6 Hours of Fuji – Free Practice 1: Porsche and Toyota are there, BMW as an outsider
The two main competitors for the various world titles once again finished with the best times on the first day of free practice. But BMW was the fastest team.
We were waiting for them. They showed up. The drivers of the Porsche #6 and the Toyota #8 made an impression during the first free practice session. But advantage to the German car, which set the best time very early this morning in France.
The two cars were separated by only ten-thousandths of a second. The competition was much further behind. The third-place Ferrari #50 finished half a second behind the two leading hypercars. The Toyota #7, vying for various titles, was in the same group as the Maranello car. Three cars were within less than a tenth of a second.
BMW reveals itself
Peugeot and Alpine were in great shape on this Friday, September 13th. The Lioness #94 clocked the seventh fastest time, just ahead of the #35 driven by the Habsburg/Milesi/Gounon trio. The sister cars, on the other hand, were further back in the second part of the field.
The hierarchy was not at all the same during the second free practice session, a little later in the Japanese afternoon. The BMW #15 led the discussions ahead of the other official Porsche, the #5. The Cadillac, which had not been convincing at the start of the day, showed up with the third reference.
In GT3
In the other category of cars entered for these 6 Hours of Fuji, United Autosport made a good start to the weekend with the fastest time in the first session. A performance that was not repeated in the second session, finishing three tenths behind the Vista AF Corse #55.
Most of the cars were within one second. Only the BMW #31 and the Ford Mustang #77 were beyond that mark. The Iron Dames are not in great shape on the Japanese track. They spent both sessions in the second half of the table. Just like the Porsche #92, which has a chance to win the title as early as Sunday.
Results of free practice 1
| Team | # | Drivers | Times | Gap | Laps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT | #6 | Estre K. Lotterer A. Vanthoor L. | 1:30.561 | – | 39 |
| 2 | TOYOTA GAZOO RACING | #8 | Buemi S. Hartley B. Hirakawa R. | 1:30.571 | +0.010 | 43 |
| 3 | FERRARI AF CORSE | #50 | Fuoco A. Molina M. Nielsen N. | 1:31.104 | +0.543 | 45 |
| 4 | PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT | #5 | Campbell M. Christensen M. Makowiecki F. | 1:31.128 | +0.567 | 43 |
| 5 | TOYOTA GAZOO RACING | #7 | Conway M. Kobayashi K. de Vries N. | 1:31.146 | +0.585 | 43 |
| 6 | AF CORSE | #83 | Kubica R. Shwartzman R. Ye Y. | 1:31.282 | +0.721 | 44 |
| 7 | PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES | #94 | Di Resta P. Duval L. Vandoorne S. | 1:31.290 | +0.729 | 36 |
| 8 | ALPINE ENDURANCE TEAM | #35 | GOUNON J. Habsburg F. Milesi C. | 1:31.298 | +0.737 | 46 |
| 9 | HERTZ TEAM JOTA | #12 | Stevens W. ILOTT C. Nato N. | 1:31.305 | +0.744 | 47 |
