Car 61 Storms to P5 in Qualifying at Paul Ricard

Academy Motorsport took to Circuit Paul Ricard on Saturday afternoon for two qualifying sessions to set the grid for Race 1 and Race 2 of the opening round of the 2026 GT4 European Series.

Car 61 was the standout performer across the two sessions. Nathan Vanspringel and Erik Evans qualified P21 in Qualifying 1 before making significant improvements to claim P5 in Qualifying 2 — one of the biggest gains anywhere in the 39-car field. Their best lap of 2:12.592 left them less than a second off the session fastest set by the Borusan Otomotiv BMW.

Car 61
Vanspringel / Evans
Ford Mustang GT4 — Silver Class
Q1 PositionP21
Q1 Best Lap2:13.100
Q2 PositionP5
Q2 Best Lap2:12.592
Car 62
Altzman / Signoretti
Ford Mustang GT4 — Silver Class
Q1 PositionP30
Q1 Best Lap2:13.442
Q2 PositionP14
Q2 Best Lap2:13.164

Car 62 also stepped forward between sessions. Jenson Altzman and Marco Signoretti went from P30 in Q1 to P14 in Q2, posting a best lap of 2:13.164 in the second session.

Both sessions were held in dry conditions with track temperatures above 38°C. Results are provisional, subject to final scrutineering.

Full qualifying results are available below