Caldwell Tops Sepang FP1 for Algarve Pro Racing

Olli Caldwell topped the opening practice session of the new Asian Le Mans Series season at Sepang for Algarve Pro Racing.

The British driver recorded a best time of 1:52.199 aboard APR’s No. 20 Oreca 07 Gibson the early part of the 90-minute session, which was impacted by a red flag and three full-course yellow periods.

Caldwell’s best time was enough to end up on top of the timesheets by a full 1.3 seconds over the No. 11 Proton Competition Oreca of Mathias Beche.

Algarve Pro’s No. 25 entry was third-fastest in the hands of sports car racing newcomer Valerio Rinicella, who was 1.4 seconds adrift of Caldwell’s benchmark.

Pure Rxcing’s Harry King was fourth-fastest in his TF Sport-run No. 91 Oreca that he will share with reigning FIA World Endurance LMGT3 Champion Alex Malykhin, who makes his LMP2 competition debut this weekend.

Alessio Rovera was fifth in the No. 83 AF Corse car, while the No. 30 machine entered by Romain Dumas’ all-new RD Limited team was sixth-fastest in the hands of James Allen.

Proton Competition’s No. 7 car (Tom Dillmann), the No. 24 Nielsen Racing car (Nicky Catsburg), the second of the AF Corse cars, the No. 50 (Olivier Pla) and the No. 3 DKR Engineering (Laurents Hoerr) made up the order in LMP2.

Matteo Quintarelli topped the times in LMP3 with a best effort of 2:00.663 in the No. 35 Ultimate Ligier JS P320 Nissan.

That was just under 1.5 seconds clear of James Winslow in the second-placed No. 7 Graff Ligier.

In GT, it was the No. 23 Absolute Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 of Chris van der Drift that headed the order on a best time of 2:04.672.

Two more Ferraris, the No. 51 AF Corse car of Riccardo Agostini and the No. 74 Kessel Racing entry of Dustin Blattner, were second and third, followed by the two Car Collection Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 Rs in fourth and fifth places.

Second practice at Sepang follows at 4 p.m. local time (3 a.m. EDT).

RESULTS: Free Practice 1