In the first 60-minute Michelin Le Mans Cup practice session of the weekend at Imola, the no23 United Autosports Ligier set the fastest lap time, with former ELMS LMP3 champion Wayne Boyd setting a 1m38.607 lap of the 4.9km circuit.
The British drivers’ time was three tenths ahead of Josh Skelton in the no43 Racing Spirit of Leman Ligier, who in turn was just 0.037s ahead of Matt Bell in the no4 Nielsen Racing Duqueine and 0.064s ahead of double MLMC LMP3 champion Laurents Hörr in the no3 DKR Engineering Duqueine.
Ian Rodriguez had set the early pace in the no33 Team Virage Ligier with a 1m39.040 lap, but the car finished the 60-minute session sixth fastest, 0.433s behind Boyd’s Ligier at the chequered flag.
The GT3 class was led by the no99 Bullitt Racing Aston Martin Vantage after Theo Nouet set the fastest time of 1m42.078 early in the session.The lap was 1.581 seconds ahead of the nearest rival, the no61 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 of Andrea Montermini, with no46 Ebimotors Porsche third quickest with a 1m43.739 lap.
The no88 GMB Motorsport Honda was the quickest of the three Danish run NSXs, with Mikkel Pedersen going fourth quickest with a 1m44.557, 2.479s off the pace of the Aston Martin.
The session was interrupted by one red flag when the H24 Hydrogen car, with Stephane Richelmi at the wheel, stopped at Turn 5 in a dangerous position and had to be helped by the marshals.
The second Free Practice session will take place this afternoon at 17h40 (CEST).
CLICK HERE for the result from Free Practice 1.
