The new LP Racing Maserati GT2 opened its global racing debut weekend at Circuit Paul Ricard by topping the first official Fanatec GT2 European Series Free Practice this morning in France.
Leonardo Gorini and Luca Pirri set the pace in the Maserati GT2’s first ever official track outing despite two red-flag interruptions. The #12 entry topped the timing screens with a best lap time of 2:05.980, 0.159s ahead of the pack.
LP Racing locked out the top three fastest times of the 60-minute session. The sister #88 Audi of Mattia di Giusto and Stéphane Ratel clocked in second fastest ahead of Michael Doppelmayr and Pierre Kaffer in the #18.
The MZR #812 of Martin Koch and Reinhard Kofler finished fourth as the highest-placed KTM of the field. Pro-Am championship leaders heading into this season finale weekend, Anthony Beltoise and Henry Hassid ranked fifth fastest ahead of the Akkodis ASP Mercedes driven by Jean Luc Beaubelique and Ludovic Badey.
PK Carsport’s Peter Guelinckx and Stienes Longin, who sit only two points adrift of the Pro-Am leaders, finished the session in P7. But a three-way fight for the title is now in doubt after the #15 True Racing KTM sustained heavy damage after going off at turn 7, in turn causing the first red flag.
Fresh from their first Fanatec GT2 class win in Spain, Mantas Janavicius and Aurelijus Rusteika topped the Am order with a time of 2:06.990. RTR Projects' Jan Krabec clocked in second fastest, 0.110s ahead of championship rivals Klaus Angerhofer and Sehdi Sarmini. The two crews sit just one point apart in the title fight heading into this final encounter.
Final preparations for the final round of the season continue with Pre-Qualifying at 12:10, ahead of Qualifying at 19:00.