The first free practice session gave a nice taster for what is to come during the opening weekend of the Blancpain GT Series. With 39 cars on track in Misano, it is clear that traffic will play a major role in both qualifying and race.
With the first forty minutes reserved for the Silver and Bronze drivers - Jules Szymkowiak was quickest in the #86 HTP Motorsport Mercedes-AMG - the start of the first free practice session was a rather calm affair. But once the halfway point of the session was reached, things became more hectic.
Enzo Ide was the first to beat Szymkowiak's time, before he was beaten by his Belgian Audi Club Team WRT colleagues Robin Frijns and Laurens Vanthoor. The 2015 team-mates no longer share a car this season, with the reigning Blancpain GT Series champion having Dries Vanthoor as his team-mate and Vanthoor the Elder driving with his Belgian countryman Frederic Vervisch.
It looked like Frijns would hold top spot until the end of the session, but in the dying minutes Enzo Ide in the #33 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT R8 took advantage of a drying track to set the fastest time, in 1'48.406. The trio of Belgian Audi Club Team WRT-drivers was followed by Christopher Haase in the #26 Saintéloc Racing Audi and Szymkowiak in the fastest of the HTP Mercedes-AMG cars.
Quickest in Pro-Am was the #11 Kessel Racing Ferrari, with Silver Cup and Am Cup honours going to the #19 Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini and #963 X-Bionic Racing Team Lamborghini respectively.
The second free practice gets underway at 20.30. New and improved live timing can be seen on the official website www.blancpain-gt-series.com.
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Provisional Timetable
Friday April 8th
Free Practice 1 : 14 :20 – 15 :00 (Silver & Bronze drivers only)
Free Practice 1 : 15 :00 – 15 :40 (all drivers)
Free Practice 2 : 20 :30 – 21 :50
Saturday April 9th
Qualifying : 14 :15 – 15 :10 (Live TV)
Qualifying Race : 20 :50 – 21 :50 (Live TV)
Sunday April 10th
Warm up : 09 :45 – 10 :05
Main Race : 14 :15 – 15 :15 (Live TV)
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