Black Falcon finished off the final two Free Practice Sessions as the quickest outfit ahead of Qualifying for the fifth running of the Gulf 12 Hours. Maro Engel set the fastest lap of the day and week so far in FP4, a 2:10.015 in the #1 SLS which has been there or there about throughout the last two days.
“I think with the way Black Falcon works, this is just about tweaking, we always turn up with a competitive car, so we haven’t had to change much so far,” Engel said.
“For a race like this, it’s be amazing to put a lap on the field in the first half, but I don’t think we can do that as there’s some really strong cars out there. I think we’ll just keep our heads in it and stay out of trouble, see where we are in the second part of the race.”
Second in the session was the Oman Racing Team, who topped the times with Darren Turner at the wheel for much of the session, four tenths back. The team continues to improve the pace of its Vantage at the Yas Marina circuit.
“The car is really getting there,” Turner’s teammate Jonny Adam told DSC during FP4. “The key for us is sector 3, the run underneath the tunnel, that’s where the time is made. It’s great that we get so much running at this event as it gives us a lot of time to really set up the car perfectly for all three of us.”
FF Corse came in third quickest in the final practice, but almost a second back from the top two. The pace overall was much quicker as the temperature increased, and with some solid running.
Black Falcon were there or there abouts throughout the morning session too. The #11 Kessel Racing Ferrari with Davide Rigon at the wheel went fastest in an interrupted and ultimately shortened Free Practice 3 though.
Rigon’s fastest tour was a 2:11.037, between two separate incidents at Turn 17, the run to the Viceroy Hotel.
Both the Dragon Racing and #55 AF Corse Ferraris went off into the tyres, forcing the marshals to undergo lengthy barrier repairs.
The #2 Black Falcon Mercedes of Abdelaziz Al Faisal, Yelmer Buurman and Hubert Haupt came in second fastest in FP3, six tenths back, with the Oman Racing Team rounding out the top three less than a tenth further back from the SLS.
It looks as if we could have about five cars in with a shot at victory here at Yas Marina! Today’s Qualifying session could prove to be very interesting.
Words & Photos: Stephen Kilbey
