Aston Martin set the pace in Free Practice 2 at the Lone Star Le Mans, clocking the top Hypercar lap with Harry Tincknell in the No. 007 Valkyrie.
Aston Martin Leads Hypercar Session
Harry Tincknell’s 1m52.567s outshone Alpine’s No. 35 by 0.122s, the only driver to break the one‑minute‑fifty‑two barrier. Tom Gamble shared the event for the second‑place No. 007. The No. 17 Genesis, despite early contact at Turn 2, finished third after a brief red‑flag zone.
Alpine’s No. 36 slipped to fourth, 0.287s slower than Tincknell. The three Ferraris lapped in close succession, trailing the Alpine by mere hundredths. Forbes’ No. 83 AF Corse took fifth, followed by factory No. 50 and No. 51 499Ps.
The sister No. 009 Aston Martin was eighth, 0.925s shy of the leaders, while the BMWs rounded out the top ten. Cadillac Jota entries lined up 11th and 16th; Toyota’s two cars ended at 12th and 15th. Both Peugeots lagged over a second behind, occupying 14th and 17th places.
LMGT3 Outlook
Zach Robichon, driving the No. 23 “B” team, capped the session with a 2m05.609s lap, maintaining a 0.4s cushion over the nearest Iron Lynx Mercedes. Two Garage 59 McLarens placed fifth and sixth; the No. 92 Manthey Porsche and No. 78 Lexus ASP followed.
At the tail of the top tier, No. 54 AF Corse Ferrari, No. 91 Manthey Porsche, and No. 87 Lexus ASP were within one second of Robichon’s time. TF Sport Corvettes, WRT BMWs and Proton Competition Fords trailed further behind.
Incidents and Track Conditions
The session unfolded under cloud cover and 30‑plus‑degree Celsius rounds, with the asphalt softening above 40°C. An early misjudgment by Mathys Jaubert in the Genesis saw cold tyres send him into the run‑off, prompting a short red flag. Drivers pressed to maintain laps despite the heat‑induced throttle warmth.
Schedule Ahead
Friday’s Wednesday schedule features a 60‑minute Free Practice 3 at 11 a.m. local time, 6 p.m. CET. Qualifying and Hyperpole will follow from 3 p.m. local time, 10 p.m. CET. Teams will adjust strategies as the weekend progresses.
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