Toyota Gazoo Racing paced the field in the final practice session in Bahrain ahead of Qualifying, meaning all three LMP1 teams have topped a session this weekend.
The 60 minutes of running was held in ‘wet’ conditions following morning rain showers, though the track was merely greasy, not wet enough to warrant wet tyres from the teams. The #8 TS050 HYBRID lapped the circuit fastest, Brendon Hartley setting a 1:44.285, a tenth up on the #5 Team LNT Ginetta which slotted in second after a flyer from Ben Hanley.
After Team LNT’s Ginettas suffered mechanical issues yesterday, it was Rebellion’s turn this morning to solve problems. The #1 R-13 Gibson spent much of the session in the garage due to the brakes binding, causing a fire on the left rear. In the end, it would finish fourth in LMP1 but seventh overall, slower than the top three in LMP2.
The best LMP2 time came from the #22 United Autosports ORECA, which ended up third overall with a 1:45.970 from Phil Hanson. The #37 Jackie Chan DC Racing ORECA ended up second ahead of the JOTA example. All three toured the circuit quicker than the #6 Ginetta, #1 Rebellion and #1 Toyota.
There was one on track drama in the LMP2 category, the Cool Racing ORECA of Antonin Borga hitting the barriers sideways after he lost control of the car early in the session at Turn 13. The Swiss-flagged team was able to continue in the session and ended up fourth in the times.
Like LMP1, GTE Pro has seen the three teams in the class top a session this weekend, with AF Corse leading the way in FP3. The #71 488 GTE EVO after a 1:56.065 from Davide Rigon was the benchmark, two tenths faster than the best efforts from the #95 Aston Martin that finished up second (but suffered a puncture in the session). The #51 AF Corse Ferrari completed the top three.
In the Am class, Gulf Racing’s Porsche set the best time, a 1:57.221 from Ben Barker. The top three in the class were separated by a tenth, the #77 Dempsey Proton Porsche claiming second and the #98 Aston Martin Racing Vantage taking third.
Next up is Qualifying, which begins at 16:40 local time.
