The field was back up to a full 47 car entry in time for Friday’s 90 minute Free Practice One at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi after the re-tubbed #8 Dragon Racing car arrived from the team’s Dubai base, 11 hours from the replacement chassis being delivered to the transporter rolling towards the UAE Capital.
There were further dramas at Yas Marina overnight for another team, the #50 AF Corse Oreca comprehensively disassembled after a huge shunt for Olivier Pla at Turn 3 in private testing.
The rebuild required a spare chassis, that arrived at the garage in the early evening, the team still in the process of salvaging what they could from the crashed car.
By the time DSC arrived on-site at breakfast time this morning, the car was already in scrutineering and was on track for a final private test session on Friday morning!
Outstanding work from all concerned.
The 90 minute Friday evening session meanwhile saw no major dramas and was headed by the #30 RD Limited Oreca in the hands of James Allen, his mid-session 1:41.287 over half a second clear of the best from the second fastest car, a late session eft from Harry King n the #91 PureRxcing car.
The #22 Proton car ended the session third fastest with both APR Orecas next up, #25 ahead of 20, all five, plus the sixth fastest car, the #83 AF Corse machine, within a single second.
LMP3 saw the session topped by Anders Fjordbach in the #49 High Class Racing Ligier, a 1:48.575 under a tenth clear of Ian Aguilera’s best in the #15 RLR MSport car.
Bretton Racing’s #26 was third fastest.
In GT meanwhile, the rebuilt #21 Car Collection Porsche proved that the team had screwed things together well, it topped the times with a 1:52.761 from Alex Fontana, almost four tenths clear of the Championship leading #81 Winward Racing AMG (Luca Stolz) with the #87 Origine Porsche (Lauren Heinrich), #77 Optimum McLaren and #9 GetSpeed AMG completing the top 5.
