Alex Demirdjian went fastest in the first Blancpain GT Sports practice held at Circuit Paul Ricard, lapping around the French Grand Prix venue on a 2:10.041 flyer aboard the #22 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3. Iron Cup points leader Stephen Earle kicked off his weekend in the best possible fashion, posting the category’s FP1 benchmark with his #111 Kessel Racing-entered Ferrari 458 Italia GT3.
Blancpain GT Sports Club riders and runners were greeted with hot temperatures and blue skies at the 5.842km circuit. Overall points leader Anthony Pons set the early pace with the #72 AKKA ASP Mercedes-AMG until Demirdjian knocked the Frenchman off his perch halfway through the 30-minute session.
The Lebanese driver, who won the 3 Hours of Monza in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Am category earlier this year, eventually edged Pons by a mere 0.206s. Third fastest was BMS Scuderia Italia’s Luigi Lucchini and the #7 Ferrari 458 Italia GT3, with Belgian ace Patrick van Glabeke slotting into fourth aboard the #488 AF Corse-run Ferrari 488 GT3.
Rinaldi Racing’s Christian Hook completed the top five in a trouble-free session, just ahead of last year’s Blancpain GT Sports Club runner-up Nicolas Vandierendonck and the #63 Shipex by Ombra Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3.
In the Blancpain GT Sports Club Iron Cup, which caters to drivers aged 60 and over, Stephen Earle pipped title rival Klaus Dieter Frers and his #3 Artega Rennsport Ferrari 488 GT3 by 0.173s. Willem Paulys de Pundert went third fastest in class with HTP Motorsport’s #39 Mercedes-AMG GT3, ahead of Louis-Philippe Soenen in the #50 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3.
FP2 for the Blancpain GT Sports Club gets under way at 13:00, local time. The 30-minute session will once again be shown live on our official website and Facebook page with commentary in both English and French.