Circuit of the Americas: Free Practice 1 Summary

Technical Disruptions and Competitive Times

Free Practice 1 at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) faced significant interruptions due to a combination of technical issues. The 90-minute session was halted for over 50 minutes shortly after it began, when the #15 Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 experienced a failure of its MGU, forcing it to stop between turns 13 and 14. Following that, a software glitch caused teams to receive faulty telemetry data, prompting Race Director Eduardo Freitas to restart the session at 12:31 PM CT.

Upon resumption, the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R, driven by Will Stevens, clocked the fastest time of the session with a 1:53.584. The Aston Martin Valkyries performed impressively; Harry Tincknell in the #007 secured second place with a time of 1:53.713, while Alex Riberas in the #009 took fourth at 1:53.789. Robert Kubica rounded out the top three, driving the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P to a time of 1:53.728.

The session’s third red flag was issued less than 20 minutes before the end, due to Alex Lynn’s spin in the #12 Cadillac at turn seven, leaving the car stranded in the gravel. Antonio Giovinazzi in the #51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P completed the top five, ahead of Nicklas Nielsen’s #50 Ferrari in sixth. Following them was the #20 WRT BMW in seventh, with the #15 returning to run additional laps after repairs.

The top ten in the Hypercar category was rounded off by the #93 Peugeot 9X8, the #36 Alpine A424, and the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid.

LMGT3 Class Highlights

In the LMGT3 category, TF Sport’s Chevrolet Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R pair displayed dominance, finishing first and second. Daniel Juncadella recorded a time of 2:07.037 in the #33 Corvette, while teammate Charlie Eastwood’s #81 followed closely with a time of 2:07.094; both laps were pivotal in securing front-row positions. The session concluded early following Rui Andrade’s incident in the #81, which led to a fourth red flag.

Marino Sato in the #95 United Autosports McLaren LMGT3 Evo achieved the third-fastest time at 2:07.295. The top five were completed by Michelle Gatting in the #85 Iron Dames Porsche 911 LMGT3 R and Davide Rigon in the #54 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3.

Notably, Racing Spirit of Léman faced a setback when Derek DeBoer crashed the #10 Aston Martin Vantage LMGT3 during an outlap; DeBoer exited uninjured.

Next Session

Free Practice 2 is scheduled to commence at 4:30 PM CT today, further shaping up the grid ahead of the race.

Key Times Overview:

• Hypercars:

  • 1. 12 Cadillac – 1:53.584 (Stevens)

  • 2. 007 Aston Martin – 1:53.713 (Tincknell)

  • 3. 83 Ferrari – 1:53.728 (Kubica)

• LMGT3:

  • 1. 33 Corvette – 2:07.037 (Juncadella)

  • 2. 81 Corvette – 2:07.094 (Eastwood)

  • 3. 95 McLaren – 2:07.295 (Sato)

Conclusion

Free Practice 1 set an engaging tone for the race weekend, although technical challenges posed a unique test for teams and drivers alike. The results indicate a competitive atmosphere as teams prepare for the upcoming sessions.