Menchaca-Costa (Motopark Mercedes) fastest in tight free practice
20.10.2023
It was a beautiful but windy Friday of free practice at Barcelona ahead of final and decisive rounds of the season. Title contender Diego Menchaca, associated with local star Albert Costa in the Motopark Mercedes, put on the best lap time (1.41.259), beating by 0s334 the Greystone McLaren of Stewart and Lewis Proctor. Third was the Optimum McLaren of the other main title bidders, Sam De Haan-Charlie Fagg, 0s471 behind, and fourth the Baron Ferrari of Ernst Kirchmayr, with Axcil Jefferies subbing last-minute for Philipp Baron, who suffers from a shoulder injury, and being the fastest man in FP3 and among Am cars.
Fifth-fastest was the Al Manar Getspeed Mercedes of Faisal Al Zubair-Fabian Schiller (-0s550), right ahead of the fastest car in FP2 (Thursday’s Bronze test), the AF Corse Ferrari of Jean Claude Saada-Conrad Grunewald (-0s559).
Twelve cars finished covered by one second, with the 12th being the third title contender, the Eastalent Audi of Simon Reicher-Christopher Haase (-0s967).
Cozzi-Sernagiotto crashed their Ferrari 296 on Thursday’s private test and will contest the weekend with a 488 dispatched from AF Corse’s factory. There was also a scary moment for the Street Art Racing Aston at the last corner in FP1, but with reduced damage.
29 cars are present at Barcelona, with the absence of racing one, Lionspeed GP and the second Bonaldi. Among last-minute changes also include Dominik Baumann replaces Reece Barr in the #20 SPS Mercedes.
