Scene set for thrilling Super Season
Prologue comes to a close after 30 hours of testing, almost 10,000 laps and over 53,000 kilometres completed between the 35 cars.
24 hours down, still 6 hours left
— WEC (@FIAWEC) April 7, 2018
650 laps completed by this beauty at #Prologue2018 30 hours session. @Toyota_Hybrid #PushTheLimitsForBetter pic.twitter.com/owO62qswZx
The first public running of the new 2018/19 FIA WEC Super Season came to a close at Circuit Paul Ricard this afternoon after 9,836 laps were completed.
The 30-hour Prologue test was conducted in perfect conditions for the teams as they make final preparations before the first round at Spa-Francorchamps on May 5, the Total 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps.
The pair of Toyota GAZOO Racing TS050 HYBRID entries headed the way as they conducted the most laps by a team, registering a remarkable 1,002 tours of the French circuit.
The team tested many aspects of its upgraded design and, although Mike Conway set an overall best of 1m32.662 in the No.8 car, it was largely unrepresentative due to Toyota running unrestricted when the time was set.
Behind the Japanese team there was a large amount of interest in the variety of all-new non-hybrid LMP1 cars.
The SMP Racing BR1 design continued its impressive introduction to LMP1 competition as Vitaly Petrov took third position. There were equally promising showings from the new Rebellion R13 as André Lotterer set the fourth quickest time in the car's first significant test.
The ByKolles and CEFC TRSM Racing teams both ran important test programmes during the track time available with the new Ginetta running a combined 259 laps.
Dragonspeed placed eighth in the LMP1 order in its debut showing, with the American team accruing valuable data and knowledge as it gets set for the Super Season.
The 2018 LMP2 field was headed by former Williams and Lotus F1 driver Pastor Maldonado. The Venezuelan made his endurance racing debut at the test after two years away from motorsport.
Maldonado set a best lap of 1m40.771s on Friday evening in the DragonSpeed Oreca-Gibson he will share with Roberto Gonzalez and Nathanael Berthon at Spa and Le Mans.
Signatech Alpine Matmut placed second as they chase a second title to add to their 2016 LMP2 championship success. Jackie Chan DC Racing ended the test third and fourth as they introduced new drivers to the WEC in both of their entries for 2018.
The LMP Headlines from the 2018 Prologue…
• Toyota ends 2018 Prologue top of times but new LMP1 entries impress with reliability and pace as teams prepare for Total 6 Hours of Spa- Francorchamps next month.
• Mike Conway sets fastest lap of 1m32.662s in No.8 Toyota TS050 HYBRID as team runs a combined 1002 laps of Paul Ricard.
• SMP Racing lead chase of Toyota in first non-hybrid LMP1 entry.
• No.11 BR1-AER LMP1 sets a time of 1m37.034s as Vitaly Petrov sets time in evening running for Russian squad
• Rebellion Racing debuts new R13 model and places fourth as André Lotterer laps just 0.010s off Petrov’s best
• Second SMP Racing entry places fifth ahead of ByKolles challenger
• Ginetta G60-LT-P1 Mechachrome ends seventh as CEFC TRSM Racing new signings Alex Brundle and Oliver Rowland get to grips with all-new British LMP1 design.
• Dragonspeed BR1and the second CEFC TRSM Racing Ginetta complete LMP1 order as new entries shakedown for first time.
LMP2 class witnesses WEC debutant Pastor Maldonado set best time on his endurance racing debut.
• Maldonado sets 1m40.771s best in Dragonspeed Oreca-Gibson
• Signatech Alpine Matmut places second as they chase a second LMP2 title in 2018
• Fans enjoy open house at Circuit Paul Ricard with post-test pit walk.
Times from the test session can be found HERE
