The second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship 2023 got underway at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão with the first free practice session which took place on a dry track on a morning characterised by favourable weather conditions and air temperatures above 18 °C.
At the end of the 90-minute session on the Portuguese track, the best of the Prancing Horse Hypercars was the no. 51 with Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi, who qualified third thanks to a time of 1’33”453 (0”661 off the no. 8 Toyota, leader of the session) registered by the Italian three-time world champion driver in the LMGTE Pro class. In total the crew completed 35 laps with Pier Guidi and Calado behind the wheel for 16 and 13 laps respectively, while Giovinazzi drove six laps.
The no. 50 Ferrari 499P crewed by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen was fourth, 0.116 seconds off the pace, stopping the clock with a best lap marker of 1’33”569 with the Danish driver in the cockpit for 17 of the 40 laps completed by the car.
The programme at Portimão will see the second free practice session on Friday afternoon, kicking off at 3.30 p.m. over the same 90-minute distance (local times).