Silverstone ELMS – Saturday AM Qualifying

It’s very quiet in the ELMS paddock, as the cars don’t run until 11am (GTs) and 11.30 (Prototypes). The weather looks like it could do anything – it’s not as cold as recently, but the sky looks threatening.

An action packed day, with final practice for WEC, qualifying for both championships and the four hour ELMS race.

Today is a big day for Gibson, where we find out if the 015S will prove to be a pace setter. We know it is an improvement over last year, but we are racing against the current cars, not last year’s cars. It’s a moving target, but this is the challenge that we do the job for.

The final practice session for the WEC cars was wet. It produced a terrific spectacle, but times never got within ten seconds of a dry time.

The Formula 3 race had a few delays, so we are running about fifteen minutes behind schedule.

Harry will be qualifying Jota’s car, Jon Lancaster will be in the Greaves Gibson.

SMP Orecas are first to be pushing hard, and Minassian has a rare spin early on.

Berthon is first to dip below 1.50, in the Murphy Oreca. Greaves and Jota are playing it cool (easy in this weather). They leave it very late to come out. Hoping to find the best of the grip at the end of the session.

Lancaster goes quickest at 1.48.7. Tincknell goes off on his first hot lap. A big slide, sends him through the gravel. He remains on track. He sits in ninth place.

Greaves have returned to the pits, with six tenths advantage, over TDS in second place. Jota are in fifth, but just sneak across the line before the chequered flag…….YES……It’s a Gibson front row lock out! Tincknell goes second, and it’s a pole for Greaves Motorsport. Brilliant.

Times have disappeared off the screen – so I’ll have to update later, but Gibson first and second is all we need to know at the moment.

 

 

 

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