Hoerr Quickest in Portimao Rookie Test

Laurents Hoerr set the fastest time in the post-season European Le Mans Series rookie test at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao.

The German steered the No. 3 DKR Engineering Oreca 07 Gibson to a best lap of 1:31.533, outpacing the Mathias Beche-driven No. 65 Panis Racing Oreca by 0.443 seconds.

Both Hoerr and Beche, who drove the TDS Racing-supported machine a day after wrapping up the ELMS season with Richard Mille by TDS, set their times in the second, three-hour session in the afternoon.

That was preceeded by a shorter, two-hour session in the morning.

FIA World Endurance Championship regular Simon Mann was third aboard the No. 83 AF Corse Oreca with a 1:32.176, ahead of Cem Bolukbasi in the No. 24 Nielsen Racing machine.

Luca Ghiotto, joining Duqueine Team for the test, went fifth-quickest, while Lexus WEC LMGT3 driver Esteban Masson set a best lap of 1:32.655 aboard the No. 37 Cool Racing machine.

Patrick Pilet slotted into seventh behind the wheel of the the No. 10 Vector Sport Oreca, 0.042 seconds clear of newly crowned three-time series champion Louis Deletraz.

Deletraz shared the No. 14 Oreca at the test with Bronze-rated PJ Hyett, as well as Porsche GT3 star Laurin Heinrich and Dane Cameron, who recently secured a fourth IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title aboard a Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963.

Other notable drivers to sample LMP2 machinery at the test included Ferrari GT3 driver Thomas Fleming, LMP3 race winners Manuel Espirito Santo and Wyatt Brichacek and Raphael Narac, son of two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner Raymond Narac.

Michelin Le Mans Cup squad R-ACE GP led the way in LMP3, with 18-year-old Theodor Jensen reeling off a 1:38.519 aboard the No. 1 Duqueine D08 Nissan.

Jensen outpaced the No. 35 Ultimate Ligier JS P320 Nissan driven by Australian single seater racer Griffin Peebles by 0.076 seconds, with Pedro Morino third aboard the No. 44 Team Virage Ligier.

In LMGT3, Fran Rueda set the pace aboard the No. 74 Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, posting a 1:41.963.

Matteo Cressoni was second in the No. 55 Spirit of Race Ferrari, setting a 1:42.350 in the car he shared at the test with longtime co-driver Claudio Schiavoni.

Schiavoni and Cressoni have teamed together this season in both the WEC and WeatherTech Championship aboard an Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, while they finished third in the Portimao finale at the wheel of a Proton Competition-entered Porsche 911 GT3.

Riccardo Agostini slotted into third aboard the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari, a mere 0.003 seconds off Cressoni. Agostini drove alongside Roy Nissany, who completed a fifth season in the FIA Formula 2 Championship last year.

Other notable drivers to turn laps in the LMGT3 class include Iron Dames members Celia Martin, Karen Gaillard and Marta Garcia aboard the team’s No. 85 Porsche and current BMW LMGT3 driver Darren Leung in the No. 63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini.

RESULTS: Morning Test/Afternoon Test