Maro Engel clocks a record 2:00.8 to put GruppeM Racing Mercedes on Bathurst 12 Hour pole

On the final lap of Saturday's top 10 shootout session Engel pushed all the way in the GruppeM Mercedes to finish with a record 2:00.8819.

Before the day started the qualifying record was a 2:01:2860 set by Shane van Gisbergen in 2016 behind the wheel of a McLaren.

Engel's brilliant lap meant he got to lay his hands on the Allan Simonsen Pole Award trophy for the second time in his career.

"For sure it is special, it's nine years since my first Allan Simonsen pole," he said.

"I think the emotions do compare, it was super emotional back then obviously a year after Allan passed and it still is today and it means a lot to do it with what is the best lap in a GT car here, it's special.

"I was really thinking of Allan today and I'd like to think he's had an eye on all of us today. It's amazing to come away with pole and such a lap."

While Engel had broken van Gisbergen's record earlier in qualifying, in the 15-minute shootout session he remarkably clocked three laps which would've been good enough for pole.

But he wasn't aware he'd locked in position one for himself and team-mates Mikael Grenier and Raffaele Marciello until he produced his blistering final lap.

That lap meant Engel held off Triple Eight's Broc Feeney by 0.2164 seconds, the 20-year-old also doing an incredible job in just his fifth event in GT3 machinery.

"I was still pushing with everything I had, all I knew was it was very, very close between me and Broc," Engel said of his record lap.

"It's amazing, I'm a bit lost for words. The grip level this weekend is just amazing, partly due to new tyres, but the grip level around this place is just mega."

It was the quickest day in both Bathurst and 12 Hour history and something that drivers, their crews and fans sensed was on the cards as the day unfolded.

Right across Saturday the times dropped and the anticipation built.

Matt Campbell, a 2019 Bathurst 12 Hour winner, did a 2:02.7513 in the Manthey EMA Porsche to top practice five.

Then in the dying seconds of practice six, German ace Luca Stolz, who formed part of the 2022 winning combination, peeled off a 2:02.4337.

In total six cars lapped in the 2:02s during that final practice session, setting the scene for an epic qualifying showdown.

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The format for qualifying is a different system to what the Supercars series uses for the Bathurst 1000 in that is it based on the combined best lap times of two drivers per team.

The first of those qualifying sessions - one not open to professionals - was topped by Dylan O'Keeffe with a 2:02.5652. Bathurst's Brad Schumacher ranked sixth with a 2:04.1852.

In the second qualifying session the pro drivers blazed around the circuit, Engel producing a 2:01.0536.

The top 10 ranked teams then progressed to the shootout. That final bid to claim pole was a one driver assignment, but in order to let the tyres reach optimal temperature, they got a 15 minute session to clock their best time rather than it just being a one-lap dash.

Those top 10 were split into a pair of sessions - lower 50 percent then upper 50 percent.

Chaz Mostert, the 2018 and 2022 pole sitter, topped the first of those sessions with a 2:01.8694 in the Melbourne Performance Centre Audi R8 LMS.

But that time didn't stand for long once the second session began, Mostert eventually having to settle for position six.

Though the afternoon belonged to Engel, Feeney also earned praised for his efforts.

While many had expected van Gisbergen to have the job of qualifying the #888 Mercedes, or even German star Max Gotz, it instead went to Feeney.

The decision paid off as the young gun battled hard with Engel before eventually ending up in position two with a 2:01.0983.

"This morning Roland [Dane] said rock, paper, scissors and see who's going to qualify. After practice five this morning we didn't know and even after practice six it changed who was going to qualify," he said.

"It's been a privilege to drive this car and represent these guys in qualifying, it's really cool."

While it was the fastest Feeney lap, a full-time Supercars driver, had produced at the Mount, he admitted he was disappointed not to lay his hands on the pole position trophy.

"It's pretty scary seeing that number on the dash, I mean normally you are doing 2:04s around here in a Supercar, so to see a 2:01 come up was pretty cool," he said.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit disappointed, there was a tiny little bit left on the table, but Maro's very quick, two-tenths on the last lap.

"But it's a good starting spot for the 12 Hour ...Triple Eight has never really been in a strong position come qualifying at the 12 Hour, normally the strength is in the race, so to be up the front is good."

Going off the second row will be Campbell, who made a late alteration to his tyre pressures before clocking a 2:01.1730, and last year's victor Jules Gounon (2:01.2916) in the Sun Energy 1 Mercedes.

"It was a good qualifying session for sure, I knew we had to push more coming from qualifying earlier into the top 10," Campbell said.

"I think I can't get much out of it that's for sure, I'm pretty happy with my lap, I was pretty close to a couple of walls.

"It's going to be a long 12 hours, track evolution is going to play a key role, so let's see what we can do."

The Bathurst 12 Hour will commence at 5.45am Sunday morning.

BATHURST 12 HOUR TOP 10: Maro Engel 2:00.8819, Broc Feeney 2:01.0983, Matt Campbell 2:01.1730, Jules Gounon 2:01.2916, Dries Vanthoor 2:01.7241, Chaz Mostert 2:01.8694, Mattia Drudi 2:02.2197, Maxime Martin 2:02.5803, Aaron Cameron 2:02.5482, Daniel Juncadella 2:03.0311.

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