Positive free practices for Ferrari 499Ps at Fuji

The weekend of the 6 Hours of Fuji, the sixth and penultimate round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, kicked off with the first two free practice sessions for the 12 Hypercars in the championship’s top class. Ferrari finished first and second in the morning session, while in the afternoon, the Prancing Horse clocked a fourth and sixth fastest time.

Free Practice 1. Following Typhoon Yun-Yeung’s arrival over the Fuji International Speedway area on Thursday afternoon, the session began on a wet track, with the asphalt ribbon partially drying out over the 90 minutes. The Ferrari 499P number 50 completed 40 laps, turning in a best time of 1’35”649, with Antonio Fuoco at the steering wheel, which earned top spot for the car shared with Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen. The crew of Hypercar number 51 came 2”609 behind in second place, with Antonio Giovinazzi posting a best time of 1’38”258.

Free Practice 2. The afternoon session ran in dry track conditions, with air and asphalt temperatures of just over 24 °C and 29 °C, respectively, allowing the Ferrari – AF Corse team to continue their set-up work, racking up 100 laps. The fastest 499P was the number 51 in fourth, with Giovinazzi – who shares the car with Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado – setting a time of 1’30”618, 1”095 behind the number 8 Toyota, which led the round. The Maranello manufacturer’s number 50 hypercar took sixth place, with Nielsen stopping the clock at 1’30”877.

The programme. The third free practice session will run on Saturday, 9 September, from 10.20 to 11.20 a.m., followed by Hypercar qualifying from 3.30 to 3.45 p.m. to decide the starting grid for the endurance event. The race begins on Sunday, 10, from 11 a.m. (times indicated are local).