The #22 Audi Sport Team MPC car of Kelvin van der Linde, Garth Tander and Frederic Vervisch proved to be fastest during the opening day of track action at the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.
Belgian Fred Vervisch set the quickest time of the day, a 2:03.136 – the fastest ever lap on a Friday in the Bathurst 12 Hour – in the fourth practice session which was ended early after a red flag. The stoppage, which came with 14-minutes to go, was caused after a crash at The Chase involving the #8 Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes-AMG and the #15 Baigent Motorsport BMW M4 GT4.
Race control opted to not restart the session and called it with just under 10-minutes to go, handing second place to the #43 BMW Team Schnitzer M6 GT3, and third place to the other #74 Audi Sport Team MPC machine.
Earlier the #37 Audi Sport Team WRT car had been fastest of the Intercontinental GT Challenge competitors during the first practice session (which was for Silver and Bronze drivers only). In Free Practice 2 the #22 Audi topped the IGTC timing sheet with a 2’03.836, while that same car set a 2’03.473 in FP3.
The final free practice session proved to be the fastest of the day, with three Audis topping the Intercontinental GT Challenge timing sheets. Behind the #22 and #74 Audi Sport Team MPC cars was the #37 Audi Sport Team WRT machine, with the #991 Craft Bamboo Racing in fourth.
The #55 Mercedes-AMG Strakka Racing GT3 cpmpleted the top-5, with the #47 YNA Autosport machine fastest of the McLarens in sixth.
Practice 5 commences on Saturday at 8:55am local time before Qualifying and the Top 10 Shootout later in the day.
A livestream will be available for all of tomorrow’s sessions on the Intercontinental GT Challenge website and Facebook page, as well as on the GT World YouTube-page.