Eastalent Racing topped the opening free practice session for the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup at Portimão, with Christopher Haase putting the #84 Audi just 0.004 seconds clear of Team WRT’s #32 BMW. Audi and BMW occupied the first five positions as teams began a busy Friday following Thursday’s test session.
Haase’s 1:42.643, set with 27 minutes remaining, proved enough to secure the fastest time for the Audi he shares with Markus Winkelhock and Simon Reicher. Jordan Pepper’s benchmark in the #32 BMW M4 GT3 EVO came within four thousandths, while the Gold Cup-leading #99 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi completed the top three.
BMW sets the early pace
BMW initially controlled proceedings, with Kelvin van der Linde putting the #32 WRT entry at the sharp end before handing over to Pepper. The South African kept the car on top with a 1m42.647s as the manufacturer briefly held the first three positions. Jake Dennis placed the #98 ROWE Racing BMW second, while Max Hesse completed the provisional top three in the #46 WRT entry he shares with Valentino Rossi.
Audi then challenged BMW’s advantage heading into the final half-hour. The #99 Tresor Attempto Racing entry recorded a 1:42.686, moving within 0.039 seconds of the leading WRT BMW, before Haase delivered the session’s fastest lap in the Eastalent machine. The improvements left the top five covered by just 0.063 seconds. Behind Eastalent, WRT and Tresor Attempto Racing, the #98 ROWE BMW finished fourth with a 1:42.689, ahead of the #46 WRT BMW on a 1m42.706s.
GetSpeed leads Mercedes-AMG Motorsport challenge
Fabian Schiller set the fastest Mercedes-AMG time, taking the #17 GetSpeed entry to sixth with a 1:42.795, 0.152 seconds off the overall benchmark. The #11 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin led the Bronze Cup runners in seventh overall, recording a 1m42.850s. Another Aston Martin followed in eighth, courtesy of the #34 natural elements by Walkenhorst Motorsport entry.
AF Corse’s #51 Ferrari placed ninth, while the #30 Team WRT BMW rounded out the top ten and headed the Silver Cup classification with a 1m42.902s.With teams combining shorter runs with longer stints, tyre evaluation and driver-change practice, the leading order remained largely settled through the closing stages.
Productive morning for Verstappen Racing
Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing finished 20th after completing 42 laps with Max Verstappen, Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat. Verstappen handled the opening stint, which included early contact that sent the #25 Audi into a spin. Both cars continued without damage, and the Dutchman went on to record the #3 Mercedes-AMG’s best time of 1:43.046.
He remained behind the wheel until 47 minutes into the session before handing over to Lulham. Barnicoat subsequently took over for a run in the final 20 minutes, with Verstappen returning to the cockpit for the closing laps. Race control also conducted a Full Course Yellow procedure test late in the session. Running resumed afterwards, but there was no change at the top, leaving Eastalent Racing narrowly ahead of WRT at the end of opening practice.
