Antonio Fuoco set the benchmark during the 90-minute second practice session for the Six Hours of Imola, lapping the iconic Italian circuit in a time of 1:30.957 in the #50 Ferrari 499P to better the rest of the FIA World Endurance Championship field.
Frenchman Kevin Estre set the second-best time (1:31.299) at the wheel of the #6 Porsche Penske 963, 0.342 adrift of Fuoco’s best effort, with Ferrari’s Robert Swartzman making it an Italian one-three courtesy of a 1:31.331 time posted in the closing minutes aboard the ‘privateer’ #83 AF Corse 499P, showing the yellow beast from Maranello has consistent pace after Yifei Ye topped FP1.
Brendon Hartley was fourth aboard the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid thanks to a 1:31.729 laptime, 0.772 back from Fuoco.
The #12 Hertz Team Jota Porsche was fifth fastest in the hands of Callum Ilott, who continues to acquit himself well to FIA WEC following his podium in the Qatar season-opener.
The British driver posted a 1:32.300 at the wheel of the gold Porsche.
Peugeot’s time getting acquainted with the all-new 9X8 continued with Stoffel Vandoorne putting the #94 car in sixth with a 1:32.496 effort, just over one and a half seconds back from the ultimate pace.
Alpine, points scorers upon the A424’s debut in Qatar, got one of the new prototypes into the top-10 with Hypercar rookie Mick Schumacher lapping the Imola circuit in a time of 1:32.500 aboard the #36 entry to go seventh.
The #93 Peugeot of Jean-Eric Vergne (1:32.568), the #51 Ferrari of James Calado (1:32.627) and #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 of Rene Rast (1:32.655) rounded out the top-10.
1.698 seconds covered the top-10 in Hypercar with the #11 Isotta Fraschini Tipo6-C bringing up the rear of the premier class, 3.119 seconds adrift.
In LMGT3 it was a TF Sport Corvette one-two until the final moments of the session with Alessio Rovera splitting the two Corvettes.,
Charlie Eastwood was fastest thanks to a 1:41.986 laptime aboard the #81 Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R and Rovera’s 1:42.173 time in the #55 AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3 was good for second in class.
Eastwood’s TF Sport team-mate Daniel Juncadella was third fastest in the #82 Corvette with a time of 1:42.252.
Alex Riberas in the #27 Hear of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 (1:42.530) and Davide Rigon in the #54 AF Corse 296 (1:42.672) rounded out the top five in LMGT3.
Practice continues at Imola with the third and final session at 11:10 local time (GMT+2) on Saturday, before Hyperpole commences at 14:45 local time.
