Free Practice 1: Audi lead the way
Huan Ying Lai Shanghai! In the local language that’s a warm welcome to Shanghai. For the eighth and final round of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship we are based at the Shanghai International Circuit which has hosted F1’s Chinese Grand Prix each year since the track was built in 2004.
In warm and brightening conditions, the 28 cars entered for the 6 Hours of Shanghai took to the track this morning for the first 90-minute free practice session in preparation for Sunday’s race.
Audi’s Allan McNish showed early on that he meant business by setting the fastest time of the session in the No.2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro. His time of 1:52.219 was 0.146 seconds ahead of Nicolas Lapierre’s best in the No.7 Toyota TS030 Hybrid, the Japanese entrant edging out the No.1 Audi by just 0.006 of a second.
Danny Watts in the No.21 Strakka Racing HPD ARX 03a led the way in the LMP1 Privateer category, putting to good use his experience of the Shanghai International Circuit. His time of 1:53.279 was four tenths of a second ahead of the sister HPD of JRM, while the LMP1 Private Teams title holders Rebellion Racing trailed Strakka by 1.3 seconds in this opening session.
The battle has already started in the closely-fought LMP2 class. The ADR-Delta team, which has added Switzerland’s Mathias Beche to its driver line up for the 6 Hours of Shanghai, topped the time sheets with a best lap of 1:56.227. The British team, which fields the No.25 Oreca 03 Nissan is lying second in the class standings, equal with Pecom Racing’s No.49 Oreca-Nissan which finished third in this session. Between them was the No.31 Lotus Lola Coupé of Mirco Schultis – the team being joined this weekend by Jan Charouz in the No.32 entry as Vitantonio Liuzzi is otherwise engaged on The Superstars Series duty.
In LMGTE Pro the No.77 Team Felbermayr Proton Porsche of Richard Lietz followed on from its impressive performance in Japan, leading the way for the small but very competitive manufacturer-led class. The Austrian driver set a best time of 2:06.834 ahead of Gianmaria Bruni in the No.51 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia by just three hundredths of a second, while the No.97 Aston Martin Vantage was third in class. The second AF Corse Ferrari, No.71, of Andrea Bertolini and Olivier Beretta only got on track for the final quarter of the session after being delayed by a gearbox problem.
Nic Jönsson’s Krohn Racing Ferrari 458 Italia set the benchmark in the LMGTE Am category. His time of 2:08.345 was a full half a second faster than Rui Aguas’s in the No.61 AF Corse-Waltrip Ferrari, the Italian-American entry benefitting from Marco Cioci’s experience this weekend as Michael Waltrip has TV commitments in the USA. Class points leaders, Larbre Compétition, were third fastest (the No.70 Corvette ZR1) in the session.
Drivers and cars will be back on track for a second 90 minute free practice session at 1530 hours (local time).
Fiona Miller
A full results sheet can be found here
Photo: SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT (SHANGHAI, CHINA), 6 HOURS OF SHANGHAI, FRIDAY, 26TH OCTOBER, FREE PRACTICE 1. The No.2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro of Allan McNish set the benchmark.
