Full Speed Ahead in the First ELMS Practice Session at Silverstone

The new look LMP2 class set the pace on the 5.9km Silverstone circuit with the best time of the day, a 1m44.699 by Ryo Hirakawa in the no22 G-Driver Racing Oreca 07-Gibson which was 5.7 seconds faster than the official ELMS lap record – a 1m50.405 lap set two years ago by 2016 ELMS Drivers’ Champion Harry Tincknell.  Hirakawa’s time was 0.98 seconds quicker than his nearest rival, the no21 Dragonspeed Oreca 07 of Ben Hanley.

It was a similar story in LMP3 and LMGTE.  At the end of the session the best LMP3 lap of 1m54.221 by Sean Rayhall in the Nissan powered no2 United Autosports Ligier JS P3.  The American was faster than the current lap record, held by Alex Brundle, by 1.6 seconds.   The no15 RLR MSport Ligier of Alex Kapadia was second quickest with the no11 Eurointernational Ligier in third.

In LMGTE the fastest driver was Nicki Thiim in the no90 TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage with a 1m58.771 lap. It was an Aston Martin 1-2 with the no99 Beechdean AMR of Darren Turner going second quickest, 0.8 seconds behind the flying Dane.

The second 90-minute Free Practice session for the 4 Hours of Silverstone will take place tomorrow morning at 09h00 and will be followed by qualifying at 14h05 later in the day.

CLICK HERE for the result from Free Practice 1