AF Corse topped the timesheets in Official Paid Test Session 1 after Car #51 posted the fastest lap of 2:18.002. The Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO, driven by Alessio Rovera, Tommaso Mosca, and Nicklas Nielsen, edged a tightly contested field during the opening test session, with less than two-tenths of a second separating the top five entries.
The AF Corse trio established the benchmark early in the session and maintained its advantage despite strong challenges from Mercedes-AMG and Ferrari competitors. Their lap of 2:18.002 proved enough to finish at the top of the classification.
M-AMG Team GetSpeed claimed second place with Car #17. Drivers Maxime Martin, Maximilian Götz, and Fabian Schiller matched the pace throughout the session, recording a best lap of 2:18.093 in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
Kessel Racing completed the top three with its Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO. The Bronze Cup entry of Dustin Blattner, Ben Tuck, Mathys Jaubert, and Dennis Marschall also posted a 2:18.093 lap, finishing just 0.091 seconds behind the session leaders.
Fourth place went to M-AMG Team MANN-FILTER, whose Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO was driven by Lucas Auer, Luca Stolz, and Maro Engel. The trio recorded a fastest lap of 2:18.149, only 0.147 seconds off the quickest time.
AF Corse placed a second Ferrari inside the top five as Car #71, driven by Conrad Laursen, Malte Ebdrup, Simon Birch, and Frederik Schandorff, recorded a lap of 2:18.161. The Gold Cup entry finished just 0.159 seconds behind the session-leading Ferrari.
The close margins at the top of the timing sheets highlighted the competitiveness of the GT3 field heading into the race weekend, with Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG emerging as the early pace setters.
Standout Performances
• AF Corse’s Car #51 set the fastest lap of 2:18.002.
• M-AMG Team GetSpeed finished second with a 2:18.093 lap.
• Kessel Racing secured third with an identical 2:18.093 time.
• The top five were covered by just 0.159 seconds.
• Ferrari occupied three of the top five positions.
Turning Point
AF Corse’s benchmark lap of 2:18.002 remained unbeaten for the remainder of the session, despite several late improvements from rival Mercedes-AMG and Ferrari entries.
Session Statistics
Event: Official Paid Test Session 1
Fastest Team: AF Corse
Car: Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO
Fastest Time: 2:18.002
Top Five Classification
• 1. Car #51 – AF Corse (Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO) – 2:18.002
• 2. Car #17 – M-AMG Team GetSpeed (Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO) – 2:18.093
• 3. Car #74 – Kessel Racing (Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO) – 2:18.093
• 4. Car #48 – M-AMG Team MANN-FILTER (Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO) – 2:18.149
• 5. Car #71 – AF Corse (Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO) – 2:18.161
Sources
• Official Session Timing
• Official Event Timing Classification