Viper and Lister fastest at Hockenheim
It's a major change of pace for drivers in the FIA GT championship as they tackle the twisting 2.6km of Hockenheim after the high speed Sarthe circuit of Le Mans
Winding around Hockenheim's short circuit, the drivers face a gruelling 190 laps in Sunday's 500 km race.
'I feel I'd be better with a Caterham 7 round here!' Justin Bell said.
'The Viper keeps on wanting to go down the straight. It's going to be tough on traffic, tough on the car, tough on us, but really good for the spectators!'
Bell is driving the #1 Oreca Viper with Luca Drudi, while regular competitors, and championship leaders, Beretta and Wendlinger take part in the ALMS round at Mosport.
Today's free practice sessions saw the Lister Storm, driven by Julian Bailey, set the best time in the morning, followed by the Oreca Vipers.
'It's all right so far,' Bailey said.
In the afternoon, Jean-Philippe Belloc set the fastest time of the day, 1:03.103, in the #2 Oreca Viper, ahead of Paul Belmondo Racing's Emmanuel Clerico.
Third place went to Mike Hezemans, driving the second Lister Storm, which won at Brands Hatch last weekend.
'I drove the car for the first time this morning,' Hezemans said, adding, 'It's a very nice car to drive.'
1998 Le Mans winner Stephane Ortelli was fifth in the leading Porsche 911 GT2.
The Roock Racing driver promised an improvement in qualifying - the field is so close together than an improvement of a tenth of a second would move him up to second place.
'Tomorrow, I'll find that tenth,' he vowed.
First free practice session
|
Pos |
Drivers |
Car |
Time |
|
1 |
Bailey/Sugden/C-Walter |
Lister Storm |
1:03.345 |
|
2 |
Belloc/Dupuy |
Chrysler Viper |
1:03.510 |
|
3 |
Bell/Drudi |
Chrysler Viper |
1:03.733 |
|
4 |
Konrad/Wollek |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:03.763 |
|
5 |
Amorim/Seiler |
Chrysler Viper |
1:04.238 |
|
6 |
Kaufmann/Ligonnet |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:04.650 |
|
7 |
Hezemans/Hart |
Lister Storm |
1:04.754 |
|
8 |
Clérico/Rostan |
Chrysler Viper |
1:04.784 |
|
9 |
Vosse/Dufourney |
Chrysler Viper |
1:04.911 |
|
10 |
Arhlé/Haupt |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:04.977 |
|
11 |
Belmondo/Gosselin |
Chrysler Viper |
1:05.361 |
|
12 |
Neugarten/Goueslard |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:05.927 |
|
13 |
Nearn/Palmberger/Smith |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:06.016 |
|
14 |
Euser/Buurman |
Marcos Mantara |
1:06.105 |
|
15 |
Glasel/Vann |
Chrysler Viper |
1:06.248 |
|
16 |
Hürtgen/Ortelli |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:06.870 |
|
17 |
Eschmann/Hulverscheid |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:07.104 |
|
18 |
Jurasz/Hane |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:07.239 |
|
19 |
Ried/Ried/Vuillaume |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:07.408 |
|
20 |
Felbermayr/Felbemayr |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:08.268 |
|
21 |
Schwach/Straaten/Schwach |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:08.628 |
|
22 |
Bucci/Casadei |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:11.461 |
Second Free Practice Session
|
Pos |
Drivers |
Car |
Time |
|
1 |
Belloc/Dupuy |
Chrysler Viper |
1:03.103 |
|
2 |
Clérico/Rostan |
Chrysler Viper |
1:03.501 |
|
3 |
Hezemans/Hart |
Lister Storm |
1:03.512 |
|
4 |
Bell/Drudi |
Chrysler Viper |
1:03.581 |
|
5 |
Konrad/Wollek |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:03.763 |
|
6 |
Hürtgen/Ortelli |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:03.629 |
|
7 |
Amorim/Seiler |
Chrysler Viper |
1:04.238 |
|
8 |
Belmondo/Gosselin |
Chrysler Viper |
1:03.785 |
|
9 |
Vosse/Dufourney |
Chrysler Viper |
1:04.018 |
|
10 |
Bailey/Sugden/C-Walter |
Lister Storm |
1:04.257 |
|
11 |
Arhlé/Haupt |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:04.381 |
|
12 |
Glasel/Vann |
Chrysler Viper |
1:04.479 |
|
13 |
Nearn/Palmberger/Smith |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:05.079 |
|
14 |
Eschmann/Hulverscheid |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:05.828 |
|
15 |
Neugarten/Goueslard |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:05.848 |
|
16 |
Euser/Buurman |
Marcos Mantara |
1:06.031 |
|
17 |
Kaufmann/Ligonnet |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:06.065 |
|
18 |
Jurasz/Hane |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:06.765 |
|
19 |
Felbermayr/Felbemayr |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:07.894 |
|
20 |
Bucci/Casadei |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:08.318 |
|
21 |
Ried/Ried/Vuillaume |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:08.945 |
|
22 |
Schwach/Straaten/Schwach |
Porsche 911 GT2 |
1:09.059 |
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