Ferrari Dominates COTA FP3 as Ford Mustang Leads LMGT3 Charge
A strong showing from Ferrari highlighted the third and final free practice session at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, while the Ford Mustang set the pace in the LMGT3 class. The session, which commenced at 18:00 local time, provided valuable track time for teams ahead of qualifying.
Hypercar Class: Ferrari Sets the Benchmark
The hypercar class witnessed a competitive session under stable, mostly overcast conditions. Air temperatures reached 29.7 degrees Celsius, with the asphalt peaking at 35.2 degrees Celsius – a slight decrease from the previous day, continuing a predicted cooling trend throughout the weekend. Teams benefited from a largely uninterrupted hour of practice, a welcome change from the challenges experienced during Friday’s free practice sessions.
Extensive runs were completed by several hypercar manufacturers, with Ferrari, Cadillac, and Alpine proving particularly strong, consistently lapping in the 1:53 to 1:54 range. Ultimately, it was the Ferrari #83 that emerged on top, posting a fastest lap of 1:51.967. This performance placed it ahead of the Ferrari #50, which finished just 0.190 seconds behind. Rounding out the top three was the Alpine #35, with a lap time of 1:52.171, a mere 0.204 seconds off the leading Ferrari.
LMGT3: Ford Mustang Claims Top Spot
The LMGT3 class delivered its customary close battle, with minimal gaps separating the competitors. The Proton Competition #77 Ford Mustang secured the fastest time of 2:05.947, leading the field. The Akkodis team’s Lexus, car number 87, followed closely in second place with a time of 2:06.220, trailing by 0.273 seconds. Completing the podium was the Iron Lynx #61 Mercedes, clocking in at 2:06.232.
According to reports, the tight competition within the LMGT3 category makes predicting outcomes particularly difficult.
Qualifying is scheduled for 22:00 Italian time.
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