Verstappen team misses out on pole in modest Top Qualifying result

As per the Nordschleife regulations, only the SP9, SP PRO, SPX and SP11 classes were allowed to take part in the Top Qualifying shootout, where drivers went out one by one to battle for the fastest lap.

This format allowed everyone to complete two clean flying laps without traffic, with fewer cars on track and improving conditions as the circuit dried out compared to the damp Qualifying Race 2.

On his first attempt, Auer was unable to match the front-runners, posting a time well short of the top 10, while Vermeulen in the Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo26 and Jahn in the BMW M4 GT3 EVO were separated by just a thousandth.

On his second and final attempt, the Austrian improved his time and made a solid step forward, but was never a real threat in the fight for pole, eventually posting an 8:13.351 - more than three seconds off the benchmark.

Auer ultimately finished fifth, while Vermeulen secured pole with an 8:10.275, putting his BMW at the front of the field.

Below are the full results.