Le Mans Series

1000KM Hungaroring: Oreca quickest, Strakka fast

© Planetlemans – Marcel ten Caat

The second free practice session for the 1000 KM of the Hungaroring saw an unchanged top three with Team Oreca Matmut, Strakka Racing and Rebellion Racing the quickest teams out on the Hungaroring. The fastest time of the afternoon was some two seconds quicker than the times in the first session.

For a long time we had an LMP1 1-2-3 in the free practice session, but when Danny Watts went for it in his Strakka Racing HPD ARX-01c he managed to get himself within a second of the Peugeot. Watts probably could have come eloser, but on a fast lap he was forced to hit the brakes when right in front of him Luca Moro spun.

Behind the first two cars the Rebellion Racing Lola’s were battling for third place. Nicolas Prost and Andrea Belicchi were both pretty fast, albeit over 2.5 seconds behind the Peugeot, but eventually it was the number 12 car again in third place.

Quifel-ASM Team was second fastest in LMP2, fifth overall. Olivier Pla set what would be the best of the LMP2-rest time. Amaral spun his car at Turn 13, but after a brief interruption he rejoined.
OAK Racing took third in class with the number 35 Pescarolo.

In the FLM category it was a Hope PoleVision Racing car at the front for most of the session, until the DAMS FLM09 of Darren Manning went even quicker…just. Manning’s fastest time was only a tenth quicker than Nico Verdonck’s time in the number 48 car.

Giancarlo Fisichella was the fastest driver in the GT2 class – track experience from F1? – and early in the session he set a 1:47.500. The IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche was second quickest, with the JMW Motorsport Aston Martin taking third. Felbermayr-Proton took fourth and fifth.

Larbre Competition was quickest in the second session, their Saleen some six-and-a-half seconds ahead of the Atlas eFX Team FS car, which had some gearbox issues in the first session.