Porsche sets early pace; Ferrari responds in second practice at COTA
The Lone Star Le Mans traditionally held at the Circuit of the Americas returned for the first time since 2020, playing host to round six of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship. The opening day of the event featured two practice sessions held at the partially resurfaced 5.5-kilometre layout
Porsche Penske leads the way in FP1
Porsche Penske set the tone in the Hypercar category during Free Practice 1, with Matt Campbell in the #5 car clocking the fastest lap at 1:53.574s. Robert Kubica in the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P had initially led the session with a 1:54.034s lap, securing second place. Oliver Rasmussen in the #38 Hertz Team Jota Porsche followed closely, finishing third just 0.017s behind Kubica.
Ferrari’s strong presence continued with Antonio Fuoco placing fourth in the #50 Ferrari AF Corse 499P, while Antonio Giovinazzi’s late effort secured fifth in the #51 Ferrari. Cadillac Racing, led by Alex Lynn in the V-Series.R Hypercar, ended the session in sixth place. The #6 Porsche Penske, driven by championship leaders Andre Lotterer, Kevin Estre, and Laurens Vanthoor, took seventh.
BMW’s #20 M Hybrid Hypercar, piloted by Rene Rast, finished eighth, with the sister car in ninth. The top 10 was rounded out by Nyck de Vries in the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hypercar.
The session faced brief interruptions, including an early red flag for a procedural check and a full course yellow after the #60 Iron Lynx Lamborghini stopped on track.
In LMGT3, Alessio Rovera in the #55 VISTA AF Corse Ferrari 296 topped the timesheets with a 2:06.316s lap. The #88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang, driven by Dennis Olsen, followed closely in second place, just 0.159s behind. Ben Barker in the #77 Proton Ford Mustang secured third, only 0.2s off the pace.
TF Sport’s Corvette GT3 cars performed well, with the #81 and #82 entries finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. The Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3, driven by Daniel Mancinelli, completed the top six.
Ferrari dominates FP2
The second session saw Ferrari take control of the Hypercar class. Antonio Giovinazzi in the #51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P posted the fastest lap of the day at 1:52.268s, with teammate Antonio Fuoco just 0.052s behind in the #50 car.
BMW’s #20 Hypercar, driven by Sheldon van der Linde, was third, despite ending the session early after a spin. Cadillac Racing’s Alex Lynn placed fourth, while Robert Kubica’s #83 Ferrari finished fifth.
Toyota improved in the afternoon session, with Sebastien Buemi’s #8 GR010 Hypercar finishing sixth. Mike Conway’s #7 Toyota rounded out the top 10.
In LMGT3, TF Sport’s Corvette Z06, driven by Daniel Juncadel
la, topped the timesheets with a 2:05.868s lap. The #55 VISTA AF Corse Ferrari, fastest in FP1, placed second, followed by the #54 sister car in third.
