It was a dynamic four hours in the top class. All three Hypercar teams led the timesheets at some point in the session.
Top three cars fastest lap times were within three tenths of a second with Jose Maria Lopez in the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing (3:31.626) leading the #708 Glickenhaus 007 LMH shared by Olivier Pla, Romain Dumas and Pipo Derani (3:31.705). The #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing driven by Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Roy Hirakawa was third (3.31.977).
The #709 Glickenhaus 007 LMH ended the session in fourth place with fastest lap time snatched by Franck Mailleux (3:32.622). The #36 Alpine Elf Team shared by Nico Lapierre, André Negrao and Matthieu Vaxivière was the slowest of the Hypercars (3:22.793).
Meanwhile In LMP2, the #38 Jota Oreca 07 Gibson dominated the time sheets with Will Stevens being consistently fastest. At the top of third hour, the Brit clocked the first sub 1:34 lap time (1:33.964) of the category. He remained at the top of the time sheets until the end of the session, some two tenths ahead of the #22 United Autosport Oreca 07 Gibson shared by Phil Hanson, Filipe Albuquerque and Will Owen.
The #13 TDS Racing Valliante Oreca 07 Gibson driven by Philippe Cimadomo, Mathias Beche and Tijmen Van Der Helm ended in third place, in the same tenth as the #22 (3:34.132).
Further down in the ranks:
– Julien Canal in the #65 Panis Racing Oreca 07 Gibson started the session by losing a wheel at the entrance of the Mulsanne straight. The car was brought back in its pits for repairs as the session was red flagged.
In the final hour of the session Eric Trouillet in the #39 Graff Racing Oreca 07 Gibson went off in the gravel trap at the Daytona Chicane and Nico Muller in the #10 Vector Sport Oreca 07 Gibson stopped on track with a suspension collapse.
GTE Classes
The GTE classes had a leisurely start, only half the entry completing laps and setting times in the first hour. The best of these was the Corvette pairing, Tommy Milner initially heading the GTE-Pro class, a 3:55.266 set as an early marker for the #64 C8R, this improved upon by Nick Tandy’s 3:54.722. Nicky Catsburg was back from Paul Ricard and delivered a 3:54.904 to go as second quickest.
Both Corvette Racing crews had got down to work early, in steady and consistent rotation. With these being truly test laps times are less than important, but Riley Motorsport’s ‘privateer’ Ferrari 488 GTE Evo held its own in the 3:55’s nevertheless, ahead of the two AF Corse 488 Evos.
Michael Christensen’s #92 Porsche 911 RSR-19 found trouble at Tertre Rouge on an out lap, returning to its pit on the back of a trailer for a driveshaft repair. Gianmaria Bruni then found the Mulsanne Corner barriers in the #91 car having overshot his braking point and taking out several bollards. The car would rejoin after repairs.
Recovering via an escape road but with a left-front puncture and pulling up at Indianapolis, the second Porsche also needed a flat-bed to head home. Manthey Racing’s Porsche GT Team Le Mans effort was off to a difficult start, but the #91 car rejoined late on, Bruni lapping third quickest; 3:55.467.
With just a couple of minutes left in the session the #64 stopped at Porsche Curves, evidently, the team now know exactly how far they can run on a fuel alarm!
Once the 23-car GTE-Am presence had taken to the track, the last-to-show #85 Iron Dames Ferrari deposed the #21 AF Corse Ferrari that had held the top of the timing screens. Michelle Gatting’s 3:56.063 headed a 7-car Ferrari lockout into the final hour, all times in the 3:56’s. That was until Harry Tincknell switched on the pace of the #77 Dempsey Proton Porsche, his 3:56.370 the best GTE-Am Porsche lap until Alessio Picariello delivered a 3:55.780 to shoot the #99 Hardpoint Motorsport car to the top of the class from halfway down the order and remind everyone that Porsches were still here.
Michelle Gatting came back however, a 3:55.678 regaining the top spot in the final minutes of this first test session for the #85 Iron Dames Ferrari, the only ‘Am car to finish the session ahead of. ‘Pro’ car, the #85 quicker than the #52 AF Corse Ferrari.
Kessel Racing’s Car Guy sponsored Ferrari 488 GTE Evo 3:55.818 ended the session third as one of a late flurry of improving times in class, Frederik Schandorff setting the time.
The #66 JMW Ferrari and the #71 Spirit of Race Ferraris found trouble at the Dunlop Chicane, while the #56 Project 1 Porsche was (briefly) black flagged, Ollie Milroy having taken to the track without a scrutineering sticker on his helmet having been at Paul Ricard and missing yesterday’s checks. Mark Kvamme pulled the #66 JMW car up again on the Mulsanne straight, the Ferrari returning on a flat-bed but re-joining the session.
Further incidents included Paul Dalla Lana finding the limit at the Porsche Curves, his Northwest AMR Aston Martin kissing the barrier but making it home, while Simon Mann caught a stop/go penalty for exceeding track limits in the #21 AF Corse car that had a strong session.
