WRT Driver Weerts Quickest in Misano Free Practice

Team WRT driver Charles Weerts posted the fastest lap in Free Practice for this weekend’s Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup round at Misano.

Weerts led the 80-minute session, which had its opening half reserved for Bronze and Silver drivers, with a time of 1:32.403.

The Belgian driver, who shares the No. 32 Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo with Dries Vanthoor, ended up 0.346 seconds ahead of Rik Breukers who placed second in the Silver Cup-class Madpanda Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.

Weerts and Vanthoor won twice at Misano last year when the Italian circuit hosted a Sprint Cup triple-header, and are looking to recapture their points lead after dropping behind Emil Frey Racing’s Ricard Feller after round two at Zandvoort.

Kelvin van der Linde went third-quickest in Free Practice at the wheel of WRT’s sister No. 30 Audi.

The South African registered a 1:32.815, giving him a narrow advantage over Sainteloc Racing Audi drivers Leo Roussel and Frederic Vervisch who were in separate cars.

Ben Barnicoat was sixth in the JOTA McLaren 720S GT3, ahead of Jim Pla aboard AKKA-ASP’s Silver-category Mercedes-AMG.

The trio of AKKA-ASP Mercs ran line astern in seventh, eighth and ninth as Pla out-paced his factory driver teammates Raffaele Marciello and Jules Gounon.

Henrique Chaves completed the overall top ten in Barwell Motorsport’s Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo, and topped the Pro-Am class order in the process.

Points leader Feller ran 27th outright for Lamborghini squad Emil Frey Racing.

No stoppages were recorded across both halves of the 80-minute Free Practice session, which took place in clear conditions.

Pre-Qualifying practice follows at 5 p.m. CEST (11 a.m. EST).

RESULTS: Free Practice