The 3 Hours of Hockenheim, the penultimate round of the Endurance Cup, experienced a first day with three free practice sessions -under different names- that offered different circumstances and track conditions.
The first competitive bars of the GTWC Europe on their return from the holidays have not been able to offer a better ‘macedonia’ of conditions and greater protagonists. The first day of the 3 Hours of Hockenheim It has served to dispute the ‘Bronze Test’, the only free session of the weekend and the pre-classification, training that is still another free session with a bombastic name.
Three training sessions prior to the frenetic day on Sunday that have been carried out under very different track conditions, among other things because the rain has been a traveling companion for the Endurance Cup during the free practice session. The Audi #26 of Saintéloc Junior, the Audi #10 of Boutsen Racing and Akkodis-ASP’s Mercedes #88car of the leaders, have been the reference GT3 during the day.
The sum of the Bronze Test, free practice and pre-classification has given drivers and teams all kinds of track conditions
The weekend started with a ‘Bronze Test’ which, on this occasion, has not been limited exclusively to the ‘Bronze’ pilots. A total of 20 GT3 vehicles of the almost 50 present at Hockenheim took to the track for a first contact in which Cesar Gazeau set the tone with the Audi #26 of Saintéloc Racing. Only 88 thousandths behind finished Ralf Bohn with the #911 Porsche.
Not only has it been limited to ‘Bronze’ pilots because SRO has allowed ‘Silver’ drivers who had no prior experience at Hockenheim could be participants in this first session. Cesar Gazeau himself has been one of them, as well as Lorenzo Patrese who took third position with the #11 Audi. The session had a brief red flag for the touch against the barriers of the Lamborghini #77.
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Free passed through water
The track conditions for free practice radically changed, since the rain made an appearance at Hockenheim. Some circumstances in which adam eteki He shone with his own light with the Audi #10 after signing a best time of 1:53.626. Henrique Chaves’ #188 McLaren finished second, while the #63 Lamborghini -in which Albert Costa competes- took third place with Jack Aitken.
Dani Juncadella began to show credentials with the Mercedes #88 finishing sixth in a session totally marked by rain. The rains that began an hour before training have accompanied drivers and teams throughout the practice session. The training session has been marked by a good number of spins and track exits, although the accident of the Audi #33 It was the only noteworthy mishap.
Leaders emerge in pre-qualification
The last session of the day, the pre-qualification, finished with the #88 Mercedes in the lead, although this time with Raffaele Marciello signing a best time of 1:37.643. Clear skies and a dry track for a session in which Dennis Marschall stayed one thousandth behind the leader with the Audi #66 of Attempto Racing. For its part, the Audi #32 of Charles Weerts took third position.
The last session on Saturday also featured numerous spins and runway exits, although in this case by the search for the limits of the pilots. In the middle of the pre-classification was given a red flag for Dean MacDonald leaving the track in the #59 McLarenalthough there was still time for a second red flag neutralization with three minutes to go that brought the activity to a hasty end.
Photos: GT World Challenge Europe