Graff / Gommendy Tops Timing Screens After First Practice At Circuit Paul Ricard (09.04.18)

Photo: @ParenRaval

Conditions at the Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet, slowly improved throughout the morning session and lap-times fell as drivers became more confident in the tricky conditions. With a resurfaced track and the removal of a chicane, times were always going to be quicker than 2017 where the #21 DragonSpeed ORECA 07 driven by Hedman Lapierre and Hanley was on pole with a 1:52.761

Tristan Gommendy, driving the #39 Graff ORECA 07 he shares wit Alexandra Cougnaud and Jonathan Hirschi, set the fastest time of the four-hour first practice session with a 1:44.012 driven in the dying seconds of a session that saw lap-times tumbling in the final five minutes. Second quickest was the LMP2 category was the #35 SMP Racing Dallara P217 driven by Victor Shaitar.

Third quickest in the LMP2 category was the #32 United Autosports Ligier JSP217 driven by Hugo de Sadeleer, in the car he shaes with Willam Owen and Wayne Boyd

In the LMP3 class it was the #2 United Autosports Ligier JS P3 which lapped quickest in the hands of Sean Rayhall, defending LMP3 champion, in the car he shares with John Falb. Rahall set a 1:53.081. Second quickest with a 1:53.269 was the #17 Ultimate Ligier driven by Matthieu Lahaye. Completing the top three times in theLMP3 class was the #19 M.Racing-YMR Norma M30 n which David Droux set a 1:53.584.

Proton Competition set the fastest time of the session in the LMGTE class with a 1:56.548 in the #88 Porsche 911 RSR drven by Gianluca Roda, Giorgio Roda and Matteo Cairoli. Aaron Scott in the #55 Spirit of Race Ferrari F488 GTE was second quickest with a 1:56.766 in the car he shares with Matthew Griffin and Duncan Cameron.

Third quickest in the LMGTE class was the #66 Ferrari of defending champions JMW Motorsport driven by Liam Griffin, Alex Macdowall and Miguel Molina.

The track reopens at 14:00 local for a four-hour session prior to a one-hour break after which there will be a two-hour night session. No further rain is forecast for Monday.