FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Sao Paulo - Thursday Free Practice 1

The first track action of the weekend at Interlagos is a 90 minute free practice session and with typically smoggy and overcast skies the prevailing conditions are – well pretty muggy!

19 degrees ambient and 28 degrees on track as the 28 cars take to the track.

The first pace setter was Tom Kristensen in the #2 Audi R18 ultra – into the 1:26s early on), the diesel powered car having an untroubled early run whilst Marcel Fassler in the #1 e-tron Quattro was seemingly struggling for rhythm.

Jonny Kane held second fastest slot in the early running, the Strakka HPD just over a second shy pof the Audi’s mark

Bertand Baguette seemed to be finding the circuit to his and the OAK Morgan Nissan’s liking – third fastest overall for the P2 car on the first ten minutes.

Kristensen was gradually raising the bar as the session progressed – 1:26.1 within the first 15 minutes as the order sorted itself out behind, the 3rd, 4th and 5th placed cars all petrol powered LMP1s as the 20 minute mark approached – Audi, Strakka, JRM (Dumbreck)  and #13 Rebellion (Belicchi) the order before Nicolas Lapierre got involved and popped into the top 3, just as reports arrived of some light drizzle from Turn 5 onwards.

In LMP2 the early pace was hotting up quickly, John Martin leading Vitoaantonio Liuzzi , this pair ahead of early pace setter Baguette and Stephane Sarrazin – 4 different chassis and three different engines in the top 4!

In GTE – Marc Lieb was the fastest early on in the #77 Porsche ahead of Darren Turner in the Aston and Andrea Bertolini at the head of a 3 car AF Corse train, #71 Pro 458 ahead of #61 Am car (Bernoldi) and #51 Pro (Bruni)  - Bertolini, Bernoldi, Bruni – Look out here for confusion later!

Nic Jonsson was 2nd fastest in GTE-Am for Krohn with Marcus Palttala third for JWA Avila.

Marcel Fassler meanwhile was now up to speed too and he went fastest overall at the 20 minute mark  - 1:25.834 for an Audi 1-2.

With rain continuing to fall the Race Director declared a wet track – the surface glistening with moisture – That didn’t seem to be bothering Dumbreck much though – he put the JRM HPD third fastest as Fassler continued to find the grip too – 1:25.4 for the e-tron, 1:26.4 for the HPD, the track greasy in parts and very, very dusty.

Lapierre announced that the track is now drying out rapidly by topping the time sheets in the Toyota - !:25.341 now the high water mark as Pierre Kaffer shrugs off an earlier spin to go second fastest in LMP2 in the Pecom Oreca he will now share for the remainder of the season with Nic Minassian who replaces an out of favour Soheil Ayari – More on this story on DSC later.  John Martin in the ADR Delta machine thoufgh extended his advantage as the Aussie continues to impress – Stephane Sarrazin though imposed his considerable authority just moments later to lead both Orecas (and everyone else!) with a 1:28.302 

Gimmi Bruni meanwhile grabbed fastest GTE time in the #51 AF Corse 458 with a 1:34.9 as the halfway mark in the session approached.

Andre Lotterer was next to impress – 4 hundredths faster than Lapierre grabs top dog spot for now – 1:25.301, then blitzed around on his very next lap to post a 1:24.954

Nelson Panciatici showed his spurs – grabbing second fastest in LMP2 for the #26 Signatedh Oreca with 40 minutes of the session remaining

McNish popped up in second slot again, a tenth off the Audi hybrid as Danny Watts claimed P1 privateer bragging rights with a 4th fastest run for Strakka (1:26.5 followed by a 1:26.5).  Lotterer though was pushing on – 1:24.6, followed by a 1:24.420 and then a 1:24.370 – These times are though some way behind those we saw from the Peugeots back in 2007 here when Stephane Sarrazin set pole with a 1:18.787 – Lapierre though soon reduced the deficit to the Audis, all three factory cars separated by 7 tenths with 25 minutes left to run in the session.

Harold Primat had a spin at Turn 12 before rejoining in an undamaged #13 Rebellion Lola just as Lapierre splits the Audis again with a 1:25.055.

Consistency rather than outright speed was the order of the day as the session drew to a close.

Lucas di Grassi clearly though differently though – he pops in a 1:24.8 to finish the session second fastest overall in LMP1 with Liuzzi matching his feat in LMP2 but stopping on track out on track (out of fuel we believe) after the checkered flag, the ‘junior’ LMP class having four different chassis and three different engines in the top four!

AF Corse topped the times in both GTE sub classes – Bruni and Bernoldi doing the honours there – Nicely close in all classes on a track which seems to suit these cars – Lots to look forward to for the remainder of the weekend.  

GG