Cadillac continues Qatari form as Lynn leads way on opening day
Having featured firmly toward the sharp end throughout the pre-season ‘Prologue’ group test around Lusail International Circuit, Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA backed that up by posting the fastest time on the opening day of practice for the Qatar 1812km today.
In distinctly cooler conditions than last week, Sébastien Bourdais went second-quickest to Ferrari AF Corse’s James Calado in FP1, before team-mate Alex Lynn returned the Cadillac V-Series.R to the top of the timesheets in FP2 with a lap just over three tenths-of-a second clear of anybody else in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 18-strong Hypercar field.
“I think we’re in a good spot,” reflected last year’s 6 Hours of Fuji pole-sitter. “Both Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA cars are in a good window, so the rest of the event is going to be about executing and delivering on what we know we can do.”
The other scarlet Ferrari – the #50 crewed by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen – wound up second in the hands of the Italian, with Prologue pace-setter Robin Frijns slotting into third for BMW M Team WRT, a whisker ahead of Bourdais in the #38 Cadillac.
Antonio Giovinazzi put the #51 Ferrari 499P Hypercar fifth, followed by Brendon Hartley in the best-placed TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GR010 Hybrid.
Further back, none of the three Porsche 963 Hypercars made the overall top ten, around a track where the German manufacturer dominated with a podium lockout 12 months ago. Aston Martin THOR Team logged another 116 laps as the British marque prepares for the Valkyrie Hypercar’s eagerly-anticipated debut, although the #009 entry lost some time when Alex Riberas ground to a halt midway through FP1.
In the LMGT3 category, Sean Gelael installed United Autosports’ McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo at the summit of the standings, with Akkodis ASP Team’s pair of Lexus RC F LMGT3s in hot pursuit in second and third. Much like during the Prologue, the Vista AF Corse-run Ferrari 296 LMGT3s were also in the mix.
There was an impressive performance, meanwhile, from FIA WEC rookie Eduardo Barrichello in Racing Spirit of Léman’s Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3, as the Brazilian – the son of two-time Formula 1 World Championship runner-up Rubens Barrichello – lapped sixth-quickest in-class.
Next up will be the final free practice session at 12:00 local time (10:00 CET) tomorrow (Thursday, 27 February), followed by qualifying at 17:00 and the all-important Hyperpole shootout.
Fastest Combined Hypercar Times
1. Alex Lynn Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA 1m39.601s
2. Antonio Fuoco Ferrari AF Corse +0.305s
3. Robin Frijns BMW M Team WRT +0.475s
4. Sébastien Bourdais Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA +0.524s
5. Antonio Giovinazzi Ferrari AF Corse +0.713s
6. Brendon Hartley TOYOTA GAZOO Racing +0.904s
7. Mick Schumacher Alpine Endurance Team +1.093s
8. Robert Kubica AF Corse +1.111s
9. Charles Milesi Alpine Endurance Team +1.164s
10. Dries Vanthoor BMW M Team WRT +1.211s
Fastest Combined LMGT3 Times
1. Sean Gelael United Autosports 1m54.557s
2. Ben Barnicoat Akkodis ASP Team +0.136s
3. José María López Akkodis ASP Team +0.185s
4. Alessio Rovera Vista AF Corse +0.767s
5. Davide Rigon Vista AF Corse +0.861s
6. Eduardo Barrichello Racing Spirit of Léman +0.862s
7. Daniel Juncadella TF Sport +0.871s
8. Kelvin van der Linde Team WRT +0.988s
9. Zacharie Robichon Heart of Racing Team +0.993s
10. Charlie Eastwood TF Sport +1.263s
