The final weekend of the 2017 Michelin Le Mans Cup season got underway at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve with warm temperatures but with cloud above the Portimão circuit.
The no14 RLR M Sport Ligier of Alex Kapadia and Ross Warburton was the quickest car in the opening 60-minute practice session of the weekend with Kapadia setting a 1m42.722 lap, two tenths better than the rest of the field. Warburton took over the car but with 16 minutes left on the clock the British driver spun off at T9 and a Full Course Yellow was declared to recover the Ligier, which took no further part in Free Practice.
The no55 Spirit of Race Ligier of Michele Rugolo and Claudio Sdanewitsch was second fastest with Rugolo posting a 1m42.937, 0.215 seconds ahead of the no98 Motorsport98 Ligier of Eric De Doncker and Andy Meyrick.
The championship winning no3 DKR Engineering Norma M30-Nissan of Jean Glorieux and Alex Toril finished the session 1.295s behind the lead car.
The GT3 class was topped by the no93 Kessel Racing Ferrari of Andrea Piccini and Claudio Schiavoni with Piccini posting a 1m45.091 on the team’s Michelin Le Mans Cup debut. Like the fastest LMP3 car, the Ferrari also spun off and brought out a Full Course Yellow period but Schiavoni was able to rejoin the track and the session resumed with five minutes remaining.
Championship contender Lee Mowle, and co-driver Phil Keen, was second quickest in the no7 Lee Mowle Mercedes AMG, with keen posting a 1m45.750 lap. Championship leaders Fabio Babini and Emanuele Busnelli could only manage 5th fastest with a 1m46.578.
Free practice 2 for the Michelin Le Mans Cup in Portimao will take place tomorrow morning at 11h35 local / 12h35 CET.
CLICK HERE to download the results.
