Lotterer Tops Free Practice 1 at Fuji

Photo: Vision Sport Agency

Audi has topped the time charts in opening practice for Sunday’s FIA WEC Six Hours of Fuji, with Andre Lotterer smashing the previous qualifying record.

The German reeled off a best lap of 1:24.497 early in the 90-minute session, outpacing the No. 18 Porsche 919 Hybrid of Romain Dumas by more than seven-tenths.

Lotterer’s time was nearly two seconds quicker than the previous qualifying record, set in 2013.

The sister No. 8 Audi R18 e-tron quattro of Oliver Jarvis was third quickest with a 1:25.830, followed by the COTA-winning No. 17 Porsche in fourth.

Signatech Alpine led the way in LMP2, thanks to a 1:32.701 lap set by Nelson Panciatici in the Alpine A450b Nissan.

Porsche Team Manthey (GTE-Pro) and Larbre Competition (GTE-Am) led the production-based ranks.

The session saw only a single Full Course Caution, for debris, following contact between the No. 8 Audi and the No. 42 Strakka Racing Gibson 015S Nissan.

Free Practice 2 gets underway at 3:30 p.m. local.

RESULTS: Free Practice 1

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