Raffaele Marciello topped the 30-minute Free Practice 1 for the 2023 FIA GT World Cup at the Guia Street Circuit in Macau on Thursday afternoon, his last gasp 2:16.150 ruining a headline for Porsche who had held a 1,2,3 in the session until the Swisstalian’s last effort in the #48 Mercedes AMG Team Landgraf GT3 Evo.
Marcelo’s 2:16.150 around the 6.2 km circuit was enough to fend off another last lap improver, Laurens Vanthoor finishing the session two tenths off in his #99 Team Toro Porsche 911 GT3.R leaving Matteo Cairoli third (#120 Absolute racing Porsche) and Kévin Estre fourth (#27 HubAuto Racing Porsche).
Maro Engel and Daniel Juncadella put their AMGs fifth and sixth fastest before Sheldon van der Linde’s best effort put his #32 Rowe Racing BMW as the quicker of the two M4 GT3s.
Mr Macau, Eduardo Mortara was the fastest of the Audis in 8th with Daniel Serra managing no better than 14th in the session in the #51 Harmony Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, this after the Brazilian brought out the caution flags after misjudging the hairpin at T19 on his out lap causing something of a roadblock that required the marshals to intervene.
Free Practice 2 gets underway at 16:10 local time.
