First sessions on the track for the 296 LMGT3s in Bahrain

For the first time, the Ferrari 296 LMGT3 cars took to the track at Sakhir in Bahrain, venue of the closing round of the 2024 FIA WEC, which will be contested over eight hours on Saturday, 2 November. The two cars fielded by Vista AF Corse completed 141 laps over the course of the two sessions held today.

Free practice 1. At 12.15 p.m. local time, the first session got underway, on a dry track, with air and track temperatures at 31 and 39°C, respectively.

At the close of the 90-minute session, the fastest Ferrari was number 55, entrusted to official driver Alessio Rovera, alongside François Heriau and Simon Mann. With a lap time of 2:02.342, the crew ranked in second place, only 0.263 seconds behind the number 78 Lexus, leader of the session. Two places further down was the number 54 296 LMGT3, shared by official Ferrari driver Davide Rigon with Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castellacci, who stopped the clocks at 2:03.037.

Free practice 2. In the late afternoon, starting at 5.30 p.m., the crews returned to action in similar conditions to those expected in the final hours of the race, after sunset, with the cars lapping beneath the floodlights amid lower air and track temperatures of 27 and 29°C.

The fastest 296 LMGT3 was driven by the trio of Rovera-Heriau-Mann, thanks to a time of 2:02.991 set by the French driver, placing them third in the standings, 0.745 seconds off the number 87 Lexus. Rigon-Flohr-Castellacci finished eighth with a best lap time of 2:03.746 on the 5.412-kilometre Bahrain circuit. 

The programme. On Friday, 1 November, the one-hour free practice 3 (from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.) precedes the qualifying session starting at 4 p.m., with Hyperpole following at 4.20 p.m. The 8 Hours of Bahrain will kick off on Saturday, 2 November at 2 p.m. local time.