Reigning team champions DKR Engineering and Kessel Racing led the way in the first practice session of the Michelin Le Mans Cup event at Monza, which is Round 2 of the 2019 season.
The no3 DKR Engineering Norma-Nissan of Laurent Hörrs was the quickest car on the track during the 60-minute session which took place with the sun shining on the ‘Temple of Speed’.
There was a short Full Course Yellow period ten minutes from the end of the session when the no4 Cool Racing Ligier of John Schauerman went off into the graval, the American needing assistance from the marshals to get back on track.
Hörrs best lap of 1m45.643 was three tenths ahead of the rest of the 30 car field, with the no30 CD Sport of Kevin Bole-Besançon, the French driver posting a 1m46.032 at the chequered flag to push the no2 Nielsen Racing Norma of Colin Noble and Tony Wells down into third position.
Fourth fastest was the Round 1 winning no25 Lanan Racing Norma-Nissan of Duncan Tappy and Michael Benham, with Tappy setting the cars best time of 1m46.146, just 0.060s behind the no2 Norma.
The GT3 ‘top dog’ was the no8 Kessel Racing Ferrari, with 2018 drivers champion Giacomo Piccini finishing the session on a 1m49.252 lap, 0.173 seconds ahead of Mikkel Mac in the no71 Luzich Racing 488.
The no54 SPS Automotive Performance Mercedes was third quickest in the session with a 1m49.573, with Oliver Hancock make it three Ferraris in the top four places in the no50 Kessel Racing 488 GT3, just ahead of the no99 Beechdean AMR Aston Martin Vantage.
The second Free Practice session at Monza will take place this afternoon at 16h25 (CET).
CLICK HERE for the results from FP1
