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GT World Challenge Europe

Pla Paces Red Flag-Affected Free Practice at Zandvoort

Jim Pla quickest for AKKA-ASP as red flags disrupt flow of opening practice session…

Photo: Dirk Bogaerts/SRO

AKKA-ASP driver Jim Pla paced a red flag-affected Free Practice session for the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup fixture at Zandvoort.

Pla posted a time of 1:35.193 in his Silver Cup-class No. 87 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo to beat Team WRT Audi drivers Charles Weerts and Ryuichiro Tomita to the top spot.

Three red flags occurred during the 80-minute session, including one which brought proceedings to a slightly early conclusion after Alex Fontana spun his Emil Frey Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo into the Turn 11 gravel under damp conditions.

The other stoppages were caused by gravel clearance at the same corner following an off-track moment for Pla’s co-driver Konstantin Tereschenko, followed by the No. 108 CMR Bentley Continental GT3 halting with an issue.

The SPS Automotive Performance Mercedes-AMG also went off at Turn 3, but this incident was covered by yellow flags.

Weerts’ best lap time of 1:35.360 came just before the second red flag, while his WRT Audi teammate Tomita produced a 1:35.669 at roughly the same time.

Timur Boguslavskiy was fourth-quickest in the Pro-class AKKA-ASP Mercedes-AMG, ahead of Luca Stolz in the No. 4 Mercedes run by Toksport WRT.

Mercedes-AMG and Audi entries occupied the sharp end of the classification in Free Practice as Christopher Haase ran sixth behind the wheel of the No. 25 Sainteloc Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, from Toksport WRT’s Oscar Tunjo.

The best car from a different manufacturer was the No. 14 Emil Frey Lamborghini which triggered the final red flag.

Ricardo Feller registered 1:36.042 to go eighth-quickest, one-tenth faster than Henrique Chaves who topped the Pro-Am category in Barwell Motorsport’s Lamborghini.

Tommaso Mosca completed the top ten in one of three Attempto Racing Audis.

RESULTS: Free Practice

Daniel Lloyd is a UK-based reporter for Sportscar365, covering the FIA World Endurance Championship, Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, among other series.

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