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Rob
11th December 2015, 07:43
Clearwater Ferrari tops final free practice
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Wet conditions made the drivers' life difficult at the start of the third free practice session for the 2015 Sepang 12 Hours. During the opening stages, lap times could not get under 2'10, but when the sun came out some fifteen minutes before the end of the session, things improved rather quickly.

In the end it was the #1 Clearwater Racing Ferrari - which had only left pitlane for the first time five minutes before the end of the session - that topped the timing sheets. Gianmaria Bruni set three fastest laps in a row, eventually clocking a 2'05.066. Laurens Vanthoor in the #17 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi was the only driver getting near last year's winner, clocking a time just under half a second slower. All other teams decided not to go for a fast lap in the dying minutes of the session.

Good news is that both the #80 Team Proton Lotus Exige and the #86 Wing Hin Motorsport Toyota, both struck by mechanical issues yesterday, took part in the session. Qualifying for the Sepang 12 Hours starts at 15.00 (UTC +8). Followed by the Shoot out (Top 15 cars) @17.00 (UTC +8).

Gianmaria Bruni (# Clearwater Racing Ferrari, winner 2014 Sepang 12 Hours): "It is always nice to be back here in Malaysia. The Sepang 12 Hours is a very challenging race, especially because of the heat and the humidity. In the past I tried to fly over early to adapt to those conditions, but that did not really work out for me. So know I do some workouts in the heat, to get used to it. The track in itself is one of the best circuits around, really enjoyable for a driver. We have high ambitions, Clearwater Racing have won the last two editions of the race, even though the competition is very high this year. It will not be easy, but we are ready to take them on."

Rob
11th December 2015, 07:45
Changeable weather conditions foretaste for Sepang 12 Hours
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The first day of action at the 2015 Sepang 12 Hours saw two official free practice sessions, both partly run in wet conditions. The final minutes of each practice session proved to be the quickest, with James Calado setting the fastest time in the #1 Clearwater Racing Ferrari.

Two two-hour free practice sessions gave the drivers and teams taking part in the 2015 Sepang 12 Hours ample time to understand that the weather conditions at the Sepang International Circuit are changeable to say the least. The 5,543 km was hit by showers just before the first free practice session started, which meant that the drivers not only had to deal with driving into the night, but also had to cope with a wet track.

It took some time for a dry line to form, and it was only when there was less than one hour to go that the 2'05 barrier was broken for the first time. With his lap of 2'04.385, Christopher Mies in the #150 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi looked set to claim the fastest time in FP1, but Carlo Van Dam took his #11 Singha Motorsport Team Ferrari by the scruff of its neck and set a scorching 2'03.563, a full two tenths of a second quicker than last year's fastest race lap.

Behind Mies, 2014 Sepang winner Gianmaria Bruni set the third-fastest time of the first free practice, at the wheel of the #1 Clearwater Racing Ferrari. The fastest time in the GTC class was set by the #69 Team Fydis Aylezo Lamborghini, while the #602 Jim Hunter Motorsport Subaru was on top in the Touring Car division.

With slightly cooler temperatures for the second free practice session, there was a big chance that the lap times of FP1 would be improved. Both Nobuteru Taniguchi in the #35 Team AAI - HubAuto Mercedes and Dominic Ang in the #27 Naza Nexus Ferrari dove into the 2'04, but then the Malaysian weather gods decided that they would shed some more rain over the Sepang Circuit, apparently ruining the possibility of any further improvements.

But forty minutes before the end of the session, the track had dried enough to see James Calado set an impressive 2'03.512 with the #1 Clearwater Racing Ferrari, just edging under Carlo Van Dam's time from the first free practice session. Other teams and drivers did not seem to bother to go and set a quick lap time, although Andrea Caldarelli improved the #55 FFF Racing Team by ACM McLaren's lap time and finished up in fourth. At the wheel of the #69 Team Fydis Aylezo Lamborghini Mitchell Gilbert was again impressive, beating the second car in GTC by almost five seconds.

Tomorrow's action at the Sepang International Circuit starts at 11.00 (UTC+8), with the third free practice session. The grid for the 2015 edition of the Asian endurance classic will be set in the afternoon.

Practical Information Sepang 12Hours

Weekend Timetable (UTC +8)

Friday, December 11th
Free Practice 3 : 11:00 - 12:30
Qualifying : 15:00 - 16:30
Top 15 Shootout : 17:00 – 17:15

Saturday, December 12th
Race Start Sepang 12Hours at 12:00

Sunday, December 13th
Race Finish Sepang 12Hours at 00:00?

Rob
11th December 2015, 07:48
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