Le Mans 24 Hours: Free Practice Report
Le Mans, France – On a warm afternoon under clear skies, the first official Free Practice session for the 93rd Le Mans 24 Hours kicked off with 62 cars on the track. The session, lasting three hours, highlighted intense competition in all classes.
Local favorite Sebastien Bourdais and the #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R emerged at the top of the timing sheets, setting a best lap of 3:25.148 with 35 minutes remaining. Bourdais’ performance followed a challenging start where co-driver Earl Bamber had a spin at the Ford Chicane, requiring subsequent garage time for repairs.
Reigning overall champion Antonio Fuoco showcased early speed in the #50 Ferrari AF Corse 499P, clocking a 3:25.302 on his first flying lap, placing him second. Kevin Estre in the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 improved mid-session to finish third.
The top ten in the Hypercar class featured a competitive spread, with the Toyota Gazoo Racing #8 GR010 Hybrid in fourth, followed by the #5 Penske Porsche in fifth, the #12 JOTA Cadillac sixth, and the #4 Penske Porsche seventh. Notably, six different manufacturers filled the top ten, all separated by less than a second, ahead of the evening’s qualifying session.
In LMP2, the #16 RLR MSport ORECA 07-Gibson, driven by veteran Patrick Pilet, led the class with a time of 3:36.888. The #43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA and Algarve Pro Racing’s #45 car followed in second and third, respectively.
In the GT classes, the #78 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F LMGT3, driven by Jack Hawksworth, led LMGT3 with a lap of 3:57.248. The Lexus was trailed by the #54 Ferrari 296 and the #10 Aston Martin Vantage.
The session featured incidents, notably spins by Ryan Hardwick in the #92 Manthey Porsche and Custodio Toledo in the #150 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari, the latter resulting in a Slow Zone due to gravel recovery.
Notable incidents included a significant crash involving Stephen Grove in the #63 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG, which brought out a red flag after the car sustained heavy damage. Grove, however, was unharmed and cleared by medical staff.
As the teams prepare for the upcoming qualifying session, the top 15 Hypercars, and the top 12 in LMP2 and LMGT3, will advance to the Hyperpole tomorrow.
This season’s Le Mans continues to deliver the fierce competition expected from the world’s most prestigious endurance race.
