The first polemen are known

The first day of the Spa Euro Race 2025 took place in pleasant, sunny conditions. While private and free practice sessions followed one another throughout the day, two qualifying sessions in the afternoon set the scene for what was to come. This means that the first polemen are known...

With three 30-minute free sessions and a two-segment qualifying session, the young guns of the GB3 Championship were the most active on Friday at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. In fact, the Spa leg of their competition includes three 25-minute races on Saturday and Sunday. Divided into two 15-minute parts, qualifying got off to a bumpy start with Freddie Slater (Hillspeed), one of the fastest drivers of the day, coming to a halt at Les Combes with a technical problem, while Deagen Fairclough (Hitech), 4th in the championship, got hung up at the Bus Stop! Red flag, and first pole for Australian Alex Ninovic (Rodin) ahead of team-mate Gianmarco Pradel (Rodin)! A few minutes later, the flag changed back to green for Q2, and it was Japan's Kanato Le (Hillspeed) who emerged on top, taking second pole ahead of Gianmarco Pradel, Nikita Johnson (Hitech) and Alex Ninovic. However, it will be more difficult for championship leader Patrick Heuzenroeder (Xcel Motorsport), who was hardly at his best on Friday.

The other qualifier was in Lotus Cup Europe, where the single 50-minute race will take place at midday tomorrow. Luxembourg's Paul Maréchal set the fastest time of 2'33''842 in his Exige V6 Cup R, ahead of Germany's Rainer Börgens (Exige V6 Cup R), Hungary's Bence Balogh (Evora GT4), Denmark's Nikolaj Ipsen (Exige V6 Cup R) and Belgium's Thierry Verhiest (Exige V6 Cup R). Pole position for another Belgian, Robbe Janssens (Elise Cup R), in Production.

In the Alpine Elf Cup Series, the two 40-minute free sessions had already enabled Léo Jousset, double winner of the Easter Cup at Nogaro, to set the fastest time of the day, the Race Cars Consulting driver ending the second unofficial exercise at the top of the standings, with a lap of 2'32''804, which enabled him to get ahead of the Forestier Racing by VPS duo, with Roee Meyuhas and Lazare Lartigau holding each other to within... 3 hundredths of a second, less than 4 tenths behind Jousset. Promising for the future!

As expected, the two free sessions of the Clio Cup Series were as lively as could be, with several red flags and even a rollover at Speaker Corner in the morning, fortunately without any harm to the driver! It was Frenchman Alex Finkelstein (GPA Racing, 2'48''145) who set the fastest time of the day ahead of his compatriots Anthony Jurado (Rangoni Corse), Loïc Labeda (GM Sport), Nicolas Milan (Milan Compétition), Gaël Castelli (Milan Compétition) and Italian Gabriele Torelli (Rangoni Corse). So the favourites are definitely there!

As for the competitors from the Supercar Challenge and some from the Belcar Endurance Championship, they took to the track for the first time in a 90-minute private session, which allowed them to mix up the genres and to see that the battle will be raging at all levels.

Tomorrow, Saturday, the Belcar Endurance Championship gets underway, with a 60-minute free session and qualifying to determine the starting grid. The day will already be rich in races, with the first two of the GB3 Championship, the unique 50-minute Lotus Cup Europe battle, as well as the first confrontation of the Clio Cup Series (25' + 1 lap), the Alpine Elf Cup Series (30' + 1 lap) and the Supercar Challenge (60'). This second day will also establish the starting grid for the Belcar Endurance Championship. Access to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is completely free!