Lamborghini’s Mortara Tops Wet Macau FP1

Photo: FIA

Edoardo Mortara led the way in a wet opening Free Practice session in Macau for this weekend’s FIA GT World Cup.

The seven-time Macau winner reeled off a best lap of 2:33.309 in his No. 63 SJM VSR Theodore Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 in the 30-minute session, which was interrupted twice for spins at the Melco Hairpin.

Mortara’s time was a sizable 0.824 seconds quicker than Macau rookie Laurin Heinrich in the No. 88 Schumacher CLRT Porsche, with Dani Juncadella setting the third quickest time in the No. 77 Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, despite having an off-course excursion late in the session.

Inaugural GT World Cup champion Maro Engel was fourth, with Ferrari Hypercar driver Yifei Ye completing the top-five in the No. 50 Harmony Racing Ferrari 296 GT3.

The first red flag came moments into the rain-hit session when Alessio Picariello spun at the hairpin in his No. 911 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, resulting in a full track blockage.

Daniel Serra, in the No. 51 Harmony Ferrari, also later spun in Turn 19 in a mirror-image result that led to another red and the clock being stopped for the only time in the session.

Practice action resumed with 16 minutes to go, which saw a third incident, for the No. 25 Absolute Porsche of Laurens Vanthoor in the hairpin, after running wide.

All three cars, along with Juncadella’s Mercedes-AMG, escaped without any damage.

Free Practice 2 gets underway at 2:35 p.m. local time (1:35 a.m. EDT).

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