Free Practice 1 Highlights from FIA WEC at Fuji Speedway
In the opening free practice session for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 100th race at Fuji Speedway, Peugeot TotalEnergies’ 9X8s displayed formidable pace, securing the top two positions. Loic Duval led the session with a lap time of 1:30.152 in the #94 car, establishing a 0.458-second gap over his teammate Jean-Eric Vergne, who captured second place in the #93 vehicle. The Peugeot duo outpaced the #009 Aston Martin Thor Team Valkyrie, which ended the session in third, just two-hundredths behind the sister car.
Aston Martin showcased competitive speed, with the #007 Valkyrie finishing fourth and the #5 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 rounding out the top five. In contrast, Ferrari’s championship-leading #51 499P had a subdued performance, posting the tenth-fastest time, 1.3 seconds behind Duval.
All but one of the Hypercars clocked in within two seconds of the leading Peugeot, with the Proton Porsche lagging behind at 1:32.464.
In the LMGT3 category, the #78 Lexus from AKKODIS ASP topped the class, with a collective effort from drivers Arnold Robin, Finn Gehrsitz, and Ben Barnicoat, the latter setting a best time of 1:41.257 late in the session. TF Sport’s #81 Corvette was a close second, recording a 1:41.290, while the CoTA-winning #95 McLaren followed in third at 1:41.641.
The next free practice session (FP2) is scheduled for 14:30 local time.
