Louis Deletraz was fastest in the first qualifying session, during which the 17-car LMP2 field fought for a place in tomorrow’s Hyperpole.
Last year’s LMP2 Hyperpole sitter, Deletraz, was the quickest driver for AO by TF’s #199 Oreca 07 LMP2 – also known as ‘Spike the Dragon‘.
He secured the top spot after the second of two red flags prematurely ended the session, caused by #150 AF Corse driver Custodio Toledo.
Halfway through the 30-minute session, Andrew Gilbert triggered the first red flag when he stopped at the top of the Dunlop Chicane in his #60 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG LMGT3.
Drivers were tasked with securing a position within the top 12 to progress into tomorrow’s Hyperpole session, therefore with a chance for pole position.
Deletraz completed a fastest lap time of 3:35.472, only nudging 0.185 seconds on Ben Hanley, driver of the #23 United Autosports Oreca.
Algarve Pro Racing’s (APR) #45 Oreca driver Alex Quinn claimed third place from his 3:35.954 lap time, ahead of the #29 TDS Racing Oreca of Mathias Beche (3:36.163).
Pietro Fittipaldi took fifth for the #22 United Autosports Oreca, having set a 3:36.536, followed by Esteban Masson’s #48 VDS Panis Racing Oreca (3:36.588), and Peugeot test and development driver Theo Pourchaire of the #25 APR was in seventh.
Louis Deletraz at the top, Blomqvist puts CLX in Hyperpole
Nick Yelloly finished in eighth place for the #43 Inter Europol Competition Oreca team, after his 3:36.958 lap time.
Job van Uitert took ninth in the #28 IDEC Sport Oreca (3:27.004) as former Porsche driver Patrick Pillet finished 10th from his 3:37.119 time.
AF Corse’s #183 Oreca driver Matthiau Vaxivierre claimed 11th (3:37.394) as the final place in the top-12 threshold, rounded off with Tom Blomqvist’s 3:37.652 set in the #37 CLX – Pure Racing Oreca.
Bent Viscaal of the #11 Proton Competition Oreca lines up 13th for the race (3:37.767) ahead of the #18 IDEC Sport Oreca of Andre Lotterer.
Reshad De Gerus put the #9 Iron Lynx – Proton Oreca in 15th (3:38.548) as Luca Ghiotto took 16th in the #34 Inter Europol Oreca, concluded by Colin Braun’s #24 Nielsen Racing Oreca.
See the results here. Hyperpole qualifying commences at 20:00 tomorrow.
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