Kamui Kobayashi in the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid topped the second 90-minute practice session ahead of the WEC’s 6 Hours of Monza with a lap time of 1:36.363 around the ‘Temple of Speed.’
The Toyota vs Ferrari battle from Le Mans looks set to carry over into Monza this weekend, as the second-placed Hypercar was the #50 Ferrari 499P, with Antonio Fuoco setting a time of 1:36.533. Third place was the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid, with Brendon Hartley setting a time of 1:36.686. Cadillac made their way into the top four in the #2 V-Series.R machine courtesy of Alexander Lynn’s lap time of 1:36.748. The #5 Penske Porsche 963 came in fifth thanks to Frédéric Makowiecki’s time of 1:36.991.
There were more issues for Proton Competition, who brought out a full course yellow midway through the session when their #99 Porsche 963, came to a halt, just as it did in opening practice. However, there was an improvement in pace for the team on their Hypercar debut, as Harry Tincknell posted a lap time of 1:37.181, good enough for sixth place. In seventh was the first practice pacesetting #51 Ferrari 499P of Alessandro Pier Guidi. The Italian posted a time of 1:37.204. Rounding out the top eight in Hypercar was the #9 Peugeot 9X8, with Jean-Eric Vergne setting a time of 1:37.269.
Just as it was in Le Mans, the LMP2 battle looks set to be between Inter Europol and WRT as the same three cars from first practice, were atop the LMP2 timesheets in this session, albeit in a different order. Once again the championship-leading WRT #41 Oreca 07-Gibson topped the category with Robert Kubica’s time of 1:39.955. Le Mans LMP2 winners Inter Europol Competition took second place in their #34 Oreca 07-Gibson, with Albert Costa setting a time of 1:40.136. Completing the WRT/Inter Europol sandwich was the third-placed WRT #31 Oreca 07-Gibson, thanks to Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen’s time of 1:40.162.
In LMGTE Am, three Porsche 911 RSR – 19 machines topped the standings, led by the #60 Iron Lynx of Alessio Picariello, who set a time of 1:46.973. In second was Riccardo Pera in the #86 GR Racing entry, with a time of 1:47.331. Third in GTE Am went to Matteo Cairoli in the #56 Project 1 – AO Porsche, with a time of 1:47.499.
Who will carry their Friday form into Saturday morning for Free Practice 3? That session goes to green at 10:45 local time.
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