Fuoco On Top In FP1 At Le Castellet

Cetilar Racing Leads as Asian Le Mans Series Kicks Off

Circuit Paul Ricard, France — The 2026/27 Asian Le Mans Series season opened with a compelling display in the first Free Practice session, where Antonio Fuoco of Cetilar Racing clocked a top time of 1:51.114 in the #47 Ferrari 499P. Fuoco’s performance featured a significant 0.640-second lead over his AF Corse teammate Nicklas Nielsen.

Today’s session marked the inaugural track time for the series, following the cancellation of a Prologue due to inclement weather. A dynamic field of LMP2 and GT machinery quickly filled the track, representing the new Pro/Am Hypercar era initiated by the Ferrari team.

In LMP2, Nicolas Varrone dominated with a time of 1:52.353 in the #83 ORECA 07. However, Jeremy Clarke faced a setback, incurring a five-minute stop-and-go penalty for contact during the session. Notably, August Raber secured second in class on his LMP2 debut with a time just 0.512 seconds slower than Varrone.

In GT3, Tom Fleming claimed the fastest lap in the #58 Garage 59 McLaren GT3 Evo, setting a benchmark of 2:02.512 that remained unchallenged. He was followed by Fabian Schiller in the #9 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG, trailing by 0.725 seconds.

The session demonstrated strong performance continuity, as four cars shared the highest lap count, each completing 40 laps. The next on-track activity will feature Free Practice 2 scheduled for 13:30 CEST, followed by Qualifying at 16:05 CEST for this weekend’s four-hour races.

Key Results

• LMP1:
  • 1. Antonio Fuoco (#47 Cetilar Racing Ferrari) – 1:51.114
  • 2. Nicklas Nielsen (#90 AF Corse Ferrari) – +0.640
• LMP2:
  • 1. Nicolas Varrone (#83 AF Corse ORECA) – 1:52.353
  • 2. August Raber (#30 Duqueine Team ORECA) – +0.512
• GT3:
  • 1. Tom Fleming (#58 Garage 59 McLaren) – 2:02.512
  • 2. Fabian Schiller (#9 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG) – +0.725

This session set the stage for an exhilarating opening weekend, with teams eager to stake their claims in the championship standings.