Qualifying 2 of the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup at Magny-Cours saw Team WRT bounce back after a difficult Race 1, with Kelvin van der Linde securing overall pole position for Race 2. Sharing the #32 BMW M4 GT3 Evo with Charles Weerts, the South African set the fastest lap of 1:35.927. giving BMW its first overall pole position of the Magny-Cours weekend.
Nicki Thiim and Kobe Pauwels qualified second overall in the #7 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3, just 0.227 seconds behind the pole time. Christopher Haase and Simon Reicher placed the #84 Eastalent Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II third, while the #59 Garage 59 McLaren of Marvin Kirchhöfer and Dean Macdonald finished fourth. Ricardo Feller and Bastian Buus completed the overall top five in the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).
CSA Racing also enjoyed a strong session as Arthur Rougier and James Kell put the #111 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo sixth overall, securing Gold Cup pole position. The #96 Rutronik Racing Lamborghini Temerario GT3 of Patric Niederhauser and Luca Engstler followed in seventh, while the Race 1-winning #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing entry of Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon qualified eighth. AF Corse’s #50 Ferrari 296 GT3 of Arthur Leclerc and Thomas Neubauer finished ninth, with the #2 Boutsen VDS Porsche rounding out the overall top ten.
In the Silver Cup, Ignacio Montenegro and Matisse Lismont claimed class pole in the #30 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo after qualifying 16th overall. Peter Dempsey and Eddie Cheever secured Bronze Cup pole position for Ziggo Sport Tempesta Racing in the #93 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).
Attention now turns to Race 2, which is scheduled for Sunday from 15:30–16:30 CEST. Team WRT will start from pole position as the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup weekend reaches its conclusion at Magny-Cours.
