Peugeot’s 9X8s topped the times in Thursday’s first 90-minute Free Practice session with Jean-Eric Vergne quickest, taking his #93 around the Bahrain International Circuit in 1:50.536as the skies above were painted but the displays at the adjacent Bahrain International Air Show.
Team newcomer Nico Mueller opened his account with a 1m51.413 in the sister #94 Peugeot, good enough for second fastest in the session as the Toyotas and Alpine got down to their early meeting todo lists as the teams face off for the World Championship on Saturday.
Toyota’s #7 GR010 finished the session third fastest in the hands of Kamui Kobayashi, 0.262s back from the second-placed Peugeot with the battling Alpine a tenth further back, fourth fastest with Nicolas Lapierre with a 1m51.796.
Joint points leaders with Alpine, the #8 Toyota crew of Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa ended the session fifth with Buemi setting the fastest time for the car, a 1m51.917.
LMP2
Nicklas Nielsen topped LMP2 category for AF Corse, the Dane posting a best lap of 1.52.144, just under two tenths up on Charles Milesi’s best in the #1 Richard Mille Racing car.
An early session time of 1:52.389 for Will Stevens saw the title leading #38 Jota Oreca that Stevens shares with Antonio Felix da Costa and Roberto Gonzalez sit third in the session order.
LMGTE Pro
Michael Christensen put the marker down in GTE Pro in the #92 Porsche 911 RSR-19 with a 1:58.025s as the Dane and his teammate Kevin Estre head into the weekend 11 points adrift of James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi in the LMGTE Pro World Championship title chase.
The title leading #51 AF Corse Ferrari was third fastest, Pier Guidi a tenth off the best of the sister #52 Ferrari 488 GTE in the hands of Antonio Fuoco who set an early session best of 1:58.261s.
Fourth was the #91 Porsche 911 RSR-19 as Gimmi Bruni set a time of 1:58.457 to ensure the Ferraris and Porsches were separated by a mere 0.432s with the Corvette fifth fastest.
LMGTE Am
Ben Barnicoat took the #56 Team Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR to the top of the class times in the opening session with a best of 1:59.636s.
Next up was Flying Finn Toni Vilander in the #21 AF Corse run Ferrari, 0.238 seconds off Barnicoat’s best but barely bettering Ben Barker by under a tenth, the #86 GR Racing Porsche third fastest.
