After the #94 Peugeot 9X8 topped Free Practice 1 earlier this morning, it was the #93’s turn to lead the way in FP2 this afternoon at the Fuji Speedway. An early 1:29.495 from Mikkel Jensen, the quickest lap of the WEC 100 meeting so far, was enough to keep the car at the top of the leaderboard until the end of the session.
Porsche Penske Motorsport’s #5 963 came close to dethroning the #93, with a 1:29.512 from Julien Andlauer, as did the #009 Aston Martin Thor Team Valkyrie, which ended up third with a 1:29.5 of its own from Marco Sorensen.
Toyota’s #8 GR010 took fourth, with the #35 Alpine completing the top five with a time a fraction under four tenths off the benchmark.
Looking at it from a wider angle, the top class was tight-knit among the different manufacturers, as seven manufacturers managed to sneak a car into the top eight. The outlier was BMW; its fastest M Hybrid V8 was 13th.
There was one drama in the session in the Hypercar ranks, and it concerned the Bavarian brand. The #20 BMW Team WRT M Hybrid V8 took rear-end damage from a hit with a billboard. But the car was able to continue and returned to the pits for repairs.
In LMGT3, it was AKKODIS ASP once again that set the pace in the heat.
Like the Peugeots in Hypercar, it was a role reversal for the two RC F LMGT3s. The #87 set the best lap this time, while the FP1-topping #78 ended up third, just a couple of tenths off the sister car. Clemens Schmid set the time in the lead Lexus, a 1:41.431.
Sandwiched in between the two RC F LMGT3s was the #59 United Autosports McLaren following a hot lap from Sébastien Baud. The #92 championship-leading Manthey Porsche was fourth while the #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari ended up fifth.
It’s shaping up nicely ahead of qualifying, as the top 11 cars in the class all set sub-1:42 lap times.
FIA WEC track action at the Fuji Speedway continues with Free Practice 3 tomorrow morning at 09:50.
