With no rain forecast for the first time, the third Free Practice session delivered excitement and drama in an incident-packed three hours. Warmer, more stable conditions drove improvement throughout the field as data for fuel and tyre performance in dry running seemed to have more focus now than driver installation.
In Hypercar, Brendan Hartley got straight down to business for Toyota, his second flying lap of 3:27.115 improving on Kamui Kobayashi’s fastest overall qualifying time by a tenth. Kobayashi fired back, taking the #7 GR010 Hybrid around in 3:26.796 on its third lap of the session.
The Alpine A480 had been a couple of tenths off to round off the Hypercar category at the one-hour mark before Matthieu Vaxivierre punched in the #36 car’s first sub 3:30 lap, 3:29.602 to go third. Running a full 12-lap stint at pace, presumably to check performance over a full stint fuel simulation, the regulations mean the Alpine covers a lap less on fuel than the Toyotas. The car would improve to 3:29.259, however the Glickenhaus pairing were unlocking more pace, Olivier Pla finding a 3:27.466 to put the #708 car third, just three tenths off the #8 Toyota, and Ryan Briscoe’s first lap in anger wringing a 3:28.073 for the #709 car for fourth before a routine suspension change interrupted play. It was certainly looking tight at the top over a single lap pace.
Ryo Hirakawa’s #8 Toyota GR010 came to a standstill between Indianapolis and Arnage. The Japanese Le Mans rookie recycled the system and managed a return to pit lane at reduced speed. This bore some of the hallmarks of Spa’s drama, and any suggestion this may be part of Toyota’s pre-race drill were quickly dispelled, this was a mark against the Toyota Hybrid’s potential reliability.
LMP2
In an incident-filled three hours for the LMP2 field, the first of many slow zones in the session was triggered by Reshad de Gerus’s 14th placed Duqueine Team Oreca, which had been parked in the barriers at Indianapolis.
This followed an excursion by Rolf Ineichen; into the Arnage armco a lap earlier in the green liveried Team WRT Oreca, front bodywork needing attention once he’d recovered to the #32 car’s pit:
“We did no night laps with the other accident. We had to rebuild everything, new chassis and engine, so it’s important we get this problem out of the way and get these laps done,” reported the Swiss driver, his familiarisation with a prototype becoming more of a challenge than anticipated.
Ollie Jarvis hustled a 3:31.823 from the #23 United Autosports Oreca, the fastest LMP2 lap of the week so far, but this was bettered by Robin Fijns’ flyer for WRT, the dutch driver slamming in a 3:31.030 to place the #31 Oreca top of the LMP2 score sheet until United Autosports launched a late response. Felipe Albuquerque delivered a 3:30.964 for the #22 car as the session’s best time, as Alex Lynn began a qualifying calibre charge of his own that put the sister #23 UA Oreca second by less than a tenth, his further attempt spoiled by the Inception Racing GTE-Am Ferrari accident that ended the session.
Cool Racing ended the session fourth quickest, Yifei Ye on a 3:32.057.
With an hour left to go, the #13 TDS Racing Oreca brought out the red flag at the Porsche Curves, Philippe Cimadomo making heavy contact with the concrete wall on driver’s right. The French driver in his first Le Mans had found his line compromised as he approached a slower overtaking manoeuvre, was blocked by a GTE-Am Ferrari, braking heavily and unloading the car.
Sean Galael had returned his #31 WRT Oreca to its pit having had an issue on the Mulsanne straight. Was this the car passing the GTE-Am Ferrari, thus blocking the track for the quicker TDS car?
Algarve Pro Racing overcame the challenge of their overnight rebuild, the #45 Oreca circulating steadily, James Allen’s 3:34.543 placing the car mid-order in ‘P2 – job done.
Sebastien Page‘s #39 Graff Oreca found the tyre barrier having spun at the exit of Indianapolis, a slow zone given for further barrier repairs shortly after the course returned to green.
GTE-Pro
Nick Tandy’s third and fourth laps aboard the #64 Corvette improved the C8.R’s overall best (3:53.225 and then 3:52.307) to head Corvette Racing’s early 1-2 in class, before Michael Christensen displayed pace in the #92 Porsche 911 RSR-19 to split the Chevrolet pair, the car’s first lap in the 3:52’s and a glimpse of Porsche’s potential. Richard Lietz then displaced the #91 car’s second place time, the #91 works 911 RSR-19 improving to 3:52.787.
The three trailing GTE-Pro Ferraris, headed by Miguel Molina’s #52 AF Corse car, seemed unflustered by lap times ahead of them. The AF Corse pair had run the most laps in GTE-Pro In contrast, the privately entered Riley Motorsports Ferrari sat out most of the session, but Sam Bird told DSC that the crew were happy with the car and chose not to waste it in the session, realistic about race pace but equally aware that a solid, clean run could swing things in the team’s favour.
GTE-Am
A complete GTE-Am contingent joined the track, Proton Competition’s rebuilt #93 Porsche having passed its scrutineering checks and allowed back into play. Not all would complete the session intact though, the #80 Iron Lynx Ferrari in its pit undergoing an engine change late in the session.
The #46 Project 1 Porsche had spent the first hour of the session in its pit undergoing routine checks before Mikkel Pedersen delivered a 3:54.561 on the Dane’s first flyer, improving again to 3:54.386 next time around.
Ben Keating was forthright in his comment that qualifying and Hyperpole is all well and good, but that pace and reliability in the race is his TF Sport entry’s focus, “Race pace and stability is absolutely where it’s at and we’re really happy with where we are. We changed our engine and rear suspension after the first free practice session, which is entirely to plan.” The #33 Aston Martin Vantage AMR has looked solid throughout, sitting comfortably second in class.
The Hardpoint Motorsport entry was shaping up well as the 24 Hours’ late reserve. Pace has been strong on occasion throughout the sessions so far, Alessio Picariello posting 3:54.906 to put the #99 Porsche third.
Alex West’s lock-up into the Ford Chicane in the final minutes effectively ended the session; rear end damage providing plenty to do for the Inception Racing crew if it is to make the final practice session at 10:00 later this evening. “I was pushing myself to gain more time in that chicane,” the Finnish driver told DSC, “I left my braking just too late and it was enough to misalign the car with the second kerb, which is raised and it pitched the car. I can’t say it was anyone else’s fault but my own, and I’m sorry to be making so much work for the guys. I’m not sure we will be out for the session tonight, it depends on the damage, which may be a driveshaft and suspension, but could be worse, we don’t know… at least we have all of Friday to deal with it.”
