Pole position for the 6 Hours of Fuji went to the #17 Porsche 919 Hybrid with a record breaking average of 1:22.763 though the level of dominance of the Porsche was nothing close to that we’ve seen in recent races.
Indeed for much of the session it was an Audi in second slot, the #7 car allowed just a single shot qualifying lap for Messrs Lotterer and Treluyer and it was almost enough!
Timo Bernhard was first out in the #17, Lotterer in the #7 and it was just tenths between the two with the #8 car, fresh from a gearbox change after gear selection trouble in Free Practice 3, late to the party after needing an installation lap before Loic Duval was released to sit fourth.
Mark Webber’s opening effort as second driver was good enough to give a three thenths advantage on average over the Audi but Marc Lieb’s first effort as second driver in the #18 gave Audi reason for hope and the #8 was given another one lap shot right at the end of the session to see whether Lucas di Grassi could dislodge the #18 from third.
Lieb though was released too and it became a one lap battle for the top three positions. the Audi though was clearly behind on its delta times, the #8 pitted, Lieb though found something, he improved enough to complete another Porsche front row lock out, by just 11 thousandths of a second! Interestingly though his best time was bettered by both of Audi’s second drivers!
The Toyotas completed the top six but are closer here than elsewhere with the Rebellion pair ahead of the ByKolles CLM, the #13 on LMP1 Privateer pole with a 1:28.492 average.
LMP2
In LMP2 the session was dominated by the G-Drive Ligier Nissans, #26 setting pole ahead of #28 with Gustavo Yacaman closing the gap at the end of the session and posting a faster lap than pole man Sam Bird had managed. the #26 car’s 2 driver average of 1:31.529 though was enough for pole by a couple of tenths.
We were looking for KCMG to build on a fine early session run from Matt Howson but Nick Tandy made a big error on his out lap and clattered the barriers, forcing a pit stop and a late session run even to set a time. He did well enough to start fourth with a great run from Pierre Ragues and Oliver Webb securing third on the grid for SARD Morand’s #43 Morgan Judd.
GG
