The first official session of the season was set to get underway at 11.40 Italian time, but a heavy thunderstorm just minutes before the session stopped all track action. Free Practice 1 was subsequently rescheduled for 13.00.
Initially the pace was set by the two new Toyota GR Supra GT4s, entered by French squad CMR, but 20 minutes into the wet session a succession of faster laps put Gabriele Piana and the #111 RN Vision STS Racing Team BMW M4 GT4 on top. The Italian lapped the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in 2:02.790 on his eigthth lap around the track.
Three minutes from the end of the session Stéphane Lémeret managed to improve the fastest time of the #66 CMR Toyota GR Supra GT4 to a 2:03.002, which was enough to push the second CMR entry down to third place. NM Racing Team finished the session in fourth place, followed by the #110 RN Vision STS Racing Team BMW M4.
Sixth fastest overall and fastest in the Pro-Am class was Kay van Berlo in the Selleslagh Racing Team Mercedes-AMG, which he shares with Wim Spinoy. The #30 Mercedes-AM GT4 was the only Pro-Am car in the top 10 in the opening practice, held under difficult circumstances.
Moments after the track went green for the first time today, the red flags came out again and race control reported that Nicolaj Møller-Madsen’s Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS MR had stopped on track after the Curva Tosa. The #21 Allied Racing was returned to the paddock later in the session and did not put in any timed lap. The second Allied-Racing car also returned to the pits after one lap. Centri Porsche Ticino and W&D Racing Team did not run in the session.
IMOLA SESSION RESULTS
Piana puts RN Vision STS BMW on top in wet opening Imola practice
