Friday Morning Practice Session

Despite wet track conditions more or less the whole field took to the circuit confidently, the Spa PA system blasting out an ironic ‘Highway To Hell’ as they did so. 

Peugeot were the first to show en masse, Nicolas Lapierre showing the way with a 2:22.7 with Marc Gene tucked in 0.2s behind. Audi choosing not to respond in the early minutes, Fassler’s 2:35.8 being their early marker for exploration laps.

As drivers settled in the times start to improve Danny Watts serves notice with a 2:31, splitting the diesels. Olivier Pla’s Ginetta Zytek is the nearest LMP2 in the 2.33’s. Boutsen Energy’s Nicolas De Crem nips into the LMP2 times, posting fastest FLM time with a 2:39.8. Peugeot are 1-2-3 with Lamy, Lapierre and Gene.

At this point the only absentees are the #66 Full Speed Saleen and the #93 Porsche , JWA’s delay the result of ‘paperwork issues’ the required entry form had been submitted with An in correct date and the man in Germany able to rectiofy matters was on a lunch break!

20 minutes in and Pedro Lamy goes into the 2:19’s, a Peugeot 1-2-3-4 taking the play to the Audis. Tom Kristensen settles for 6 seconds adrift. Pla is getting closer for Quifel ASM, he and Gillaume Moreau’s Pescarolo now sub 2:30.

GT1 has Bas Leinders setting the pace in the GT40 whilst GT2 sees Fischella settling in at 2:40.7, just ahead of Pierre Kaffer’s Porsche 0.1s behind.

At 30 minutes Rebellion move up to 4^th overall, Bouillon splitting the Peugeots with a 2:22 as times improve. The 908’s are hard on the pace, consistently posting quick first and second sector times, backing off for the third – either an indication of local track conditions or a taunt to the Audis.

Bas Leinders’s Ford heads still GT1 but GT2 is improving with Gianmaria Bruni dipping into the 2:39’s to lead the class.

Formula Le Mans is settled with 45, 47 and 48 the order. The ~45 Boutsen Energy car comfortably ahead.

Finally the Full Speed Saleen joins the action.

Track conditions are improving now, Lamy posting 2:19.498, leading LMP1 which holds positions 1 to 9. Places 10 to 13 are LMP2, followed by Vanina Ickx as the LMP1 straggler. The circuit calms a little as cars start to come in for Intermediate tyres, though conditions are clearly still slippery.

GT2 at this point was all about Ferrari : Kirkaldy from Vilander and Bruni.

40 minutes into the session, Bourdais jumps into the #3 Peugeot, while Danny Watts hands the Strakka HPD ARX over to Nick Leventis.

GT2 sees Simonsen take charge of the other Ferraris, he and Kirkaldy now posting 2:38’s.

A big improvement in GT1 as Stefan Mucke takes the Young Driver Aston Martin to 2:35 to head the class.

Marcel Fassler shows form for Audi, posting fastest 2^nd sector time, though this is quickly bettered by Bourdais, going 2:17.6 for the lap. The top 4 cars are now separated by 1 second.

JWA have the right paperwork and join the party.

Matech respond for Ford in GT1, Jonathan Hirschi taking the 60 car to second in class (2:37.8).

15 minutes to go. The track is obviously drying now, evidenced by Bourdais’ improving sector times. His fastest sector times are 0.2s better than anyone else.

Audi having shown some response are quickly beaten to third by Panis’s Oreca 908.

Then the Peugeots seem to slow down, Panis now fastest at 2:16.198 as Bourdais pits.

Tom Kristensen puts Audi 3^rd with a 2:19 while Romain Dumas settles his R15 Plus into 5^th at 2:20.5. The top 10 is now all LMP1.

Bruni now takes control of GT2 with a 2:38.5, this being short lived as the two Felbermayr Porsches go 1 and 2, nine GT2 cars under 2:40 with 10 minutes to go.

Formula Le mans is still comfortably led by the 45 Boutsen Energy car.

With GT2 having steadily improved its times, Allan Simonsen raises the bar to 2:33.6, splitting the LMP2 class. Has he changed to slicks? (Yes he had)

Julien Jousse now pops in a 2:35.03 to take charge in GT1 for Luc Alphand Aventures. From nowhere Darren Turner delivers a 2:36 dead to lead GT2 for JMW.

Times are really improving now as Ebbesvik goes 1^st in LMP2 – a big improvement to 2:27.

Tom Kristensen radios in to confirm a dry line everywhere, but will slicks be taken at this stage of the session? Perhaps the wet data is enough for now? As confirmation of this he improves his ‘best Audi’ position by 1 second with a 2:18.

As dry conditions take over the previous performance seems a bit meaningless. Pla goes into 9^th with a 2:22.5 to split the P1’s again.

In GT2 Richard Westbrook heads the Ferrari / Porsche / Ferrari / Aston order.

As the flag drops, Panis tops the time sheets for Oreca from the 1 and 3 Factory Peugeots. Olivier Pla improves again with a 2:20 to go 5^th overall, ahead of the Audis. Ebbesvik goes 12^th for Bruichladdich.

Simonsen completes the job for Hankook, their slicks delivering the goods in the closing minutes, from Richard Westbrook for ProSpeed. It seems only Simonsen had gone for slicks, the rest of the grid apparently finishing on Inters.

Despite tricky conditions the session was without serious incident, the Team Bruichladdich Ginetta Zytek though suffered damage right at the end of the session, a coming together with one of the Schnitzer BMWs at La Source, a piece of Beemer bodywork lodged in the right rear of the #41 car, no major damge done though to either.

Olivier Pla

We were on inters at the end, the car is a huge improvement from Ricard, there is a new rear end treatment from Zytek now and we have much better balance.

Hugh Hayden

That’s the best we could have hoped for today I think.  We’re pretty happy with our progress.  Our forecast says wet today, drier tomorrow and Sunday (but with a chance of a shower) If it gets wet I think we’ll be a little closer to the diesels.

Andrew Kirkaldy

It was drying quickly at the end.  We’re quite happy, we were quickest when it was at its wettest and well in touch as it dried.