6H of Imola – EL1: AF Corse leads a Ferrari hat-trick at home, Alpine part of the fault

The opening of the Prologue suggested a new season beginning with the dominance of Hypercars. Classic Ferrari for saleIn this instance, the result of FP1 is unequivocal. Phil Hanson topped the timesheets in this first real session of the weekend with a lap of 1:31.739. He edged out the #50 Ferrari of Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen, and Antonio Fuoco by just 23 thousandths of a second. The #51 crew of Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado, and Alessandro Pier Guidi, third in this session, were 0,243 seconds off the pace at this stage. It's worth noting that the #51 crew completed fewer laps than their two rivals: 33 laps compared to 47 for the other two Italian teams.

The first non-Italian crew to distinguish themselves in this first practice session, the No. 12 Cadillac of Will Stevens, Alex Lynn, and Norman Nato, created the first significant gap. 0,444 seconds behind the fastest lap of the leading AF Corse, it seems there is still considerable work to be done for the Prancing Horse competitors. However, confirmation in terms of performance came from nearby, as Peugeot manages to place its two 9X8s in fifth and sixth positions. The Hypercar #94 is ahead of the #93 by only one tenth, although six and seven tenths respectively separate the two French crews from the provisional lead.

Still within the French camp, Alpine did not enjoy the same success as the Peugeot brand. While the #35 crew of Charles Milesi, Ferdinand Habsburg, and António Félix da Costa qualified eighth, the #36 car suffered its first setback. Going off the track at Aqua Minerali in the first hour of the session, the Hypercar touched the wall early in the session while Frédéric Makowiecki was at the wheel, completing only 37 laps in total.

Among the other notable elements of this session, Genesis Magma Racing's first run concluded with the #19 and #17 crews finishing 15th and 17th respectively. Finally, in the LMGT3 class, first place went to the #34 Corvette of Peter Dempsey, Charlie Eastwood, and Turkish driver Salih Yoluç. McLaren Number 10, meanwhile, went off the track during the session, but without any problematic consequences.

Regarding the rest of the day, Free Practice 2 will begin at 15:10 pm (French time), before the qualifying day, this Saturday.

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WEC – 6 Hours of Imola
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