RAM Racing Mercedes got their Intelligent Money British GT weekend at Donington Park off to a fine start as their cars took 1-2 positions in the Free Practice One.
Silver rated #69 entry of Patrick Kujala and Sam de Haan were 0.171 seconds faster than their Pro-Am team-mates Yelmer Buurman and Ian Loggie in the #6 entry.
The two Mercedes held a private duel for the honour of fastest Merc at Donington but ultimately Buurman could not beat Kujala’s time, in a session that saw the top 11 covered by one second.
The session was halted at the 20 minute mark when Jack Mitchell spun the #10 2Seas Motorsports McLaren into the gravel at Redgate, but the session was quickly resumed.
Despite only being a practice session, the championship leading #78 Barwell Motorsports Lamborghini of Rob Collard/Sandy Mitchell was handed a 2 minutes stop/hold penalty for an unsafe release in the pitlane.
The #22 Balfe Motorsports McLaren also joined the Lambo on the naughty step with the exactly same punishment for being too eager to start the session joining the session too soon.
Despite their misdemeanour, the #78 Lambo eventually set the third fastest time, just 0.002 seconds off Buurman’s fastest time and also preventing a Mercedes 1-2-3 by beating Sam and Richard Neary’s #8 Team ABBA AMG GT by 0.252 seconds.
Brands Hatch GT4 winner Jordan Albert/Matt Cowley in the #61 Academy Motorsport Ford Mustang continued their good form by dominating the session to take fastest time.
The Mustang was 0.3 seconds of Sam Smelt/James Kell in the #23 Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Supra as the two crews held the top two spots throughout the session.
The GT4 top three was rounded out Patrick Kibble/Connor O’Brien in the first of the TF Sport Aston Martins which was 0.136 seconds off Smelt’s time.
