Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon was fastest in the second free practice session for the Gulf 12 Hours on the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. In the 80-minute session on Thursday morning the Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 driven by Dutchman Jeroen Bleekemolen set the fastest time. Bleekemolen lapped the circuit in 2:11.885, an average speed of 151.63 km/h.
The #94 Avelon Formula Wolf GB08, fastest in free practice 1 yesterday, didn’t take part in the second session. The car wasn’t running in full Gulf 12 Hours spec yesterday and the team used the second free practice to work on the car, change the engine and put an extra 70kg of weight into it to get it ready for the remainder of the event. The fastest CN car in free practice 2 was the BF Motorsport Wolf GB08.
In GT3 no fewer than ten cars ended the session within a second of each other. Nearly 20 minutes into the session it was the #14 Kessel Racing Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 that set the fastest time (2:12.093). It remained on top for 25 minutes before the #12 sister car went quicker and posted a 2:12.029.
Exactly one hour into the session Bleekemolen managed to break into the 2:11s and he put the #3 Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon on top of the timing screens. Moments later the #12 Kessel Racing improved, but it wasn’t enough to beat the time set by the Mercedes.
As the chequered flag came out at 10:20am it was still the Mercedes on top, followed by five Ferrari’s, the Gulf Racing McLaren and the M-Sport Bentley.
Marcel ten Caat (@dsceuroeditor)
