Buemi Fastest In Opening Spa Practice
Toyota Gazoo Racing’s #8 GR010 HYBRID set the benchmark time in the first practice session of the 6 Hours of Spa weekend. Sebastien Buemi topped the times with a 2:02.982, a time just a fraction slower than last year’s Pole lap from Glickenhaus, a 2:02.771.
Buemi’s flyer was 1.6 seconds faster than the other FIA WEC Hypercar class runners. The #50 Ferrari came closest, after a 2:04.632 from Antonio Fuoco, who was a tenth up on Jose Maria Lopez in the #7 Toyota that completed the top three.
The fastest of the LMDh cars in the class was the #6 Porsche Penske 963, following a 2:04.870 from Laurens Vanthoor. The Belgian would end the red flag-interrupted session fifth, below the #51 Ferrari that finished up fourth on the timing screens.
The #2 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R was sixth, while the brand new #3 example, making a guest appearance this weekend, would set the ninth fastest time, behind the quickest of the two Peugeot 9X8s – the #94.
The other new Hypercar in the field, the #38 Porsche 963 from HERTZ Team JOTA, was 22nd overall in the times and completed 18 laps, the team using the session as an extended shakedown of its new car. The best time was six seconds off the pace set by Toyota, but this is very much early days and outright speed is not yet a priority.
In LMP2, the #22 United ORECA of Filipe Albuquerque ran just 0.043 faster than the #28 JOTA 07 Gibson to top the class with a 2:07.471. The #23 United Autosports ORECA completed the top three.
It was a 1-2 for Ferrari 488 teams in GTE Am, with Kessel Racing’s #57 managing a 2:16.177 courtesy of Daniel Serra. The #21 AF Corse Ferrari from Ulysse De Pauw ended up second.
The ORT by TF Aston Martin slotted in third with a 2:17.168 from Charlie Eastwood.
A pair of red flags interrupted the session, costing the teams almost 10 minutes of running. The first was for an incident at Les Combes for the #83 AF Corse Ferrari, and the second for the contact between the D’Station Aston Martin and the Vanwall.
Track action continues this afternoon with Free Practice 2 at 16:20 local time.
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