Peugeot TotalEnergies’ No. 94 9X8 topped the timing screens within the first Free Apply session of the FIA World Endurance Championship 8 Hours of Bahrain, which was held in vibrant, sunny circumstances.
The perfect time got here early on within the working from Paul di Resta, a 1m50.837s, which was 0.49 up on the No. 5 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 of Frédéric Makowiecki, who was the one different driver to set a sub-1m51s lap. His tour additionally got here with greater than an hour left on the clock. Making it three manufacturers within the high three was the No. 51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P, which completed two-tenths adrift with a 1m51.041s.
The sister 9X8 added to Peugeot’s encouraging begin to the assembly by slotting in fourth, forward of the championship-leading No. 6 Penske Porsche that ended up fifth with a 1m51.116s.
Additional down the order in eighth and ninth, the 2 BMW M Hybrid V8s loved a productive session, finishing 85 mixed laps, essentially the most of any crew within the class.
The Fuji pole-setting Cadillac V-Collection.R ended up 18th with the bottom complete (32 laps) and a time 1.s off the tempo.
LMGT3 had AKKODIS ASP’s No. 78 Lexus RC F LMGT3 main the way in which, Kelvin van der Linde setting a 2m02.079s.
Alessio Rovera wound up three tenths off within the No. 55 Vista AF Corse Ferrari, however faster than Matteo Carioli, who put the Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan third with a within the second half of the session. This pushed the Fuji-winning No. 54 sister AF Corse 296 LMGT3 to fourth.
There have been no main dramas within the 90-minute session, which was solely interrupted as soon as by a quick full-course yellow.
Free Apply 2 is ready to start at 5:30pm native time.
