Greaves Tops Saturday Free Practice at Estoril

Photo: Nick Dungan/Adrenal Media/ELMS

Greaves Motorsport led the way Saturday at Estoril, following a pair of Free Practice sessions for tomorrow’s European Le Mans Series championship-deciding race.

Jon Lancaster was quickest of the day, pedaling his No. 41 Gibson 015S to a best lap of 1:32.346 in a damp and drying Free Practice 2, which was extended by 30 minutes due to an early end to FP1 because of rain and wind.

The No. 46 Thiriet by TDS Racing Oreca 05 Nissan of Nicolas Lapierre, in his team debut this weekend, was second quickest, followed by the No. 21 AF Racing BR01 Nissan of Mikhail Aleshin in third.

Championship leders Jota Sport, which head into Sunday’s four-hour race with a single-point lead over fellow Gibson-Nissan squad Greaves, were fourth quickest, thanks to Harry Tincknell’s 1:33.239 lap.

FP1 pacesetters Krohn Racing were seventh on the combined time sheets on Saturday, with nearly all teams improving on their times set from the rain-soaked morning session.

Team LNT led the way in LMP3, with the pair of Ginetta-Nissans outpacing the GTE competitors, in one of the first times this season.

Ferrari factory driver James Calado put JMW Motorsport on the top pf the time sheets in GTE, while GTC was paced by the No. 62 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 of Francesco Castellacci.

Qualifying is scheduled for 9 a.m. local tomorrow, followed by the race, which gets underway at 1 p.m.

RESULTS: Free Practice 1
RESULTS: Free Practice 2

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