Lamborghini stun Porsche for pole in 24H Dubai

Lamborghini caused a major upset in qualifying yesterday to take pole position for the Dunlop 24H Dubai 2011 edition which gets underway at 2pm tomorrow.

Peter Kox, Marc Hayek, Nico Pronk and Bernhard Muller in the Blancpain Reiter Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GT3 set the Dubai Autodrome alight on their way to claiming the pole at Dubai Autodrome last evening.

They will start at the front of an 87-car grid after they overcame a strong Porsche and Mercedes challenge.

The Fabien Giroix-led Gulf Team First Lamborghini LP560 returned the best times among the UAE-based teams.

Giroix will share the next 24 hours at the wheel with Frederic Fatien, Roald Goethe and Mike Wainwright.

Starting behind the two Lamborghini’s, third fastest in qualifying was the Tomas Enge-led Mosler MT900 GT3. Fastest of the Porsche Brigade was MRS Team PZ Aschaffenburg, who will start their Porsche GTR 997R from fourth on the grid.

Heading up the third row, fifth fastest in qualifying will be the tolimit Arabia Porsche 911 GT3R driven by Team Abu Dhabi ace Khaled Al Qubaisi who will take turn at the wheel with Sascha Maasen, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Sean Edwards.

Al Qubaisi will start the race as the highest-placed Emirati driver on the grid.

He said: “I am part of a very strong line-up of drivers. We are heading for the podium.”

Sixth fastest was the Need for Speed BMW spearheaded by August Farfus, ahead of Heico Motorsport Mercedes with Bernd Schneider heading the line-up of drivers.