De Gerus Quickest in Stop-Start FP2 in Barcelona

Photo: Laurent Cartalade/MPS Agency

Reshad De Gerus led an Inter Europol Competition 1-2 in the second and final Free Practice prior to qualifying for Sunday’s European Le Mans Series season opener in Barcelona.

The Frenchman, in the only two-driver LMP2 lineup this weekend, was the only drive to break the 1:30 barrier in the stop-start session, having reeled off a 1:29.622 in the No. 34 Oreca 07 Gibson he shares with Bijoy Garg.

It was 0.450 seconds quicker than teammate Tom Dillmann in the No. 43 machine.

The chart-topping times were set in quick succession in between two red flag periods, both for oil cleanup, that led to an interrupted first part of the 90-minute session.

The first red came out at the five-minute mark for oil in Turns 2 and 3, while a Full Course Yellow turned into a second stoppage for oil on the start/finish straight.

The session restarted with 59 minutes to go and ran largely uninterrupted, other than a pair of additional FCYs in the final 30 minutes.

The No. 18 IDEC Sport Oreca of newly named Genesis ‘Trajectory Program’ driver Laurents Horr was third quickest overall, with the No. 25 Algarve Pro Racing and No. 29 Forestier Racing by Panis entries completed the overall top-five.

Matthieu Vaxiviere posted the quickest time in LMP2 Pro-Am aboard his No. 83 AF Corse Oreca, which slotted in seventh overall, behind the No. 28 IDEC machine.

LMP3 was led by the No. 11 Eurointernational Ligier JS P25 Toyota of Max van der Snel while Valentin Hasse Clot topped the time charts for Racing Spirit of Le Man in his No. 59 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo in LMGT3.

Qualifying is next up and is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. CET (9:30 a.m. EST) start with live and free coverage on the new WEC + platform.

Source: Sports Car 365