ILMC

1000 KM Zhuhai: Peugeot quickest on Friday

© John Dagys/SPEED.com

After being quickest in testing on Thursday Team Peugeot Total continued to post quick lap times in the two free practice sessions at the Zhuhai International Circuit on Friday. In both sessions a Peugeot 908 HDi FAP topped the time sheets after one hour.

The morning session today started at 10:30 AM local time and the 19 cars that went out on track did so on a damp circuit. Unfortunately for them the weather did not improve, but deteriorated and ended wet. The #1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP was quickest, over six tenths of a second clear of the first of the two Audi R15 TDI’s and another six tenths over the second Audi.

Immediately behind the four diesels it was the Team Felbermayr Proton Porsche 997 GT3 RSR of Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz. The German-Austrian pair managed to beat the AF Corse Ferrari by .032 seconds, with the Larbre Competition Saleen just .077s seconds further behind. KK Performance was the best Audi R8 LMS in the GTC category.

Tokai University’s Courage-Oreca LC70 YGK did not go out after a heavy shunt on Thursday but the car should be back out on Saturday, while JaguarRSR decided not to go out on track to avoid any risk of being caught out in the wet conditions.

1. # 1 Team Peugeot Total – Peugeot 908 HDi FAP – 1:28.751
2. # 7 Audi Sport Team Joest – Audi R15 TDI – 1:29.389
3. # 8 Audi Sport Team Joest – Audi R15 TDI – 1:30.041
4. # 2 Team Peugeot Total – Peugeot 908 HDi FAP – 1:31.093
5. #77 Team Felbermayr Proton – Porsche 997 GT3 RSR – 1:43.313
6. #90 CRS Racing – Ferrari F430 GT2 – 1:43.345
7. #50 Larbre Competition – Saleen S7R – 1:43.422
8. #95 AF Corse – Ferrari F430 GT2 – 1:43.621
9. #92 Porsche AG – Porsche 997 GT3 R Hybrid – 1:44.211
10. #88 Team Felbermayr Proton – Porsche 997 GT3 RSR – 1:45.090
11. #35 OAK Racing – Pescarolo 01 Judd – 1:45.266
12. #47 Hope PoleVision Racing – FLM Oreca 09 – 1:45.383
13. #78 BMW Team Schnitzer – BMW M3 E92 – 1:45.455
14. #75 ProSpeed Competition – Porsche 997 GT3 RSR – 1:45.542
15. #98 KK Performance – Audi R8 LMS – 1:47.753
16. #96 United Autosports – Audi R8 LMS – 1:47.863
17. #97 United Autosports – Audi R8 LMS – 1:48.046
18. #91 Team Hong Kong Racing – Aston Martin DBRS9 – 1:50.774
19. #99 Gulf Team First – Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 – 1:52.033

In the second session the weather was even worse and times at the front were almost four seconds slower than they had been in the first session. Once more it was the #1 Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908 HDi FAP on top, this time just .041 seconds ahead of the #7 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R15 and .092 seconds clear of the #2 Peugeot.
Drayson Racing did take part in this session and posted a fifth fastest time, 1.6 seconds behind the Peugeot.

JLOC’s Lamborghini Murcielago posted the quickest GT time in the wet (a 1:42.510), but in the main GT category, GT2, it was AF Corse taking the top spot. The Ferrari F430 GT2 #95 posted a 1:44.428, a full second quicker than the ProSpeed Competition Porsche and almost two seconds clear of the CRS Racing Ferrari.

1. # 1 Team Peugeot Total – Peugeot 908 HDi FAP – 1:32.630
2. # 7 Audi Sport Team Joest – Audi R15 TDI – 1:32.671
3. # 2 Team Peugeot Total – Peugeot 908 HDi FAP – 1:32.722
4. # 8 Audi Sport Team Joest – Audi R15 TDI – 1:33.564
5. #11 Drayson Racing – Lola B09/60 Judd – 1:34.272
6. #69 JLOC – Lamborghini Murcielago – 1:42.510
7. #95 AF Corse – Ferrari F430 GT2 – 1:44.428
8. #92 Porsche AG – Porsche 997 GT3 R Hybrid – 1:45.647
9. #75 ProSpeed Competition – Porsche 997 GT3 RSR – 1:45.677
10. #90 CRS Racing – Ferrari F430 GT2 – 1:46.238
11. #77 Team Felbermayr Proton – Porsche 997 GT3 RSR – 1:46.261
12. #88 Team Felbermayr Proton – Porsche 997 GT3 RSR – 1:46.446
13. #50 Larbre Competition – Saleen S7R – 1:47.764
14. #96 United Autosports – Audi R8 LMS – 1:48.652
15. #35 OAK Racing – Pescarolo 01 Judd – 1:49.705
16. #78 BMW Team Schnitzer – BMW M3 E92 – 1:50.327
17. #47 Hope PoleVision Racing – FLM Oreca 09 – 1:50.645
18. #91 Team Hong Kong Racing – Aston Martin DBRS9 – 1:50.770
19. #98 KK Performance – Audi R8 LMS – 1:52.360
20. #97 United Autosports – Audi R8 LMS – 1:52.364
21. #99 Gulf Team First – Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 – 1:54.233

After a third and final free practice session the teams will take part in qualifying tomorrow. Two 20-minute sessions, one for the GT cars and one for the LMP cars, will decide the pole positions for the first 1000 KM of Zhuhai.

Images courtesy of John Dagys/SPEED.com can now be found in the Planetlemans gallery.