Lionspeed GP’s Bastian Buus stole the show in Saturday morning’s qualifying at Circuit Zandvoort, seizing his maiden Rowe Pole Award in emphatic style for the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup. The 21-year-old Dane set a blistering 1:32.812 in the #89 Porsche 911 GT3 R to beat a stacked 41-car field that included a raft of factory talent.

With a split qualifying format, Pro and Gold Cup entries took to the track in Q1A, while Silver and Bronze Cup runners followed in Q1B. Saintéloc Racing’s Gilles Magnus initially set the benchmark with a 1:33.033 in the #25 Audi R8 LMS, narrowly edging out Patric Niederhauser’s #96 Rutronik Racing Porsche by 0.015s.

But Q1B turned the session on its head as Buus delivered a commanding lap early in the run to eclipse Magnus by over two-tenths, comfortably securing overall pole. It was a breakout moment for both Buus and Lionspeed GP, who also placed their second Porsche – the #80 of Ricardo Feller and Gabriele Rindone – eighth overall, underlining the squad’s rising form.

Joining Buus on the front row is Magnus, who retains Gold Cup pole, while Niederhauser’s strong run secures third overall and the best starting slot among the Pro-class contingent. Dylan Pereira impressed in the #66 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi, placing fourth and locking out the Bronze Cup’s front-row dominance.

AF Corse’s Alessio Rovera (#51 Ferrari) and Grasser Racing’s Lucas Engstler (#63 Lamborghini) took fifth and sixth respectively, with championship leader Lucas Auer slotting into seventh in the #48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG.

While Bronze entries shone, some Pro-class squads faltered. Emil Frey Racing’s pair of Ferraris could manage no better than 15th and 16th, while the #50 AF Corse Ferrari of Neubauer/Leclerc was 17th. BMW powerhouse Team WRT also endured a quiet session, with their best-placed M4 GT3 only 19th.

Silver Cup honours went to Alex Aka in the #99 Tresor Attempto Audi, whose 1:33.556 was enough for 22nd overall in a highly competitive midfield.

Elsewhere, it was a day of frustration for the #64 HRT Ford Mustang, which finished down in 34th, and the #27 QMMF by Saintéloc Racing Audi, which brought up the rear of the field nearly three seconds off the pace.

As anticipation builds for the afternoon’s race, strategic variance is set to play a key role. With several Bronze Cup machines starting at the front but carrying longer mandatory pit stop times, expect the Pro runners to claw back ground as the race unfolds. On a tight and technical Zandvoort layout, a chaotic showdown looms.

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