Kobayashi Maintains Toyota Edge by Setting FP2 Pace

Kamui Kobayashi maintained Toyota Gazoo Racing’s leading position in the buildup to the 6 Hours of Portimao by setting the fastest lap in Free Practice 2.

TGR team principal Kobayashi topped the 90-minute Friday afternoon session with a time of 1:32.155 in the No. 7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid, ending up almost a second clear of the sister No. 8 car driven by Ryo Hirakawa.

As was the case in FP1, Toyota finished first and second with the two Ferrari 499Ps from AF Corse taking third and fourth in the Hypercar leaderboard.

Miguel Molina ranked third in the No. 50 Ferrari with a time of 1:33.301 that narrowly beat James Calado’s effort in the No. 51.

Peugeot beat the LMDh cars from Porsche Penske Motorsport and Cadillac to reach the top five courtesy of Loic Duval’s 1:33.829 attempt.

The No. 94 Peugeot that Duval shares with Nico Mueller and Gustavo Menezes completed fewer laps than most of its Hypercar rivals after the team worked on an oil leak.

The highest-placed LMDh car was the No. 5 Porsche 963 of Dane Cameron, who produced a 1:34.076 for the Penske factory squad.

Cadillac finished eighth behind the other Peugeot and ahead of the other Porsche, as Glickenhaus and Floyd Vanwall Racing Team completed the Hypercar order.

Gabriel Aubry set the pace in the LMP2 class for Vector Sport, with the Frenchman clocking a time of 1:34.609 behind the wheel of the No. 10 Oreca 07 Gibson.

Aubry marginally beat Inter Europol Competition’s Albert Costa by less than a tenth, with Lamborghini factory driver Mirko Bortolotti running third for Prema.

In GTE-Am, Daniel Serra went quickest for Kessel Racing at the head of a one-two-three for Ferrari 488 GTE Evos.

The Brazilian clocked a 1:41.209 to finish above the Richard Mille AF Corse machine driven by Lilou Wadoux and Davide Rigon’s No. 54 AF Corse car.

The best non-Ferrari entry was the GR Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19 which came through in fourth after a 1:41.525 from Riccardo Pera.

FP2 contained no major incidents, although the No. 22 United Autosports Oreca only completed eight laps due to an electrical issue that limited its running.

RESULTS: Free Practice 2