Algarve Pro Racing’s James Allen ran fastest on the second day of European Le Mans Series testing today, continuing his pace-setting form from Day 1 in the team’s #25 ORECA 07 Gibson.
Allen’s best time during today’s seven hours of track time was a 1:30.223 in the morning. It wasn’t faster than his Day 1 best, which was a 1:29.691, the only time under 1:30 on either day of track action.
In the morning, Jonathan Aberdein came closest to matching Allen, with a 1:30.763 in Inter Europol’s #43 ORECA. That time was under a tenth faster than the quickest of the LMP2 Pro/Am runners, the #21 United Autosports ORECA, which saw Nelson Piquet Jnr reel off the crew’s best lap.
Ryan Harper-Ellam meanwhile, set LMP3’s best time, a 1:36.403 in the #7 Nielsen Racing Ligier, half a tenth ahead of Glenn van Berlo in the #10 Eurointernational JS P320. Harper-Ellam’s tour is the quickest LMP3 time of the week so far. The top three was completed by another Ligier, this time the RLR Msport car Gael Julien, a further half a tenth back.
Fastest of the Duqueines was the WTM Racing by Rinaldi example of Oscar Tunjo, who reeled off a 1:36.531 to go fourth quickest. The top four were all faster than the best times set by a gaggle of five Bronze-rated LMP2 drivers.
In GTE, it was Formula Racing’s #50 Ferrari in the hands of Mikkel Mac who set the benchmark, a 1:40.755. The Dane’s hotlap was almost two tenths up on the debuting #44 GMB Motorsport Aston Martin at the hands of Niiki Thiim.
Thiim’s young teammate Gustav Birch was third fastest in the session, four tenths off. Rui Aguas in the #51 Ferrari and Zacharie Robichon in the #16 Proton Porsche rounded out the top five.
When the track action resumed in the afternoon for the final session of the two-day test, IDEC Sport ended the day at the top of the timing screens. Paul Loup Chatin in the French outfit’s #28 ORECA managed a 1:31.164, over half a second up on the best effort in the session from Gianmaria Bruni in the #99 Proton Competition ORECA.
Juan Pablo Montoya (#81 DragonSpeed), Oliver Jarvis (#22 United Autosports) and Neel Jani (#30 Duqueine) rounded out a star-studded top five.
LMP3 during the final run again saw a Ligier 1-2-3. Marcos Seibert topped the times in the #17 COOL Racing car with a 1:36.500, ahead of Antoine Duquin, six tenths off in the #31 Racing Spirit of Leman effort. Team Virage’s #8 car in the hands of Manuel Espirito Santo slotted in third.
Ulysse De Pauw set the best lap in GTE aboard the #51 AF Corse Ferrari, a 1:41.352, just under two tenths clear of the best effort of the session from Matteo Cairoli in the #60 Iron Lynx Porsche. Martin Rump was almost half a second back in the #93 Proton Competition RSR. Carioli’s 1:40.611 from Day 1 wasn’t bettered during today’s running.
This week’s ELMS test proved productive for all 42 cars in the field. There no major incidents during the 18 hours of track time, with each car completing a significant number of laps on both days.
