Kobayashi Sets Fastest Lap in Le Mans Test Day
Kamui Kobayashi clocked the fastest lap time in the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid during the opening three-hour session of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day, a crucial pre-event test ahead of the 92nd running of the iconic endurance race. The FIA WEC 2023 season is heating up, and this test day served as an essential step towards preparing for the main event next weekend.
The 62-car grid took to the Circuit de la Sarthe, enjoying calm and stable weather conditions with temperatures at almost 17 degrees Celsius and 62% humidity. Reserve drivers and debutants in the Hypercar, LMP2, and LMGT3 classes utilized this opportunity to gain valuable track time and complete their mandatory minimum of 10 laps.
While the lap times may not have revealed the pecking order in each class, the Test Day provided a vital opportunity for teams to fine-tune their strategies and settings.
The intensity will pick up again on Wednesday, 12 June, with Free Practice 1 and qualifying practice.
The session was not without its incidents, however. Matt Bell in the #47 LMP2 Pro/Am Cool Racing Oreca 07 encountered difficulties early on, producing smoke and prompting a slow crawl in the final sector. A red flag was then waved after 40 minutes when Renger van der Zande’s #3 Cadillac V-Series.R stopped on his outlap in Sector 3.
Ryan Cullen became the first driver to be penalized for track limits excursions, receiving a 5-minute stop-and-go in the #10 Vector Sport Oreca. A safety car was later deployed as part of a test, followed by a full course yellow when Takeshi Kimura’s #87 Akoddis ASP Lexus RC F LMGT3 stopped in the first sector at the Dunlop Bridge. A second red flag was called two minutes before the session’s end after a stoppage in the middle of the Porsche Curves section, at Turn 25.
By the end of the session, Kobayashi’s 3:28.467 lap time in the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid secured the top spot, trailed by Kevin Estre’s 3:29.205 in the #6 Porsche Penske 963. Robin Frijns’ 3:29.433 time in the #20 BMW WRT M Hybrid V8 rounded out the Hypercar top three.
In the LMP2 category, Job van Uitert’s 3:37.044 lap time in the #28 IDEC Sport Oreca led the way, followed closely by Olly Jarvis’ 3:37.176 in the #22 United Autosports Oreca. Finally, in LMGT3, Kelvin van der Linde’s 4:00.106 lap time in the #78 Akkodis ASP Lexus RC F topped the leaderboard.
View the full provisional classification here. The WEC 2023 season is building momentum, and this Test Day sets the stage for an thrilling 24 Hours of Le Mans event.
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