Auer keeps GruppeM Mercedes ahead in FP2 in Abu Dhabi – Sportscar365

Photo: JEP/SRO

Lucas Auer timed the No. 98 GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo for the second and final free practice session before qualifying for Sunday’s 12 Hours of the Gulf Table top.

The Austrian was quickest with a best lap time of 1:51.849 halfway through the 60-minute race after an accident at the wheel of the car on Friday.

Auer’s time was 0.087 seconds faster than his team-mate Dani Juncadella in the No. 89 GruppeM Mercedes, which could win the Intercontinental GT Challenge, a Pirelli drivers’ championship provided by the Spaniard and co-drivers Jules Gounon and Raffaele Marciello.

The ’66 Team Tressor Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II of Kelvin van der Linde, Dennis Marshall and Mattia Drudi was third, followed by GetSpeed ​​Mercedes’ Al Manar Racing and a pair of AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020s.

The top six cars were all IGTC-nominated entries.

Garage 59’s Sky Tempesta themed McLaren 720S GT3, driven by Chris Froggatt, was seventh fastest overall in the GT3 Pro-Am class, while the GT3 Am was driven by Kessel Racing Ferrari, who finished 11th.

The No. 92 Centri Porsche Ticino Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car was once again the fastest of the GT Cup entries.

Qualifying will consist of four 15-minute sessions for each driver and is scheduled to start at 5pm local time.

result: Free Practice 2

john dargis Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys was a motorsports reporter for FOXSports.com and the SPEED Channel for eight years and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications around the world. contact john