Genesis Magma Racing made history in the FIA World Endurance Championship, securing their first top session with Mathieu Jaminet's impressive 1:24.271 lap time in the No. 19 Genesis GMR-001 during the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo's second practice session. This marks a significant milestone for the South Korean manufacturer, which is new to the Hypercar class this season.
Jaminet's performance was just 0.060 seconds faster than Marco Sorensen in the No. 009 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Valkyrie, showcasing the competitive nature of the field. The session saw a close battle for positions, with the top six times separated by less than a second.
The Aston Martin team dominated the session, with Harry Tincknell in the second car securing third place with a 1:24.487. The Hertz Team JOTA Cadillac V-Series.Rs followed closely, with Jack Aitken and Will Stevens in the No. 38 and No. 12 entries, respectively, just 0.085 seconds behind Tincknell.
The Alpine A424s made their mark, with Charles Milesi in the No. 35 car clocking a 1:24.755, securing fifth place. The Ferrari 499Ps also showed promise, with Robert Kubica in the No. 83 AF Corse satellite car in seventh.
The BMW M Hybrid V8 and Peugeot 9X8s were in the mix, with Dries Vanthoor in the No. 15 WRT BMW and Malthe Jakobsen in the No. 94 Peugeot both in the 1:24.9s bracket. The Toyota TR010 Hybrids, however, struggled to keep up, with Kamui Kobayashi in the No. 7 car managing only 14th place.
The session was incident-free, allowing teams to gather valuable data. The LMGT3 category was equally intense, with the Akkodis ASP Lexus RC F GT3s leading the way. Clemens Schmid and Hadrien David in the No. 87 and No. 78 Lexus cars, respectively, set the pace with a 1:34.498 and 1:34.534.
The Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo, driven by Timur Boguslavskiy, surprised with a strong 1:35.336, securing sixth place. The session's results indicate a close battle for pole position, with teams pushing their limits.
As the championship progresses, the competition intensifies, and the teams strive for perfection. The upcoming qualifying session will be a crucial test, with the top teams aiming to secure the best grid positions. The 6 Hours of Sao Paulo promises to be an exciting race, with the Genesis Magma Racing team making a strong statement in their debut season.
