Hours of Fuji was run on an ice cold Fuji track in Japan.

The temperatures were so low that the exception for tire warmers were permitted, so the teams would be able to get just a bit of grip from the tires throughout the weekend.

The first 15 minutes of qualifying was for the LMP2 and LMP3 categories.

Jackie Chan DC Racing X JOTA topped the timing screen initially with a 1-2. KCMG #18 posted the fastest lap in LMP3 straight away.

Pipo Derani in BBT #37 took a few laps to get heated up, posting a time that was only 0,057 seconds slower than Thomas Laurent in the Jackie Chan DC Racing X JOTA #8, but he didn’t manage to get past. Derani however didn’t give up, and grabbed Pole Position on his very final lap, after running for 9 laps. That gave a starting order of BBT #37 ahead of Jackie Chan DC Racing X JOTA #8, Jackie Chan DC Racing X JOTA #7, Eurasia Motorsport #33, ARC Bratislava #4, and Algarve Pro Racing #25.

KCMG #18 kept the LMP3 Pole Position all the way through, ahead of Taiwan Beer GH Motorsport #11, WIN Motorsport #1, Viper Niza Racing #65, Jackie Chan DC Racing X JOTA #6, and TKS #99.

Then it was time for the GT cars to Qualify.

Just like at the opening race of the season, the fight was going to be between three cars in the shape of FIST-Team AAI Ferrari #90 and BMW#91 against Tianshi Racing Team Audi #66. FIST-Team AAI had changed the #90 from a Mercedes to a Ferrari 488 GT3 this weekend.

The Audi had the track all to themselves for the first 5 minutes of the qualifying, before the Ferrari made it onto the track, with the BMW sneaking out half a minute later. When Marco Cioci in the FIST-Team AAI #90 got the Ferrari heated up, he was faster than Jesse Krohn i #91, until Krohn put the FIST-Team AAI BMW #91 on Pole Position ahead of the #90 and the Tianshi Racing Team Audi #66.