Toyota locks out top spots in Silverstone WEC second practice
Toyota blocked out the top two positions in second practice for this weekend's opening round of the 2019/20 World Endurance Championship at Silverstone
Kamui Kobayashi ended up fastest in the #7 Toyota TS050 HYBRID on a 1m36.847s lap set at the start of the 90-minute afternoon session.
Sebastien Buemi was eight tenths behind in the #8 Toyota with a 1m37.673s best.
Gustavo Menezes took third with a 1m37.876s in the #1 Rebellion-Gibson R-13 that topped the times in the morning session with Norman Nato at the wheel.
Kobayashi's time was eight tenths quicker than the best practice time from the Silverstone WEC round in 2018 and only four tenths slower than the fastest qualifying lap.
That reflects the new smoother, gripper Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit surface and comes in spite of a 54kg increase in minimum weight of the TS050s since this time last year.
Both Kobayashi and Buemi are understood to have set their times on simulated qualifying runs.
Loic Duval was fourth fastest in the second Rebellion Racing entry on a 1m38.687s effort.
The #5 works Team LNT Ginetta-AER G60-LT-P1 posted its first representative lap time of the weekend after suffering gear selection issues in the opening session.
Ben Hanley managed a 1m39.600s, which was just under three tenths up on the second car in which Oliver Jarvis posted the time.
Paul di Resta claimed the top spot in LMP2 aboard the United Autosports ORECA-Gibson 07 on a 1m43.059s.
That was just two hundredths quicker than Kenta Yamashita's 1m43.080s in the High Class Racing ORECA, which was on Goodyear tyres rather than the United car's Michelins.
The Danish High Class squad had to sit out the first 30 minutes of the session for violating WEC rules by testing at Silverstone within 10 days of the race.
Giedo van der Garde took third spot in the TDS Racing-run Racing Team Nederlands ORECA.
The two factory AF Corse Ferraris topped the times in GTE Pro until the closing minutes of the session when they were split by the best Porsche.
Alessandro Pier Guidi's 1m55.501s in the #51 Ferrari 488 GTE stood as the fastest of the session, with Richard Lietz's factory 911 RSR less than two tenths behind on 1m55.665s.
Miguel Molina ended up third on a 1m55.907s in the second Ferrari.
The two Aston Martin Vantage GTEs took fifth and sixth positions in class behind the second of the factory Porsches.
Ross Gunn headed the GTE Am times in his works-run Aston.
Practice result
Pos | Class | Driver | Team | Car | Gap | Laps |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | LMP1 | M.Conway, K.Kobayashi, J.M.Lopez | Toyota Gazoo Racing | Toyota | 1m36.847s | 31 |
2 | LMP1 | S.Buemi, K.Nakajima, B.Hartley | Toyota Gazoo Racing | Toyota | 0.826s | 43 |
3 | LMP1 | B.Senna, G.Menezes, N.Nato | Rebellion Racing | Rebellion/Gibson | 1.029s | 38 |
4 | LMP1 | N.Berthon, P.Derani, L.Duval | Rebellion Racing | Rebellion/Gibson | 1.840s | 40 |
5 | LMP1 | C.Robertson, B.Hanley, E.Orudzhev | Team LNT | Ginetta/AER | 2.753s | 17 |
6 | LMP1 | M.Simpson, O.Jarvis, G.Smith | Team LNT | Ginetta/AER | 3.047s | 39 |
7 | LMP2 | P.Hanson, F.Albuquerque, P.Di Resta | United Autosports | ORECA/Gibson | 6.212s | 30 |
8 | LMP2 | M.Patterson, K.Yamashita, A.Fjordbach | High Class Racing | ORECA/Gibson | 6.233s | 30 |
9 | LMP2 | F.van Eerd, G.van der Garde, J.van Uitert | Racing Team Nederland | ORECA/Gibson | 6.387s | 44 |
10 | LMP2 | N.Lapierre, A.Borga, A.Coigny | COOL Racing | ORECA/Gibson | 6.502s | 38 |
11 | LMP2 | T.Laurent, A.Negrao, P.Ragues | Signatech Alpine Elf | Alpine/Gibson | 6.945s | 27 |
12 | LMP2 | R.Gonzalez, A.Davidson, A.F.da Costa | JOTA | ORECA/Gibson | 7.603s | 42 |
13 | LMP2 | H-Pin Tung, G.Aubry, W.Stevens | Jackie Chan DC Racing | ORECA/Gibson | 7.987s | 37 |
14 | LMP2 | R.Lacorte, A.Belicchi, G.Sernagiotto | Cetilar Racing | Dallara/Gibson | 8.031s | 41 |
15 | GTE Pro | J.Calado, A.P.Guidi | AF Corse | Ferrari | 18.654s | 43 |
16 | GTE Pro | G.Bruni, R.Lietz | Porsche GT Team | Porsche | 18.818s | 40 |
17 | GTE Pro | D.Rigon, M.Molina | AF Corse | Ferrari | 19.060s | 36 |
18 | GTE Pro | M.Christensen, K.Estre | Porsche GT Team | Porsche | 19.089s | 43 |
19 | GTE Pro | M.Sorensen, N.Thiim | Aston Martin Racing | Aston Martin | 19.129s | 42 |
20 | GTE Pro | A.Lynn, M.Martin | Aston Martin Racing | Aston Martin | 19.359s | 34 |
21 | GTE Am | P.D.Lana, D.Turner, R.Gunn | Aston Martin Racing | Aston Martin | 19.616s | 41 |
22 | GTE Am | S.Yoluc, C.Eastwood, J.Adam | TF Sport | Aston Martin | 19.712s | 44 |
23 | GTE Am | F.Perrodo, E.Collard, N.Nielsen | AF Corse | Ferrari | 19.744s | 32 |
24 | GTE Am | E.Perfetti, D.Kolkmann, M.Cairoli | Team Project 1 | Porsche | 20.213s | 37 |
25 | GTE Am | M.Ishikawa, O.Beretta, K.Cozzolino | MR Racing | Ferrari | 20.229s | 35 |
26 | GTE Am | B.Grimes, J.Mowlem, C.Hollings | Red River Sport | Ferrari | 20.710s | 37 |
27 | GTE Am | M.Wainwright, A.Watson, B.Barker | Gulf Racing | Porsche | 20.830s | 37 |
28 | GTE Am | B.Keating, F.Fraga, J.Bleekemolen | Team Project 1 | Porsche | 20.882s | 36 |
29 | GTE Am | T.Flohr, F.Castellacci, G.Fisichella | AF Corse | Ferrari | 20.917s | 37 |
30 | GTE Am | T.Preining, G.Giraudi, R.Sanchez | Dempsey-Proton Racing | Porsche | 21.103s | 36 |
31 | GTE Am | C.Ried, M.Campbell, R.Pera | Dempsey-Proton Racing | Porsche | 21.182s | 26 |
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