Vista AF Corse’s Simon Mann ran quickest in this morning’s hour-long Free Practice 3 session for LMGT3 cars only at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The American made multiple improvements in the #21 296 LMGT3 during the session, which was held in cool, foggy conditions, eventually posting a 1:41.696 25 minutes in to cement his position at the top of the timing screens.
The time was 0.442 faster than the other LMGT3 cars in the class and just shy of the fastest LMGT3 time of the weekend (the 1:41.650 from Finn Gehrsitz in Free Practice 2), setting the #21 crew up nicely for Qualifying and Hyperpole. Notably, it also came after a brief off into the gravel for Mann 15 minutes into the session on the run down to the final corner.
The #61 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 was next, with Rui Andrade reeling off a 1:42.138 with 22 minutes left on the clock, pushing the #58 Garage 59 McLaren to third.
AKKODIS ASP’s #87 Lexus also set a late flyer two minutes later to claim third. The #58 McLaren finished up fourth with a 1:42.607 from Benji Goethe. The #88 Proton Ford Mustang completed the top five, as the final car in the running order to set a time within a second of the #21 Ferrari.
The top two cars in the championship standings, the #33 TF Sport Corvette and #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin, ended up 15th and 13th, respectively.
“We’re paying the price for our recent success, carrying 42 kilos of success ballast, so it’s tricky here,” Heart of Racing team boss/driver Ian James admitted to the FIA WEC + broadcast. “We’re going to have to strategise our way to the front. We’re not going to win it on pace, but the car is nice to drive.”
“I hope it rains. I think we’ll be good in the wet, so I’ll be dancing tonight,” Nicky Catsburg, who shares the #33 Corvette with Ben Keating and Jonny Edgar, said.
Next on the schedule today is Qualifying and Hyperpole for LMGT3, at 11:50 local time. Free Practice 3 for the Hypercar runners is set for 12:40.
Image courtesy of DPPI
