Kobayashi Keeps Toyota Ahead by Setting FP2 Pace

Kamui Kobayashi kept Toyota Gazoo Racing at the top of the timing charts by setting the fastest lap in the second FIA World Endurance Championship Free Practice session at Sebring.

The Japanese driver led a one-two result for Toyota, which ended Wednesday’s twice red-flagged FP2 outing one second clear of the third-placed No. 50 Ferrari 499P.

After the No. 8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid topped the morning practice session, it was the No. 7 Toyota’s turn to do the same in the afternoon courtesy of Kobayashi’s 1:46.954 effort.

By posting the first lap time under 1:47 since the WEC arrived at Sebring last Saturday, Kobayashi beat his teammate Brendon Hartley by 0.318 seconds.

Antonio Fuoco made a late improvement for Ferrari AF Corse to sit third on a time of 1:48.121, ahead of Richard Westbrook who registered a 1:48.265 in Chip Ganassi Racing’s Cadillac V-Series.R.

Westbrook was involved in an altercation with Ryan Hardwick at Turn 7 that resulted in the first red flag of the session when the latter driver’s Porsche 911 RSR-19 stopped with damage and needed to be recovered on a flatbed truck.

The second stoppage was caused by a spin for Takeshi Kimura, who was able to get his Kessel Racing Ferrari 488 GTE Evo going again.

The top five in Hypercar was completed by the No. 51 Ferrari that finished second in FP1, while the Glickenhaus 007 Pipo took sixth with its best time of the week so far.

Olivier Pla turned in a 1:49.700 for the American squad to remove nearly a second from its previous best.

Glickenhaus finished FP2 ahead of both Porsche 963s and Peugeot 9X8s, as well as the sole Vanwall Vandervell 680 Gibson.

The No. 5 Porsche was the only member of that quintet to lap under 1:50, and ahead of LMP2 pacesetter Pietro Fittipaldi who ended up eighth overall on a 1:50.326.

JOTA’s pair of Oreca 07 Gibsons placed first and fourth in class, sandwiching the two United Autosports cars of the same type.

In GTE-Am, Kessel Racing led the way despite Bronze-rated driver Kimura’s off-track moment.

Ferrari factory driver Daniel Serra went quickest in the production-based category with a 1:58.845 marker that beat Corvette Racing’s Nicky Catsburg by 0.277 seconds.

D’station Racing Aston Martin driver Casper Stevenson and Iron Lynx Porsche pilot Alessio Picariello made it four different manufacturers in the top four.

RESULTS: Free Practice 2