Kubica tops opening Imola WEC practice

The FIA World Endurance Championship’s Imola weekend got underway with Ferrari topping Free Practice 1. Robert Kubica ran fastest in the No. 83 499P with a last-gasp flyer at the end of the 90-minute session. The Polish driver’s time was a 1m32.065s, which dethroned the No. 50 factory Ferrari that finished with a best lap of 1m32.301s from Antonio Fuoco.

Best of the rest was the No. 12 JOTA Cadillac V-Series.R, which slotted in third with a 1m32.331s from Alex Lynn. That lap prevented a Ferrari 1-2-3, as the No. 51 ended up fourth with a lap over half a second off Kubica’s benchmark.

The session began in tricky, greasy conditions following light rain this morning, with teams initially sampling the wet Michelins. But the times tumbled from low 1m40s as the session went on, when slick tires came into use and the majority of teams in Hypercar approached and surpassed the 40-lap mark.

Further down the order, the No. 38 Cadillac finished up fifth, marginally quicker than the fastest of the two Alpines, the No. 36. The No. 8 Toyota ended up seventh and all but two cars ended up within two seconds. The Proton 963 and No. 007 Aston Martin occupied the bottom of the screens, 2.2 and 2.6 off.

In the LMGT3 class, the No. 31 WRT BMW led the way with a 1m43.330s courtesy of Augusto Farfus. The No. 78 Lexus, carrying on AKKODIS ASP’s fast form from Qatar, ended up second after lapping quickly in wet and dry conditions. Super-sub Esteban Masson set the car’s best time, a 1m43.423s.

Kelvin van der Linde claimed third in the No. 46 BMW, adding to the strong start to the weekend for WRT with a 1m43.453s. The top five was completed by the No. 21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari and No. 87 Lexus, which completed flying laps within half a second.

Down in 17th and 18th TF Sport’s Corvettes were 1.5s and 1.8s off, with the Qatar winning No. 33 — which is carrying the maximum amount of success ballast as a result of its Round 1 performance — the slowest car.

RESULTS