FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Sao Paulo - Friday Morning Free Practice

The final 60 minute free practice session here at Interlagos started at 09:45 in cool and (again) overcast conditions.

The Toyota was undergoing some sort of work in the garage so it was Audi unchallenged in the timing stakes at the start of the session – 1:22.7 from Fassler the earliest marker towards a predicted pole time here c.1:21.7

Jan Charouz was the early P2 pacesetter – 1:28.3 with Mucke and Rees the GTE classes most effective early risers.

There was an early but harmless spin for Enzo Pottolicchio in the Starworks HPD as the Toyota joined in the fun after 10 minutes, Lapierre immediately up to speed, third fastest on his first flier ahead of Kane and Dumbreck in the Strakka and JRM HPDs.

Elton Julian was next to top the times in LMP2 in the Greaves Zytek Nissan, but his 1:28.3 was almost immediately bettered by Kaffer in the Pecom Oreca – 1:27.5 and then Panciatici in the #26 Signatech Oreca Nissan – 1:27.0

In the GT cars Mucke’s early 1:34.1 was sitting pretty but Paulo Ruberti in the #88 Am Felbermayr Proton Porsche was 3rd fastest GT car overall after 17 minutes with a 1:35.0

Mailleux (#23 Oreca) and Sarrazin (#44 HPD) were the next LMP2 men into the 1:27s as Bertolini grabbed third, then second fastest time in GTE Pro aboard the #71 AF Corse 458 after 20 minutes of the session.

Second fastest became third fastest though as Marc Lieb once again topped the times soon afterwards in the #77 Porsche, first GTE car into the 1:33s (1:33.774).

Fernando Rees was soon though back at the top of GTE Am (1:34.7 and then 1:34.4) in the #50 Corvette with Sarrazin moving up the order in LMP2 in the Starworks HPD, the ex {Peugeot factory man second fastest by the halfway mark in the session  (1:27.1)

The Toyota meanwhile had spent a fair amount of the first half of the session in the garage, after joining in after 10 minutes it spent a further 10 pitbound – We’ll follow up on that later.

Into the last 15 minutes and both rebellions had got between the two HPDs – Watts, Jani, Belicchi, Dumbreck the order before the Scot popped up with a 1:24.1 with 12 minutes of the session remaining – 4th fastest overall for JRM with Jani improving too to put the #12 Rebellion 5th fastest.

Into the last 10 minutes and there was a spin, right in front of Lucas di Grassi for Roberto Gonzales in the Greaves Zytek Nissan , the Brazilian having just joined in the morning’s action, both cars though emerged unscathed.

Fisichella popped up above the #71 car, third fastest in GTE Pro for the sister #51 AF Corse 458.

Mucke then improved his time (twice) but not his second fastest in GTE slot with a pair of laps in the 1:33s and Lucas di Grassis too improved the best time of the #1 Audi but his 1:22.953 was still second fastest overall.

Into the last couple of minutes and John Martin was moving up the timing sheets in the ADR Delta Oreca Nissan, third fastest for the impressive Aussie with Liuzzi raising spirits at Judd and Lotus, fourth fastest, a tenth shy of Martin, in the #32 Lotus LMP2 Lola.

As the session concluded Andre Lotterer reported contact with one of the Morgan Nissans, no damage though for the Audi – We’ll find out which Morgan and whether there’s a job to do there post session.

The Audis then finished less than two tenths apart with the Toyota a half second back – The petrol privateer quartet were separated by 6 tenths.

LMP2 saw the top four again feature three different chassis and all three engines too!  8 tenths the difference between the top 4.

Seven tenths spread the GTE Pro field at the checkered flag – and the Corvette/ Ferrari/ Porsche battle at the head of the GTE AM class looks close too – Game on!