Hexis Racing Aston Martin quickest in Silverstone free practice sessions

First Practice Session: Hexis Racing Aston Martin quickest

The 2008 FIA GT3 Championship got under way at Silverstone with an hour-long free practice session. The showers which had been forecast stayed away, although grey skies, cold temperatures and strong winds made it difficult to get tyres up to operating temperatures. Most teams spent as much time as possible out on the track, working on set-up and getting drivers back in the groove.

 

The first 15 minutes of the session were spent completing installation laps and bedding in brakes; the first serious flying lap came from the No.9 Hexis Racing Aston Martin DBRS9, with a lap of 1:55.779. It took less than two minutes for that to be beaten when the No.40 Mühlner Motorsport Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S went quicker – but only by 0.055s.

 

Just before the half-way point, the No.36 Prospeed Competition Porsche went quickest, with a lap of 1:55.523. At that stage, the top seven were covered by less than a second – Porsche, Aston Martin, Morgan, Porsche, Ascari, Lamborghini, Ascari, emphasising the strength in depth of the series.

 

A number of drivers had minor spins, but no real damage was done. After a brief red flag to allow a stranded car to be cleared from the circuit, the final 25 minutes saw significant changes. The No.26 Team Berlanga Ascari KZ1R GT3 went quickest, with a lap of 1:55.347 – but then, with just under 15 minutes remaining, the no.10 Hexis Racing Aston Martin DBRS9 put in a stunning lap of 1:54.188, more than a second quicker. In the closing minutes most cars improved, but no one could get close to the Aston Martin’s time. At the end of the session the No.33 APEX Motorsport Jaguar XKR was second quickest, with two Ferrari F430 GT3 cars just hundredths slower – the No.11 JMB Racing car was third, ahead of the No.5 Kessel Racing entry. Fifth went to the No.26 Ascari KZ1R GT3 of Team Berlanga, and the No.36 Prospeed Competition Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S was sixth. Five different makes of car in the first six – and, leaving aside the astonishing time set by the No.10 car, there were eight cars within a second of each other.

 

The No.29 AutoGT Racing car was ninth, quickest Morgan Aero 8; eleventh fastest was the No.14 S-Berg Racing Lamborghini Gallardo GT3, one place ahead of the No.43 La Torre Motorsport Dodge Viper Competition Coupe. The No.22 Matech Mustang Racing Ford Mustang FR5000GT won the battle of the Fords – the No.20 Matech GT Racing Ford GT was seventeenth.

 

Second Practice Session: Hexis Racing stay on top

Unlike the first session, teams got down to setting quick times as soon as the second session got under way. The No.33 APEX Motorsport Jaguar lapped in 1:56.891 after just five minutes, but was quickly deposed by the No.10 Hexis Racing Aston Martin. After nine minutes the No.10 went round quicker still, putting in a lap of 1:53.841.

 

That would prove to be the fastest lap of the day; unlike the morning session, other teams managed to get close to the Aston Martin’s time. When the chequered flag was shown it was the No.6 Trackspeed Porsche which was second, only 0.107s behind; the No.36 Prospeed Competition Porsche was third, a few hundredths slower.

 

The next five places went to five different makes of car. Fourth quickest was the No.26 Team Berlanga Ascari, ahead of the No.29 AutoGT Racing Morgan. The No.43 La Torre Dodge Viper was sixth, with the No.33 APEX Motorsport Jaguar in seventh. Six different makes of car in the top seven, with just over a second covering them – the qualifying sessions should be keenly fought.

 

The session was interrupted by a lengthy red flag; the No.1 Martini Callaway Chevrolet Corvette Z.06R GT3 dropped a large quantity of oil at Maggotts, requiring a lot of work to clean up the track.

2008-04-18
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