It was at 7:20 p.m. local time that the cars in the Hypercar category took to the track, for the first qualification of this long-awaited 2023 season. In difficulty since its arrival in Florida, Peugeot had a complicated start to the session with the n°93, Mikkel Jensen stopping on the track before finally setting off again.
The first significant time is signed by Loïc Duval, at the wheel of the Peugeot n°94 in 1’51”858. But without much surprise, the Frenchman was quickly dislodged by Brendon Hartley (Toyota n°8) then by Michael Christensen (Porsche 963 n°5), who took the best time in 1’47”387.
Confirming the good dispositions of the Ferrari 499P, Alessandro Pier Guidi goes under 1’47, before Hartley slams a 1’45”364, closely followed by his teammate Kamui Kobayashi.
Will we stop there? Well no, since Antonio Fuoco comes to repel Hartley to 0”291 at the wheel of his Hypercar hit by the prancing horse. If the New Zealander gives everything to take back his property, he does not succeed, any more than his Japanese sidekick. Ferrari, Toyota, Toyota, Ferrari, such is the leading quartet, grouped in 0”807.
Alex Lynn raises the Cadillac V-Series.R to fourth place, at 1’015, while the two Porsches and the two Peugeots are relegated to more than two seconds, and even three for the n°93, which seems to have encountered worry.
Finally, in the clan of privateers, it was Glickenhaus who took the best on Vanwall thanks to Olivier Pla, but still 4”097 from the reference mark. The Vandervell 680 is less than two-tenths away, however.
Qualifications Hypercar
- The summary of the qualification in GTE-Am is HERE
- The summary of the qualifying in LMP2 is HERE