+ Result: Free Practice, Spa
Grégory Guilvert’s early effort proved the benchmark in the first GT4 European Series Free Practice session at Spa-Francorchamps.
Having been race winners here last year, Guilvert and Petit’s #8 Team Speedcar Audi was always going to be one to watch, and Frenchman Guilvert duly emerged out front of a frantic early fight to set a time that would stand across the second half.
Benjamin Lariche bolted early to go fastest in the #1 Audi, but he was bettered by first Victor Bouveng’s Schubert Motorsport BMW, then Darren Turner in the guest entry Full Send Racing Aston Martin before Guilvert struck on his third lap.
His 2:29.306 put him almost half-a-second clear of the field before a red flag stoppage was called to repair some barrier damage after an off for the new #17 NM Racing Team Mercedes-AMG.
The session restarted with 25mins left, but improvements proved scarce, with Guilvert staying top as Gabriele Piana moved the #12 Borusan Otomotiv BMW he shares with Thomas Rackl to second, still 0.4s down on Guilvert’s time.
GT4 Europe returnee Roberto Faria and Roméo Leurs were third quickest in the #9 Mirage Racing Supra ahead of Pro-Am pace-setters Charlie Robertson and Ravi Ramyead aboard Elite’s #71 McLaren, making it four different brands inside the top four. McKenzy Cresswell and Charlie Hart were fifth in the sister Artura as series newcomers Linus Hahne and Philip Wiskirchen rounded out the top six in their ME Motorsport BMW.
Turner and Daniel Lavery wound up second in Pro-Am, but seven places overall behind the Robertson/Ramyead McLaren, with Paolo and Davide Meloni third in the W&D Racing Team M4.
Julien Ripert set the Am class pace for Team Speedcar, with the #44 Audi finishing ahead of Mikael and Christoffer Brunnhagen’s GR Sweden Supra and the W&S Motorsport Porsche shared by Max Kronberg and Daniel Blickle.
Free Practice 2 is set for 18:30.