Balance and wind at the first free practices in Portimão

Third and fourth fastest time for the two AF Corse-run 488 GTEs in the LMGTE Pro class at the end of the first free practice session held in Portimão. With sunny weather and plenty of wind on the track, the drivers gradually familiarized themselves with the Portuguese track at the race’s maiden date in the FIA WEC calendar. The drivers' work was particularly focused on the balance of the cars, a tough task given the constant wind blowing across the whole Portuguese track.

LMGTE Pro. The #52 488 GTE driven by Miguel Molina and Daniel Serra completed a total of 41 laps, setting a best time of 1’40”682, earning third place at the end of the session. Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado completed 41 laps, with a best marker of 1’40”738 to claim the fourth best time. The session’s top time was snatched by the Porsche of Estre-Jani-Christensen.

LMGTE Am. Very tight times and close performances, meanwhile, in the Am class, with all thirteen cars packed into seven tenths-of-a-second. The best of the Ferraris proved to be Iron Lynx’s #60 entry, driven by Schiavoni-Cressoni-Piccini, posting the second quickest time. Fifth position went to the #54 of AF Corse, followed in seventh place by the #83 sister car which pipped the Iron Lynx 488 GTE featuring the pink crew of Frey-Gatting-Gostner by just 40 milliseconds. Eleventh and twelfth fastest times on the stopwatch, elsewhere for Cetilar Racing and Kessel Racing.