Image: Toyota
Toyota topped the fourth FIA World Endurance Championship Prologue session 1-2 again, with Brendon Hartley setting the session’s fastest time, a 1:48.218, in #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid, ahead of teammate Mike Conway in the sister #7 Toyota.
Thnis means Toyota topped three of the four Prologue sessions, affirming their status as favourites and the team to beat next weekend in the season opening 1000 Miles of Sebring.
The #2 Cadillac V.Series-R was again the third quickest car, another theme from this weekend’s sessions. Richard Westbrook set the car’s fastest time in the final session, a 1:48.890 — the only team other than Toyota to go into the 1:48s.
Ferrari’s Nicklas Nielsen was fourth quickest in the #50 Ferrari 499P, setting a 1:49.300. Michael Christensen, at the wheel of the #5 Porsche 963, was fifth, nearing half a second off Nielsen, with Christensen’s teammate Kevin Estre not far behind in the sister #6 Porsche.
Gustavo Menezes was seventh for the #94 Peugeot 9X8 squad, with the other 9X8, #93, in eighth. However, seventh overall was the leading LMP2 car, the #41 WRT Oreca 07-Gibson of Robert Kubica, who set a 1:50.827.
Back in Hypercar, the #4 Vanwall Vandervell 680 was ninth, 15th overall, with the #708 Glickenhaus tenth in class, 22nd overall. The #51 Ferrari 499P again not run any laps and sat in the pits with more technical issues.
With Kubica and WRT leading LMP2, Yifei Ye was second in class in the #48 JOTA Oreca 07-Gibson, around four tenths off Kubica. United Autosports’ Phil Hanson was third in the #22 Oreca 07-Gibson; the only time the #22 car has not been top of the timesheets in the Prologue.
Finally, Benjamin Barker was quickest in GTE-Am, in the #86 GR Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19. Second was Lilou Wadoux, behind the wheel of the #83 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo, while third in class was Matteo Cairoli in the #56 Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR-19.
Keyword: Toyota affirms ‘team to beat’ status with 1-2 in fourth WEC Prologue session