| 10 | FERRARI AF CORSE | #51 | Pier Guidi A. Calado J. Giovinazzi A. | 1:31.324 | +0.763 | 39 |
| 11 | BMW M TEAM WRT | #15 | Vanthoor D. Marciello R. Wittmann M. | 1:31.406 | +0.845 | 51 |
| 12 | CADILLAC RACING | #2 | Bamber E. Lynn A. | 1:31.521 | +0.960 | 38 |
| 13 | BMW M TEAM WRT | #20 | Van Der Linde S. Frijns R. Rast R. | 1:31.572 | +1.011 | 45 |
| 14 | ALPINE ENDURANCE TEAM | #36 | Lapierre N. Schumacher M. Vaxiviere M. | 1:31.712 | +1.151 | 49 |
| 15 | PROTON COMPETITION | #99 | Tincknell H. Jani N. Andlauer J. | 1:31.729 | +1.168 | 43 |
| 16 | PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES | #93 | Jensen M. MÜLLER N. Vergne J. | 1:31.751 | +1.190 | 31 |
| 17 | LAMBORGHINI IRON LYNX | #63 | Bortolotti M. Mortara E. Kvyat D. | 1:31.753 | +1.192 | 45 |
| 18 | HERTZ TEAM JOTA | #38 | Button J. Hanson P. Rasmussen O. | 1:31.809 | +1.248 | 46 |
| 19 | UNITED AUTOSPORTS | #95 | Caygill J. Pino N. Sato M. | 1:40.528 | +9.967 | 42 |
| 20 | VISTA AF CORSE | #55 | Heriau F. Mann S. Rovera A. | 1:40.528 | +9.967 | 41 |
| 21 | VISTA AF CORSE | #54 | Flohr T. Castellacci F. Rigon D. | 1:40.793 | +10.232 | 38 |
| 22 | IRON LYNX | #60 | Schiavoni C. Cressoni M. Perera F. | 1:40.849 | +10.288 | 41 |
| 23 | PROTON COMPETITION | #88 | Ried C. Pedersen M. Olsen D. | 1:40.894 | +10.333 | 36 |
| 24 | AKKODIS ASP TEAM | #78 | Robin A. SCHMID C. Van der Linde K. | 1:40.911 | +10.350 | 38 |
| 25 | TF SPORT | #81 | Van Rompuy T. Andrade R. Eastwood C. | 1:40.947 | +10.386 | 43 |
| 26 | TF SPORT | #82 | Koizumi H. Baud S. Juncadella D. | 1:40.956 | +10.395 | 41 |
| 27 | UNITED AUTOSPORTS | #59 | Cottingham J. Costa N. Saucy G. | 1:41.013 | +10.452 | 34 |
| 28 | D’STATION RACING | #777 | Mateu C. Bastard E. SØRENSEN M. | 1:41.125 | +10.564 | 42 |
| 29 | AKKODIS ASP TEAM | #87 | Kimura T. Masson E. Lopez J. | 1:41.170 | +10.609 | 38 |
| 30 | PROTON COMPETITION | #77 | Hardwick R. Robichon Z. Barker B. | 1:41.190 | +10.629 | 39 |
| 31 | IRON DAMES | #85 | Bovy S. Frey R. Gatting M. | 1:41.345 | +10.784 | 40 |
| 32 | MANTHEY EMA | #91 | Shahin Y. Schuring M. Lietz R. | 1:41.705 | +11.144 | 42 |
| 33 | HEART OF RACING TEAM | #27 | James I. Mancinelli D. Riberas A. | 1:41.731 | +11.170 | 20 |
| 34 | TEAM WRT | #46 | Al Harthy A. Rossi V. Martin M. | 1:41.778 | +11.217 | 34 |
| 35 | TEAM WRT | #31 | Leung D. GELAEL S. Farfus A. | 1:42.000 | +11.439 | 38 |
| 36 | MANTHEY PURERXCING | #92 | Malykhin A. Sturm J. Bachler K. | 1:42.134 | +11.573 | 44 |
Results of free practice 2
| Team | # | Drivers | Times | Gap | Laps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BMW M TEAM WRT | #15 | Vanthoor D. Marciello R. Wittmann M. | 1:29.577 | – | 53 |
| 2 | PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT | #5 | Campbell M. Christensen M. Makowiecki F. | 1:29.586 | +0.009 | 44 |
| 3 | CADILLAC RACING | #2 | Bamber E. Lynn A. | 1:29.592 | +0.015 | 48 |
| 4 | AF CORSE | #83 | Kubica R. Shwartzman R. Ye Y. | 1:29.904 | +0.327 | 53 |
