ELMS - FP1: Panis Racing Out in Front after First Practice

The 90-minute session was interrupted by a red flag when the no19 Team Virage Oreca, driven by Tristan Vautier, went off track at T4, hitting the tyre wall.Vautier emerged unharmed but the barrier was damaged and had to be repaired before the session could resume.

While Panis Racing set the pace, the rest of the field was led by the no28 IDEC Sport Oreca, with Reshad de Gerus setting a 1m35.020 lap time, 0.006s ahead of the no23 United Autosports of Paul Di Resta.

The no20 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca was fourth fastest overall and the quickest of the eight LMP2 Pro/Am cars.Alex Quinn set a 1m35.218 lap, which was 0.777s faster and three places higher than the next LMP2 Pro/Am car, the no3 DKR Engineering Oreca.

LMP3 was headed by the no17 COOL Racing Ligier, with Manuel Espirito Santo setting a 1m42.337, 0.747s ahead of the no15 RLR MSport Ligier of Gael Julien and 1.274s ahead of the no8 Team Virage Ligier in third.

It was a Ferrari 1-2-3 in the LMGT3 category for the first ELMS session on home soil for the Italian manufacturer, with the no57 Kessel Racing 296 of Daniel Serra setting the pace with a 1m46.583, 0.072s ahead of the no50 Formula Racing Ferrari of Nicklas Nielsen and 0.461s seconds ahead of the no51 AF Corse Ferrari of Nico Varrone.

Results are HERE