WEC Lone Star Le Mans: Ferrari Dominates Free Practice 3
Circuit of the Americas, Austin, TX – Ferrari showcased its strength in Free Practice 3 for the WEC Lone Star Le Mans, with its 499P models claiming the top two positions. The yellow #83 AF Corse Ferrari, last year’s winning car, led the session with Robert Kubica clocking a fastest time of 1:51.967.
Following closely was the factory red #50 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by Nicklas Nielsen, who posted a time of 1:52.157. Charles Milesi completed the top three in the #35 Alpine A424 with a time of 1:52.171, just 14 milliseconds behind Nielsen.
The weather conditions were notably cooler compared to previous days, characterized by persistent cloud cover and a brief rain shower, which, however, did not necessitate a switch to wet tires.
Key Results from Free Practice 3:
- #83 Ferrari AF Corse – Robert Kubica: 1:51.967
- #50 Ferrari AF Corse – Nicklas Nielsen: 1:52.157
- #35 Alpine A424 – Charles Milesi: 1:52.171
- #38 Cadillac V-Series.R – Earl Bamber: 1:52.265
- #51 Ferrari AF Corse – Antonio Giovinazzi: 1:52.277
- #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie – Harry Tincknell: 1:52.395
The session saw multiple drivers encountering issues, including Tom Gamble’s spin in the ‘snake’ section of the track, echoed by Toyota’s José Maria López at turn six. Both recovered quickly.
In the GT ranks, the #77 Proton Competition Ford Mustang LMGT3 topped the timesheets, with Ben Barker achieving a weekend-best 2:05.947. Following him were Clemens Schmid in the #87 Lexus RC F LMGT3 (2:06.220) and Maxime Martin in the #61 Mercedes-AMG (2:06.232).
GT Highlights:
- #77 Ford Mustang LMGT3 – Ben Barker: 2:05.947
- #87 Lexus RC F LMGT3 – Clemens Schmid: 2:06.220
- #61 Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 – Maxime Martin: 2:06.232
The session was not without challenges; Simon Mann’s #21 AF Corse Ferrari faced a five-minute stop-and-go penalty due to repeated track limit infractions, particularly at turn six. The #81 TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette also encountered a cooling issue, leading to a Full Course Yellow with just over 20 minutes remaining.
Qualifying for the Lone Star Le Mans is set to commence today at 3:00 PM CT, where teams will vie for optimal grid positions ahead of the race.
