Ferrari AF Corse set the quickest time over the first two practice sessions after Antonio Giovinazzi lapped the 4.909 kms of Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari at Imola in 1:31.040. Giovinazzi set the time during the second 90-minute session behind the wheel of the #51 Ferrari 499P he shares with Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado.
Setting the same time in the Hypercar class over the two sessions was #15 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 in the hands of Dries Vanthoor. The 26-year-old Belgian pilot also lapped in 1:31.040 in FP2. Just .243 seconds behind was Mick Schumacher in the #36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424.
Quickest of the Cadillac Hertz Team Jota drivers was Sébastien Bourdais in the #38 Cadillac V-Series.R who put in a 1:31.394, followed by the #83 AF Corse Ferrari in the hands of Robert Kubica who lapped in 1:31.559.
2024 Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers champions Toyota Gazoo Racing set the eighth quickest time of the day with Nyck De Vries lapped in 1:31.760 while the quickest time set by the Porsche Penske Motorsport squad was a 1:31.926 in the hands of Julien Andlauer.
In the LMGT3 class, Akkodis ASP Team filled the top two lines of the timing screens with the class honours going to Clemens Schmid in the team’s #87 Lexus RC F LMGT3 who lapped in 1:42.994 in the second session, followed by teammate Finn Gehrsitz in the sister #78 car who put in a 1:43.063
Team WRT were third quickest over the two sessions when Kelvin van der Linde put in a 1:43.186 in the #46 BMW M4 LMGT3 during FP2.
The quickest Ferrari was the #21 Vista SF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3 in which Alessio Rovera put in a 1:43.272 in the car he shares with François Heriau and Simon Mann.
The final 60-minute practice session for the 6 Hours of Imola gets underway at 10.40 CEST (9.40 UK time) on Saturday April 19th before qualifying starts at 14.30 CEST,
The lights go out for round 2 of the FIA World Endurance Championship at 13.00 CEST on Sunday April 20th.
