Toyota Ends Prologue Barcelona on Top

Photo: James Moy/Toyota

Toyota Gazoo Racing ended the FIA World Endurance Championship Prologue at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on top, thanks to final-session improvements from both of its LMP1 hybrids.

A 1:29.141 lap time set by Jose Maria Lopez in the No. 7 Toyota TS050 Hybrid was the quickest of the two days and eight hours of track time at the Spanish circuit.

Lopez’s time was 0.046 seconds quicker than teammate Kazuki Nakajima in the No. 8 Toyota, who also improved in Session 4.

Gustavo Menezes set a 1:29.408 lao to put the No. 1 Rebellion R13 Gibson within three-tenths of the pace-setting Toyota, a time that would have put the American driver quickest overall of the test prior to the final session.

Ginetta, meanwhile, made it three different LMP1 manufacturers in the top-four, thanks to a late flyer by Formula 2 ace Luca Ghiotto in the No. 6 Team LNT Ginetta G60-LT-P1 AER.

Ghiotto’s 1:29.697 pipped the No. 3 Rebellion of Bruno Senna by two-tenths, while the No. 5 Ginetta also made a late improvement in the hands of Charlie Robertson.

All six LMP1 cars were separated by less than 1.1 seconds. 

Only 14 of the 30 registered entries turned laps in the final four-hour session of the test, with the majority of teams packing up early.

It included the entire GTE-Pro field and majority of GTE-Am runners.

The No. 71 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE of Miguel Molina ended up quickest of the test, thanks to a 1:43.593 lap time set on Wednesday morning.

Molina’a time was 0.058 seconds quicker than the debuting No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR-19 of Kevin Estre.

LMP2 was paced by Nyck De Vries in the No. 29 Racing Team Nederland Oreca 07 Gibson, who edged out the No. 32 United Autosports entry of Paul Di Resta, in both teams’ official first outings in Oreca LMP2 machinery.

De Vries laid down a 1:31.659 in the TDS Racing-run Oreca, which has since confirmed that it will run on Michelin tires for the season.

The No. 88 Dempsey Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR, meanwhile, paced GTE-Am in the final session although it was the No. 57 Team Project 1 entry of Matteo Cairoli who wound up quickest of the test in class.

RESULTS: Test Session 4
RESULTS: Prologue (Combined)

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John