Toyota Gazoo Racing’s pair of GR010 HYBRIDs returned to the top of the timing screens in the third session of the Prologue weekend at Sebring.
The No. 7, which went quickest in the first session Saturday, was fastest once again; Mike Conway setting a 1m48.473s, just 0.008s quicker than the sister car of Sebastien Buemi in second. Once again Toyota managed to complete plenty of laps during the three-and-a-half hours of track time. Combined, its GR010 HYBRIDs toured the circuit 164 times.
For the first time this weekend, Porsche managed to claim the fastest non-Toyota time with its No. 5 963. The Penske-run car with Michael Christensen at the wheel took third late in the session with a 1m48.957s, though the time was eclipsed by the best laps of all six of Toyota’s drivers.
Cadillac’s sole car — third in session one, then topping session two Saturday — ended the Sunday morning session fourth, 0.7s off the best Toyota time, piloted by Alex Lynn.
Further back the two Peugeots had a more productive session. The team completed 122 total laps and emerged sixth and seventh behind the second Porsche, the No. 94 a full 0.8s slower than the top time and the No. 93 a fraction over a second off the pace.
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It wasn’t a good session for Ferrari, however. The No. 50 ended up eighth, while the No. 51 didn’t set a single competitive lap after James Calado had an off at Turn 1 on his out-lap, damaging the right-front corner.
Vanwall had a more encouraging session, the Vandervell finishing up the running ninth, quicker than the entire LMP2 field for the first time — Tom Dillmann setting the time but with Esteban Guerrieri in amongst the LMP2s and Jacques Villeneuve once again slower than all of the LMP2 drivers.
The Glickenhaus 007, meanwhile, was struggling for pace and was slower than the top five ORECA 07 LMP2 cars.
Yet again in LMP2, United’s No. 22 ORECA was fastest, Filipe Albuquerque setting the best time (1m50.577s). The top three was completed by the No. 63 Prema Oreca in the hands of Doriane Pin and the No. 48 JOTA of Yifei Ye.
Of the GT cars, in Am it was an all-Porsche top five with the Project 1 AO 911 setting the fastest time. The best lap was a 1m59.170s from Matteo Cairoli, a tenth up on the Iron Lynx and Iron Dames Porsches which have been quick all weekend.
The fastest Ferrari was the Kessel Racing 488 slotting in sixth before an off for Takeshi Kimura caused major damage to the left-front corner of the car. It was fully repaired before the end of the session, though, and the team expects to head out for the final run in the afternoon.
Aston Martin’s slow start to the season continued. Yet again the three Vantages made up the bottom three places in the 14-car class with at least two of the cars having off-track moments in the session. The BoP, at this stage, appears to be slightly off for the TF and Northwest AMR efforts.
The Corvette Racing C8.R ended up 10th.
Track action continues with the final session Sunday afternoon.