Toyota Gazoo Racing’s #7 GR010 HYBRID topped the second Free Practice session this afternoon for the FIA WEC runners at Portimao. Kamui Kobayashi set the car’s fastest time, a 1:32.155, over half a second quicker than the FP1 benchmark time set by Sebastien Buemi.
The #8 Toyota, which topped FP1, ended up second, a second off the top time, but clear of the rest of the Le Mans Hypercar pack.
The quickest of the other Hypercar teams was again Ferrari in second practice, its 499Ps third and fourth, with the #50 the faster of the two in third, its best time a 1:33.301.
It was a better session for Peugeot, which found pace in its #94 9X8 and ended up fifth, with a 1:33.829 from Nico Müller. The #93 was also much closer to the Toyotas in the session, and ended up seventh, a tenth off the fastest Porsche 963 – the #5, that finished up the day sixth.
Cadillac Racing finished up eighth, ahead of the Glickenhaus, which found over a second from its FP1 best and went quicker than the #6 Porsche 963, claiming ninth in the times.
In LMP2 it was all change from the first session, with Vector Sport’s ORECA setting a 1:34.609 to set the pace, Gabriel Aubry’s time a tenth up on the Inter Europol ORECA which ended up second. The Polish team continues to impress this weekend, on a circuit which it knows well from its seasons spent in the ELMS.
The top three was completed by the #63 Prema ORECA that set the fastest LMP2 time in FP1.
In GTE Am, it was Kessel Racing that set the fastest time again, its #57 Ferrari 488 GTE EVO reeling off a 1:41.209 in the hands of Daniel Serra. Behind the #83 Richard Mille Ferrari, which is a brand new chassis following its shunt at Turn 1 in Sebring, ended up second, with the #54 AF Corse example third, making it a 1-2-3 for the Italian marque.
GR Racing’s Porsche was the fastest of the teams competing with the other manufacturers. Corvette Racing’s championship-leading C8.R was fifth.
There were no major issues in the session, though it did start later than scheduled due to barrier repairs for huge incident at Turn 1 in Free Practice Porsche Sprint Challenge Iberica, here this weekend as the meeting’s only support series. The incident saw a car end up over the catch fencing and into the grandstand at Turn 1. Thankfully the driver and no spectators were harmed.
Track action continues tomorrow with Free Practice 3 at 11:15am local time.
Image courtesy of Jakob Ebrey Photography
