Home Formula RegionalFRegional Oceania Ferrucci quickest in Friday practice at Teretonga

Ferrucci quickest in Friday practice at Teretonga

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
Photo: Toyota Racing Series

Photo: Toyota Racing Series

Giles Motorsport’s Santino Ferrucci emerged as a pacesetter over the three testing sessions for the Toyota Racing Series round at Teretonga.

Ferrucci featured among the frontrunners for much of the day before securing the top spot in final practice.

The American kicked off Friday as the quickest driver, leading the opening session at halfway point. However, James Munro, recovering from a Thursday marred by engine troubles, then took over at the top, before yielding to Brandon Maisano.

Sam MacLeod then entered the picture, vaulting to the top in the final ten-minute stretch. A subsequent red flag prematurely ended the fight for the honours, leaving the Scotsman as the leader.

Ferrucci took second, with third-placed Munro rounding out a Giles 1-2-3. Maisano was fourth, ahead of Thursday pacesetter Dzhon Simonyan and Arjun Maini.

Karting graduates Callum Ilott and Nikita Mazepin were seventh and eighth, leading championship leader Lance Stroll and his teammate Artem Markelov.

Kiwi Munro then ran the show early on in session two, but it was Charlie Eastwood, just 16th in the first run, who eventually topped the timesheets. Maini, an everpresent figure in the top ten, was second, ahead of Mazepin, Stroll and Markelov.

Maisano was sixth, while Munro’s early benchmark was good enough for seventh. Ferrucci took eighth, leading Jamie Conroy and Stefan Riener.

Final practice was all about Ferrucci, who immediately assumed the lead and held it until the red flag. When the session restarted, the American improved to beat MacLeod’s first-practice benchmark, before becoming the first driver to go below 53s with his very next lap.

He remained first until the checkered flag, while Maini was second yet again. Alfonso Celis broke through to claim third, ahead of Munro and Riener.

Brendon Leitch took sixth, with Thomas Randle leading Matteo Ferrer in seventh. Russians Markelov and Simonyan rounded out the top ten.

Session results
Pos. Driver Team S1 S2 S3
1 Santino Ferrucci Giles Motorsport 53.042 53.428 52.754
2 Arjun Maini M2 Competition 53.403 53.209 52.803
3 Alfonso Celis Giles Motorsport 53.621 53.797 53.003
4 James Munro Giles Motorsport 53.124 53.407 53.018
5 Sam MacLeod Giles Motorsport 53.025 53.736 53.253
6 Stefan Riener Victory Motor Racing 53.629 53.556 53.084
7 Charlie Eastwood M2 Competition 53.798 53.092 53.562
8 Brendon Leitch Victory Motor Racing 53.935 53.569 53.097
9 Thomas Randle ETEC Motorsport 53.952 53.690 53.141
10 Matteo Ferrer ETEC Motorsport 53.662 53.806 53.157
11 Brandon Maisano M2 Competition 53.170 53.400 53.851
12 Artem Markelov M2 Competition 53.600 53.358 53.199
13 Dzhon Simonyan Giles Motorsport 53.312 53.562 53.201
14 Callum Ilott ETEC Motorsport 53.429 53.712 53.242
15 Nikita Mazepin ETEC Motorsport 53.464 53.242 53.939
16 Lance Stroll M2 Competition 53.527 53.321 No Time
17 Mathias Kristensen M2 Competition 53.832 54.061 53.365
18 Ferdinand Habsburg Victory Motor Racing 53.739 53.595 53.405
19 Jamie Conroy M2 Competition 53.710 53.509 53.703
20 Damon Leitch Victory Motor Racing 54.305 54.616 No Time

Personal best time in bold
Best time of session in italics