Porsche Secures Top Spot in WEC COTA First Practice Session
Porsche made a dominant statement in the opening free practice session for Sunday’s World Endurance Championship round at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin. Matt Campbell’s late surge propelled the German manufacturer to the top of the timesheets, showcasing the team’s strength and speed.
Campbell, hailing from Australia, managed to find nearly a second in the #5 Penske-run factory Porsche 963 LMDh as the session came to a close. His impressive lap time of 1m53.574s put Porsche ahead of the competition in the Hypercar class, setting the tone for the weekend ahead.
Following closely behind was Robert Kubica, who piloted the AF Corse-run customer Ferrari 499P Le Mans Hypercar to second place with a time of 1m54.034s. Despite experiencing a brief red-flag stoppage due to communication issues, Kubica’s performance held strong until Campbell’s late charge pushed him down the order.
Antonio Fuoco, driving for the factory Ferrari team, initially set the pace but ultimately settled for fourth place with a time of 1m54.118s. Oliver Rasmussen of the Jota team’s Porsche 963 and Campbell’s factory Porsche both managed to edge out Fuoco, showcasing the competitive nature of the field.
Antonio Giovinazzi rounded out the top five in the second factory Ferrari, posting a time of 1m54.186s. Earl Bamber, in the Cadillac V-Series.R LMDh, found himself in sixth place after initially showing strong performance throughout the session.
The championship-leading Porsche Penske Motorsport entry, driven by Kevin Estre, secured seventh place with a time of 1m54.276s. Rene Rast of the WRT BMW team and Marco Wittmann in the sister M Hybrid V8 took eighth and ninth positions, respectively, highlighting the diverse mix of manufacturers in the field.
Toyota’s GR010 HYBRID LMHs, represented by Nyck de Vries, claimed the tenth spot, showcasing the competitive balance among the top teams. Lamborghini, Alpine, Peugeot, and Ferrari also made their mark in the session, setting the stage for an exciting race weekend ahead.
In the LMGT3 class, Ferrari led the way with Alessio Rovera posting a time of 2m06.253s in the AF Corse-run 296 GT3. Dennis Olsen of Proton Competition’s Ford Mustang GT3 followed closely behind, with the two TF Sport Chevrolet Z06 GT3.Rs rounding out the top five in class.
As teams prepare for the Lone Star Le Mans six-hour race on Sunday, the competition is heating up, with each manufacturer and driver vying for supremacy on the track. With the first practice session setting the stage for an action-packed weekend, fans can expect thrilling battles and intense racing as the World Endurance Championship unfolds at the Circuit of The Americas.