| 5 | TOYOTA GAZOO RACING | #8 | Buemi S. Hartley B. Hirakawa R. | 1:29.923 | +0.346 | 52 |
| 6 | BMW M TEAM WRT | #20 | Van Der Linde S. Frijns R. Rast R. | 1:29.956 | +0.379 | 54 |
| 7 | FERRARI AF CORSE | #51 | Pier Guidi A. Calado J. Giovinazzi A. | 1:29.975 | +0.398 | 52 |
| 8 | HERTZ TEAM JOTA | #38 | Button J. Hanson P. Rasmussen O. | 1:30.013 | +0.436 | 53 |
| 9 | TOYOTA GAZOO RACING | #7 | Conway M. Kobayashi K. de Vries N. | 1:30.017 | +0.440 | 52 |
| 10 | PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT | #6 | Estre K. Lotterer A. Vanthoor L. | 1:30.131 | +0.554 | 42 |
| 11 | ALPINE ENDURANCE TEAM | #35 | GOUNON J. Habsburg F. Milesi C. | 1:30.338 | +0.761 | 52 |
| 12 | HERTZ TEAM JOTA | #12 | Stevens W. ILOTT C. Nato N. | 1:30.406 | +0.829 | 53 |
| 13 | ALPINE ENDURANCE TEAM | #36 | Lapierre N. Schumacher M. Vaxiviere M. | 1:30.481 | +0.904 | 54 |
| 14 | PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES | #93 | Jensen M. MÜLLER N. Vergne J. | 1:30.522 | +0.945 | 46 |
| 15 | FERRARI AF CORSE | #50 | Fuoco A. Molina M. Nielsen N. | 1:30.593 | +1.016 | 40 |
| 16 | PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES | #94 | Di Resta P. Duval L. Vandoorne S. | 1:30.832 | +1.255 | 49 |
| 17 | LAMBORGHINI IRON LYNX | #63 | Bortolotti M. Mortara E. Kvyat D. | 1:30.836 | +1.259 | 45 |
| 18 | PROTON COMPETITION | #99 | Tincknell H. Jani N. Andlauer J. | 1:31.218 | +1.641 | 53 |
| 19 | VISTA AF CORSE | #55 | Heriau F. Mann S. Rovera A. | 1:40.682 | +11.105 | 43 |
| 20 | TF SPORT | #82 | Koizumi H. Baud S. Juncadella D. | 1:40.851 | +11.274 | 46 |
| 21 | IRON LYNX | #60 | Schiavoni C. Cressoni M. Perera F. | 1:40.860 | +11.283 | 45 |
| 22 | VISTA AF CORSE | #54 | Flohr T. Castellacci F. Rigon D. | 1:40.924 | +11.347 | 46 |
| 23 | AKKODIS ASP TEAM | #87 | Kimura T. Masson E. Lopez J. | 1:40.995 | +11.418 | 45 |
| 24 | UNITED AUTOSPORTS | #95 | Caygill J. Pino N. Sato M. | 1:41.035 | +11.458 | 48 |
| 25 | UNITED AUTOSPORTS | #59 | Cottingham J. Costa N. Saucy G. | 1:41.074 | +11.497 | 47 |
| 26 | AKKODIS ASP TEAM | #78 | Robin A. SCHMID C. Van der Linde K. | 1:41.143 | +11.566 | 44 |
| 27 | PROTON COMPETITION | #88 | Ried C. Pedersen M. Olsen D. | 1:41.238 | +11.661 | 31 |
| 28 | HEART OF RACING TEAM | #27 | James I. Mancinelli D. Riberas A. | 1:41.240 | +11.663 | 42 |
| 29 | D’STATION RACING | #777 | Mateu C. Bastard E. SØRENSEN M. | 1:41.252 | +11.675 | 44 |
| 30 | MANTHEY EMA | #91 | Shahin Y. Schuring M. Lietz R. | 1:41.282 | +11.705 | 43 |
| 31 | TF SPORT | #81 | Van Rompuy T. Andrade R. Eastwood C. | 1:41.298 | +11.721 | 47 |
| 32 | TEAM WRT | #46 | Al Harthy A. Rossi V. Martin M. | 1:41.387 | +11.810 | 46 |
| 33 | IRON DAMES | #85 | Bovy S. Frey R. Gatting M. | 1:41.438 | +11.861 | 45 |
| 34 | MANTHEY PURERXCING | #92 | Malykhin A. Sturm J. Bachler K. | 1:41.658 | +12.081 | 47 |
| 35 | TEAM WRT | #31 | Leung D. GELAEL S. Farfus A. | 1:41.772 | +12.195 | 45 |
| 36 | PROTON COMPETITION | #77 | Hardwick R. Robichon Z. Barker B. | 1:42.083 | +12.506 | 40 |
