Local squad IDEC Sport was fastest in opening practice for the European Le Mans Series round at the Circuit Paul Ricard, France.
Job van Uitert set a 1:50.086 aboard IDEC’s #28 ORECA 07 – Gibson LMP2 shortly before the halfway point of the 90-minute session, displacing Nielsen Racing’s Jack Doohan from the top of the timesheets by 0.127 seconds.
Doohan wound up second overall in the #24 Nielsen Racing ORECA, with Matthieu Vaxiviere third fastest, and best of the LMP2 Pro/Am runners, in the #83 AF Corse ORECA with a 1:50.280.
Three more LMP2 entries, the #43 Inter Europol Competition, #22 United Autosports and #37 CLX Motorsport ORECAs, completed the top six.
Seventh, and second in LMP2 Pro/Am, went to the #14 TDS Racing ORECA of Scott Huffaker courtesy of a 1;50.473, with the Barcelona-winning #20 Algarve Pro Racing entry of Malthe Jakobsen third in Pro/Am.
In LMP3, a rapid opening stint from Max van der Snel secured the #11 Eurointernational Ligier JS P325 – Toyota the top spot.
The Dutchman was at times over a second clear of the rest of the field, as he set a best time of a 2:00.128.
His leading margin was subsequently closed, with Matteo Quintarelli aboard the #8 Team Virage Ligier ending FP1 0.212 seconds back. The #31 Racing Spirit of Leman, #5 Rinaldi Racing and #13 Inter Europol Competition Ligiers completed the top five.
And in LMGT3, Kessel Racing’s Daniel Serra was fastest in the #57 Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo, after setting a 2:03.164 in the opening minutes.
Conrad Laursen in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari came closest to besting the Brazilian, coming up 0.244 seconds short, with the #50 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari completing a 1-2-3 for the Prancing Horse.
It was a strong showing from Ferrari, with only the fourth-place #59 Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 Evo of Marius Fossard preventing a top five sweep by 296 LMGT3 Evos.
The #74 Kessel Racing Ferrari was fifth, with the #86 GR Racing entry sixth.
The session ran without any major incidents until the closing minutes, although multiple short full course yellows to collect debris did interrupt proceedings.
With seven minutes to go, however, an issue for the #7 Vector Sport ORECA of Jens Reno Møller at the end of the opening sector brought the session to an early end. The Dane was on an out lap, and the car is currently under investigation for a potential unsafe release.
Free Practice 2 ahead of the 4H Le Castellat will be held at 10:10 CEST tomorrow. Before then, the Bronze-ranked drivers will have an additional 30 minutes of track time later today, with the Bronze Collective Test being held at 16:20 CEST.
