Paul Ricard Qualifying Race-winner Luigi Lucchini (#7 BMS Scuderia Italia SRL Ferrari 458 GT3) topped the first free practice session in round three of the Blancpain GT Sports Club at Misano, with his time of 1:37.020 just 0.078 seconds quicker than fellow Italian Mario Cordoni (#70 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3). In the Iron Cup, Klaus Dieter Frers (#3 Artega Rennsport Ferrari 488 GT3) was fastest ahead of Stephen Earle (#111 Kessel Racing Ferrari 488 GT3).
Mario Cordoni led much of the early session, but Luigi Lucchini showed strong pace in the final 10 minutes to move into first-place, initially by six-tenths, before both drivers improved again in the final minutes to end the session more than a second ahead of the rest of the field.
HP Racing International’s Coach McKansy (#17 Lamborghini Huracan GT3) moved into third late on, with championship leader Karim Ojjeh (#2 Boutsen Ginion BMW M6 GT3) slotting into fourth ahead of team-mate Claude-Yves Gosselin (#4 Lamborghini Gallardo Extenso R-EX).
Having occupied third before a flurry of faster laps in the final moments of free practice, Patrick Van Glabeke (#488 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3) ended the session in sixth-place, albeit only 0.05 seconds down on Karim Ojjeh in fourth.
Iron Cup championship leader Klaus Dieter Frers was quiet in the first half of the session, but a number of quick laps put him in contention for the overall top-five, ultimately ending up fastest in class and seventh overall. Stephen Earle was unable to improve in the latter stages of free practice, but was still able to hold onto second in class.
Louis-Philippe Soenen (#50 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3) was third in the Iron Cup, with GDL Racing’s Roberto Rayneri (#60 Mercedes SLS AMG GT3) fourth ahead of Bernd Kleinbach (#100 Attempto Racing Porsche 991 GT3 R).
Next up is second free practice, before the drivers prepare for the all-important 20-minute qualifying run. Follow all of the action on the Blancpain GT Sports Club website, as well as the live Qualifying Race this afternoon via Facebook and our YouTube channel.