Audi sets early Le Mans test pace

Audi topped the times during the first four-hour session at the Le Mans test day.

Marco Bonanomi managed two laps good enough to put the #3 Audi R18 e-tron quattro at the top of the timesheets, ending up on a 3m23.799s. He had been quickest on a 3m25.297s before improving right at the end of the session when he found a clear track after a safety car period.

Audi Sport Team Joest technical driector Ralf Juttner said: "We are a bit surprised to be quickest, but we shouldn't read too much into the times – there were a lot of purple sectors from other cars."

Bonanomi's lap put him more than two seconds ahead of the #8 Toyota TS040 HYBRID, which ended up on a 3m25.881s set by Sebastien Buemi with just under an hour to go.

The best of the Porsche 919 Hybrids also recorded its quickest time after the safety car, Brendon Hartley putting in a 3m26.179s in the #20 car. That was just two tenths quicker than Alex Wurz in the second of the Toyotas.

The LMP2 times were headed by Paul-Loup Chatin in the Signatech Alpine team's ORECA-Nissan 03R. His best of 3m39.922s was 1.3 seconds quicker than Audi reserve driver Marc Gene in Jota Sport's Zytek-Nissan Z11SN.

Giancarlo Fisichella was quickest in GTE Pro with the best of the AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italias. A 3m57.982s put the #51 car six tenths ahead of the privateer Ram Racing Ferrari.

Raffaele Giammaria was quickest in GTE Am in his AF Corse Ferrari.