The qualifying race for the Zolder round of the Blancpain GT Series, probably the closest race of the season thus far, was won by the #17 Team WRT Audi of Robin Frijns and Stuart Leonard.

The latter held off several other drivers through the second half of the race, crossing the line with 0.8 of a second in hand. The #90 AKKA ASP Mercedes-AMG of Marciello and Meadows finished in second, with the #2 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT R8 of Will Stevens and Markus Winkelhock in third.

Silver Cup honours went to the #42 Strakka Racing McLaren of Lewis Williamson and David Fumanelli, with Piti Bhirombhakdi and Carlo Van Dam taking their first win in Pro-Am Cup at the wheel of the #39 Kessel Racing TP12 Ferrari.

The second free practice for the fifth round of the 2017 Blancpain GT Series proved to be a very close fought affair. At the Zolder track in Belgium the first 27 cars were separated by under a second. Just like this morning, the #3 Team WRT Audi set the fastest time.

Even hotter conditions in Zolder this afternoon, for the second 80-minute free practice session of the weekend. Teams and drivers used the time to prepare for tomorrow morning’s qualifying session, including some qualifying simulation runs. That resulted in 27 cars lapping within the same second.

Pieter Schothorst in the #3 Team WRT Audi was again fastest, lapping the Zolder track in 1’30.372. In the #42 Strakka Racing McLaren Lewis Williamson was a mere two thousandths of a second slower, as fastest of the Silver Cup drivers.

Giacomo Piccini, fastest of the Pro-Am drivers in the #11 Kessel Racing Ferrari, and Markus Winkelhock in the #2 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT R8 shared third spot, 0.080 behind Schothorst. At the wheel of the #888 Kessel Racing Ferrari, David Perel drove the sole Am Cup entry to 21^st overall.

Robin Frijns put the #17 Team WRT Audi on pole position for the qualifying race of the fifth event of the 2017 Blancpain GT Series, at Zolder in Belgium. The Dutchman beat McLaren-youngster Andrew Watson by just over a tenth of a second, with Raffaele Marciello in the #90 AKKA ASP Mercedes-AMG in third.

Lewis Williamson (#42 Strakka Racing McLaren) was quickest of the Silver Cup drivers, with Carlo Van Dam putting the #39 Kessel Racing TP12 Ferrari on pole in the Pro-Am Cup. Sole Am Cup entrant, the #888 Kessel Racing Ferrari, will start from 29th overall.

Even though the start of the qualifying session was given under bright sunshine, the overnight rain had left the Zolder track pretty green. However, it did not take long for the best GT drivers in the world to improve on yesterday’s free practice times, with Rob Bell in the #59 Strakka Racing McLaren being the first to go below the 90-second barrier.

The gaps between the drivers were small though, with no fewer than 29 cars within the same second at the end of Q2. Only 17 cars go through to Q3 though, and among those that didn’t some drivers and cars of note: Alvaro Parente (18^th), reigning Sprint Cup champion Enzo Ide (19^th), both ROWE BMWs and both Team M-Sport Bentleys will have their work cut out during this afternoon’s qualifying race.

In the third and deciding part of qualifying Christopher Haase (#26 Sainteloc Racing Audi) was the first to set a reference time, but his lap time was soon improved upon. Andrew Watson (#59 Strakka Racing McLaren) was the first to do so, but once Robin Frijns completed his fast lap, his time of 1’29.025 would remain on top of the timing sheets.

The 2015 Blancpain GT Series champion thus became the first Audi driver to claim a pole position in the 2017 season. Frijns, sharing the #17 Team WRT Audi with Stuart Leonard, will now try to match his performance from 2015, the last time the Blancpain GT Series visited Zolder. Two years ago Frijns – who then shared a car with Laurens Vanthoor – took a double win in Belgium.

In the Silver Cup Lewis Williamson once again proved to be the quickest of the lot, setting the eighth time overall. Williamson will have to serve a five-place grid penalty though, but will still be the first of the Silver Cup drivers on the grid.

In the Pro-Am Cup Carlo Van Dam showed some impressive speed during Q2, but a small mistake in Q3 meant the driver of the #39 Kessel Racing TP12 Ferrari was unable to significantly improve on that lap time in the final part of qualifying. The Dutchman still beat the #87 AKKA ASP Mercedes-AMG to pole in Pro-Am Cup however.

The first free practice session of the Zolder round of the 2017 Blancpain GT Series ended up with five Audi R8 LMS in the top five.

Dutchman Pieter Schothorst proved to be quickest in the #3 Team WRT Audi, from local hero Dries Vanthoor in the #5 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT R8.

Splendid weather conditions greeted the drivers of the 33 cars participating in the fifth round of the 2017 Blancpain GT Series, the third of the sprint events.

The first free practice session at Circuit Zolder was held without any serious incidents. The fastest times were set just after halfway through the session, with Pieter Schothorst eventually topping the timing sheets. The Dutchman was followed by the #5 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT R8, the #74 and #75 ISR Audi cars, and the #1 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT R8.

Right behind was the fastest of the Silver Cup cars, the #42 Strakka Racing McLaren, with the #87 AKKA ASP Mercedes-AMG topping the Pro-Am Cup category in tenth overall. The sole Am Cup car, the #888 Kessel Racing Ferrari, was in 25^th overall.