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FIA WEC, 6 Hours of
Fuji - FP1 Report All 27 cars took to the track for the first of the three practice sessions for Sunday’s 6 Hours of Fuji on Friday morning, with the air temperature hovering around 19°C and the track temperature at 22°C – both rising only slowly and almost at the forecast high for the day. ‘27 cars?’ I hear you say. This is the new total following the previously-unnoticed withdrawal of the #61 GTE-Am AF Corse-Waltrip Ferrari 458. The car is in the garage and has been scrutineered, but a (non-serious) personal issue has prevented Robert Kauffman from taking part; the team did, however, confirm that the car will be running at Shanghai. It was a quiet 90 minutes, with very little of note to report. Kazuki Nakajima set the fastest time, with a 1:28.809 in the #7 Toyota TS030, while Benoit Tréluyer set a 1:29.228 in the #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro to got second. Marcel Fässler started the session, with Tréluyer getting in with about 20 minutes to go. Allan McNish had the #2 R18 to himself for the full 90 minutes and set a third-fastest 1:29.457.
The Strakka Racing HPD was fourth fastest on 1:31.038, with the #12 Rebellion Lola fifth (1:31.654) and the JRM HPD sixth (1:31.700). Nelson Panciatici led the way in LMP2 with a 1:33.525 in the #26 Signatech Oreca Nissan, with john Martin second in the #25 ADR-Delta Oreca Nissan on 1:33.655. Olivier Pla was third fastest – 1:34.046 – in the #24 OAK Racing Morgan Nissan.
GTE-Pro was headed by the Lieb/Lietz Felbermayr Porsche (1:41.378) and followed by the two AF Corse Ferraris; the #51 of Bruni/Fisichella ahead of the #71 of Beretta/Bertolini (1:41.708 v 1:42.000). Pedro Lamy (in for Fernando Rees) was quickest in GTE-Am, with a 1:42.175 in the #50 Larbre Corvette C6-ZR1. The Krohn Racing Ferrari was second fastest on 1:42.233 and the #88 Felbermayr Porsche third on 1:43.932.
On-track incidents were few and far between during the session. The #49 Pecom Racing Oreca Nissan had a spin at T15, as did the #22 JRM HPD, while the #29 Gulf Racing Middle East Lola spun at T7; all three cars continuing without further problem.
The only car to suffer obvious problems was the #32 Lotus Lola B12, which completed just two laps. We haven’t yet found out why this was the case. The second session is due to begin at 15:30 local time. MH |
