FIA GT2 European Cup

Total 24 Hours of Spa: Free Practice Report

© Planetlemans – Marcel ten Caat

The Total 24 Hours of Spa 2010 week started with the free practice session at 9 o’clock this morning. As forecasted the rain was pouring down when the cars were first released out on the Belgian circuit cuasing a very wet circuit. Even though the rain stopped just past the halfway point the track would remain wet for the remainder of the session. At the end of the two sessions it was AF Corse on top.

In the wet it wasn’t a GT2 car or a BMW M3 that topped the time sheets. In fact there wasn’t a GT2 car in the top three at all. Phoenix Racing took the first two places with the nr 50 Audi R8 LMS of Kumpen-Fässler-Luhr-Rockenfeller, setting a time of 2:42.506, and the nr 51 Audi R8 LMS of Margaritis-Hennerici-Piccini-Moser, half a second behind. Third quickest was the Marc VDS Racing Ford GT nr 99 of Leinders-Martin-Duez, another six tenths of a second further behind.

IMSA Performance Matmut had the fastest GT2 car in the first session. Their Porsche 997 GT3 RSR nr 16 set a fastest lap time of 2:44.048, good enough for fourth overall. Gravity International was quickest in GTN, the BMW Motorsport cars down the order in this session. RJNMotorsport’s Nissan 370Z was quickest in the GT4 category.

38 cars took part in the first session, which was interrupted by a red flag session for about 10 minutes. The nr 13 ProSpeed Competition Porsche 997 GT3 RSR, driven by Marc Lieb, went off at turn 9 and hit the tyre wall. Another victim was the nr 84 Reiter Lamborghini Gallardo. After the session had ended it came back to the paddock on the back of a flatbed transporter, with damage to the rear.

© Planetlemans – Marcel ten Caat

At two o’clock in the afternoon it was time for the second practice session, which started on a dry track. Sun and clouds traded places for a while before a large black cloud covered the track. As expected the skies opened again and several cars returned to the pit or continued on a slow pace. The cars returned to the track when the conditions improved slightly.

In the end it was the AF Corse ALD Team Vitaphone Ferrari F430 GT2 nr 2 of Bruni-Vilander-van de Poele-Longin that set the fastest time in 2:24.256. Just .083 seconds behind was the BMW Motorsport nr 79 of Werner-Müller-Adorf, while the #16 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche of Narac-Long-Pilet-Lietz was third quickest at .506 seconds from the leading Ferrari.

After setting the second quickest time in the morning session the nr 51 Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS was fourth fastest in the afternoon, topping the GT3 class. WRT’s Audi R8 LMS were second and third fastest in the GT3 class (and seventh and eighth overall).

The first of the three qualifying sessions will start at half past seven in the evening. After this hour of qualifying there will be two other night sessions starting at 9.45 pm and 10.45 pm.