In a thrilling start to the Lone Star Le Mans weekend, Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Matt Campbell set the pace in the opening practice session for the FIA World Endurance Championship at the Circuit of The Americas – WEC COTA.
The Lone Star Le Mans weekend kicked off in spectacular fashion at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, as the session marked the return of the WEC COTA after a hiatus of over four years, and it did not disappoint, showcasing a competitive field and thrilling moments.
The first practice session lasted for 90 minutes but was extended by five minutes due to interruptions caused by a red flag and a full-course yellow. The weather conditions were sunny and warm, typical for Texas in late summer, which posed challenges for tire management and vehicle performance.
The session began with drivers eager to establish their pace on the partially resurfaced 5.5-kilometer track, known for its technical corners and elevation changes.
Matt Campbell, driving the No. 5 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, clocked the fastest lap of the session with a time of 1:53.574, achieved just before the session concluded. The impressive lap placed him 0.460 seconds ahead of the competition, marking a strong start for Porsche in this crucial round of the championship.
Robert Kubica, driving the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P, initially led the session with a time of 1:54.034, showcasing the competitive edge of Ferrari early on. However, his time was eventually eclipsed by Campbell’s late surge and had to settle for second.
Meanwhile, Oliver Rasmussen in the No. 38 Hertz Team JOTA Porsche followed closely, finishing third with a time of 1:54.051, just 0.017 seconds behind Kubica.
The two factory Ferraris, driven by Antonio Fuoco and Antonio Giovinazzi, secured the fourth and fifth positions, with Fuoco recording a time of 1:54.118 and Giovinazzi finishing with a 1:54.186. This performance underscored Ferrari’s strong showing in the Hypercar category.
The midfield battle was equally captivating, with Alex Lynn in the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R claiming sixth place. Kevin Estre, co-leader of the Hypercar championship, finished seventh in the No. 6 Porsche, showcasing the depth of talent across the grid.
Rene Rast in the No. 20 BMW M Hybrid V8, along with the No. 15 BMW driven by Marco Wittmann came in eighth and ninth respectively as the No. 7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid, driven by Nyck de Vries, rounded out the top ten, indicating a tightly packed field.
Lamborghini was the next best manufacturer in 12th following a late improvement from Daniil Kvyat aboard the solo Iron Lynx-run SC63 LMDh.
The two Alpine A424 LMDhs took 13th and 14th in the hands of Mick Schumacher and Charles Milesi and the two Peugeot 9X8 2024 LMHs were 16th and 17th with times set by Stoffel Vandoorne and Mikkel Jensen.
In the LMGT3 class, Alessio Rovera topped the timesheets with a time of 2:06.253 in the No. 55 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3.
The Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3s followed closely, with Dennis Olsen in the No. 88 car finishing second and Ben Barker in the No. 77 car taking third. TF Sport’s pair of Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs completed the top five in class.
The two Manthey-run Porsche 911 GT3 Rs ended the session down in 16th and 18th places following that car’s weight increase under the latest Balance of Performance.
The practice session was not without its interruptions. A red flag was raised early on due to a technical issue that required a procedural check, halting the action on the track.
Later, a full-course yellow was deployed to recover the No. 60 Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3, which had stalled on the track.
These interruptions contributed to the session’s extension, allowing teams to maximize their track time and gather valuable data for the upcoming qualifying sessions.
