Q3 Update – Depta delivers on practice pace

In the third & penultimate round of qualifying at ENS Bologna, Serpent’s Merlin Depta delivered on his morning practice topping pace to post a TQ run.  After a mistake in Q1, that left him 18th fastest, Depta would only manage 11th in Q2 but bounced right back into contention in Q3 as he topped the times from Team Shepherd’s Simon Kurzbuch and Q1 pace setter Dario Balestri – the Top 3 covered by 4/10ths of a second.  Having pulled out a surprise but popoular TQ run in the second round, unfortunately Mirko Salemi would retire after a coming together with former ENS race winner John Ermen.  With the opening three qualifiers producing three different winners it means it is all to play for in Q4 and with rain forcast for the next two days the overall TQ may yet determine who leaves Italy as the early ENS championship leader.  Moving from a long stint with Serpent, Q3 would see Toni Gruber put in a strong run as he took his ARC to P4 followed by Infinity’s Carmine Raiola with Robert Pietsch rounding out the Top 6 with his Mugen.

After a tyre issue in Q2, Bruno Coelho picked back up from his TQ run in the opening 1:10 qualifier to again top the times.  Behind the Xray driver, Serpent’s Dominic Greiner enjoyed his best run so far with a P2.  Capricorn’s Kyle Branson would complete the Top 3 ahead of Q2 topping Serpent pairing of Alessio Mazzeo and Mark Green.  Shepherd’s Dirk Wischnewski, who claimed his first ENS win in Germany last year, rounded out the Top 6.  While its advantage Coelho going into the final qualifier due to his faster TQ time with a cooler track its everything to play for for Mazzeo in terms of the overall TQ.

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