Lapierre Quickest in Morning Test Session in Bahrain

Photo: MPS Agency

Nico Lapierre led the way in the opening session of Sunday’s Bahrain Rookie Test.

The Signatech-run Alpine A480 Gibson laid down the quickest in the two-hour session, thanks to a 1:48.697 lap in the grandfathered LMP1 car.

It was 0.168 seconds quicker than the No. 7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid featuring Mike Conway and WEC-appointed driver Charles Milesi.

Seven-time World Rally champion Sebastien Ogier turned his first laps in Toyota’s Le Mans Hypercar contender, which set the third quickest time in the class with a 1:49.119 lap time.

Ogier’s best lap was a 1:50.647, which was nearly two seconds off Lapierre’s flyer.

LMP2 was led by the No. 31 Team WRT Oreca 07 Gibson of Sophia Floersch, who edged out the No. 28 JOTA entry of Jazeman Jaafar and rookie Sebastian Montoya in the No. 21 DragonSpeed entry.

Alessandro Pier Guidi set the quickest time in GTE-Pro, which saw only the pair of AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evos set times in the session. 

Pier Guidi’s 1:57.658 outpaced the No. 52 car, featuring Simon Mann and Christoph Ulrich at the wheel.

Both factory Porsche 911 RSR-19s, which are among the machines on the 18-car entry list, did not set times.

GTE-Am was topped by Andrew Watson, who set the three quickest times in the class between three different Aston Martin Vantage GTE machines.

Watson put the No. 33 TF Sport Aston on top with a 1:58.403, followed by a 1:58.440 in the No. 98 AMR-entered car and a 1:58.606 in the No. 777 D’Station car.

WEC-designated rookie Laurents Horr turned his first laps in the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari, which ultimately was designated for the European Le Mans Series LMP3 champion instead of the originally announced GTE-Pro class championship-winning entry.

An additional three hours of testing is on-tap from 1 to 4 p.m. local time.

RESULTS: Morning Test Session

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