Genesis Magma Racing secures pole position for the 6 Hours of Barcelona with Mathys Jaubert

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya enjoyed a special day this Saturday to mark the FIA World Endurance Championship’s (FIA WEC) first visit to the Catalan circuit. On the second day of the event, the public were treated to a packed programme that combined the excitement of the qualifying sessions with a range of entertainment and experiences designed to bring them closer to the championship’s stars.

The atmosphere at the circuit set the tone for a historic event for the Circuit, which will host the first 6 Hours of Barcelona tomorrow, Sunday. From 12:00 noon, the 35 cars in the Hypercar and LMGT3 categories will tackle the weekend’s biggest challenge, with the starting grids already decided following a day in which Genesis Magma Racing was the standout performer in the top category.

The FIA WEC qualifying format consists of two phases: an initial elimination session, from which only the ten fastest cars progress to the Hyperpole, where the top positions on the grid are decided. In both sessions, each car had a single driver at the wheel.

Frenchman Mathys Jaubert set the fastest time in the Hyperpole at the wheel of the  Genesis GMR-001 #17, with a time of 1:30.166. The prototype, in which André Lotterer and Luis Felipe Derani also compete, finished 170 thousandths of a second ahead of the Toyota TR010 Hybrid #8 from Toyota Racing, driven in the session by Brendon Hartley, who teams up with Sébastien Buemi and Ryō Hirakawa.

Third place went to the Genesis GMR-001 #19, driven by Mathieu Jaminet, who set a time 324 thousandths of a second off the fastest lap. The Frenchman, who teams up with Catalan driver Dani Juncadella and Paul-Loup Chatin, put in an outstanding performance for Genesis Magma Racing, which will see both its prototypes start in the top three on Sunday’s grid.

Behind them, the Alpine A424 #35 driven by Charles Milesi and Ferdinand Habsburg finished fourth, followed by the Cadillac V-Series.R #12 driven by Will Stevens, Norman Nato and Alex Lynn. The AF Corse Ferrari 499P #83, driven by Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica and Philip Hanson, took sixth place.

As for the other Spanish entrants, the Ferrari #50 driven by Miguel Molina, Antonio Fuoco and Nicklas Nielsen finished eighth, whilst Álex Riberas’s Aston Martin #009 failed to qualify for the Hyperpole and will start eleventh.

Garage 59 secures pole position in LMGT3

The LMGT3 category was the first to finalise its starting grid for the 6 Hours of Barcelona. The McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo #10 from the Garage 59 team, driven by Antares Au, Thomas Fleming and Marvin Kirchhöffer, secured pole position after setting a time of 1:40.933 in the Hyperpole. The British team edged out The Bend Manthey’s Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 #92 – driven by Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz (1:41.055) – by a mere 122 thousandths of a second.

Third place went to the Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo #21 from Vista AF Corse, driven by François Hériau, Simon Mann and Alessio Rovera, which recorded a time of 1:41.398. Behind them, TF Sport’s Corvette #33, driven by Ben Keating, Jonny Edgar and Nicky Catsburg – and currently leading the LMGT3 team standings – finished fourth, just over half a second off the fastest time.

Much more than just a six-hour race

The FIA WEC’s first visit to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will give the public the chance to discover a sport in which speed is just one aspect of the competition.

Fans can round off the experience with the activities on offer in the Fan Zone, located behind the Main Grandstand, which features a stage and a range of entertainment options, accessible with any type of ticket. There are also opportunities to get even closer to the action through access to the paddock, the Pit Walk and the autograph session, depending on the type of ticket or activity purchased.

The excitement surrounding this first edition is already evident in ticket sales, with some categories already sold out, such as the Sunday ticket with paddock access.

Access to the Circuit

Access to the Circuit will be via Gates 2 and 3 on Sunday (07:00 a.m.–07:30 p.m.). Box Office 3 will also be open for any enquiries. The grandstands open for spectators are the Main Grandstand, F, N, G, T10 (for those with paddock access) and the Pelouse Privilege area. The designated car park is H2 (for spectators, season ticket holders and hospitality guests).

Tickets available at www.circuitcat.com