Algarve Pro Tops The Times On Day 1 Of Barcelona Test
Algarve Pro Racing driver James Allen set the fastest time during the first day of European Le Mans Series testing at Barcelona today.
The Australian’s best lap came in the first session of the day, a 1:29.691 on his 17th lap of the circuit in the team’s #25 ORECA 07 Gibson. He was the only driver to set a time under the 1:30 mark during the 10 hours of track time, which ended with a two-hour night session this evening.
Job Van Uitert came closest to Allen in the morning, with a 1:30.190 to put the #65 Panis Racing ORECA second. Third overall in the times was the fastest of the Pro/Am runners, Malthe Jakobsen reeling off a 1:30.442, which would be his fastest time of the day.
In the other classes during the first run, the #17 COOL Racing Ligier JS P320 topped LMP3 with a 1:36.406 from Marcos Siebert. It was another fast time early in the day that wouldn’t be eclipsed. And in GTE, the #60 Iron Lynx Porsche 911 RSR 19 led the way, Matteo Carioli touring the Spanish circuit in 1:40.611, the category’s fastest time so far.
In the afternoon session, Ben Barnicoat’s 1:30.799 in the #83 AF Corse LMP2 Pro/Am ORECA was good enough to put him quickest overall, just 0.004 faster than Marino Sato in the #22 United 07 Gibson, which was the fastest of the LMP2 cars.
LMP3 saw Marcos Siebert atop the times again with the sun shining. His best effort was a 1:36.698, almost three-tenths off his hot lap earlier in the day. It was all change in GTE though, as Conrad Lauren set the pace in the #50 Formula Racing Ferrari with a 1:40.935.
The day’s running finished with a night session, which only 11 cars took part in. The majority of them were LMP2 ORECAs, with Kyffin Simpson fastest in the #25 Algarve Pro example, a 1:30.786 was his best time.
Ex-F1 man Nelson Piquet Jnr set a 1:31.102 to go second overall and fastest of the four LMP2 Pro/Am teams that braved the fading light.
Eurointernational’s #10 Ligier set the pace in LMP3, though only three cars (#35 Ultimate, #4 DKR) went out.
In GTE only the #93 Proton and #60 Iron Lynx Porsche turned laps, with only one driver setting times in each car. The best time was set by Martin Rump in the #93, a 1:41.450.
Tomorrow the teams will continue testing at the Spanish circuit, with another seven hours of track time on the schedule, before the race weekend proper starts on Friday.
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