AutoAction
FREE DIGITAL MAGAZINE SIGN UP

Ferrari ends tight Friday on top

Mostert Ferrari

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: April 12, 2024

Chaz Mostert has ensured Ferrari and Arise Racing end its first day in GT World Challenge Australia at the top of the timesheets, but only just.

Mostert’s 1:26.2569 in the #1 Ferrari 296 GT3 he is sharing with reigning champion Liam Talbot was the top time of the final session.

However, it was not by much with less than two tenths covering the entire top five, setting up a fascinating battle ahead in the GT season opener at Phillip Island.

Just 0.0173s back is the Mercedes of Jayden Ojeda, whilst the sister Arise Racing Ferrari of Jaxon Evans/Elliott Schutte is also within a tenth.

The likes of Brenton Grove, plus leading Audi of Alex Peroni and Mark Rosser are also only a tenth off the pace in the top five.

After topping the opening practice session with a 1:34.9456, the #87 Audi containing Supercars championship leader Will Brown could only settle for ninth fastest.

Two-part qualifying is next up for the GTs at 10.35 AEDT Saturday morning before the opening race of the season at 13.00.

For a SpeedSeries event with a primary sponsor such as the Ford Mustang, it is fitting that very car is dominating Trans Am.

On the combined practice times the Mustang fills the top seven spots with James Golding a cut above the rest.

Golding’s scorching 1:32.3428 was seven tenths clear of the field being the only one to register a 1m32s time.

Next best is reigning champion James Moffat, who was the only driver within a second of Golding.

Jordan Boys managed to hold of fellow Supercars drivers Tim Slade and Todd Hazelwood, who rounded out the top five.

Practice 1 was a nail-biter with Moffat leading Golding by just 0.09s albeit in much cooler and slower conditions being 10s slower than practice 2.

Qualifying awaits at 16.30 AEDT this afternoon, while the first race is at 14.10 AEDT Saturday afternoon.

Only one practice session has been completed in TCR so far and it is championship leader Zac Soutar who has the early high ground.

Soutar finished practice 1 on top with a 1:36.6598, which proved just enough to edge ahead of Tony D’Alberto by 0.06s.

The likes of Clay Richards and Josh Buchan were also within half a second, while Dylan O’Keeffe ensured there were five different manufacturers in the top five.

TCR goes qualifying at 11.25 AEDT before racing at 15.15 AEDT.

The Race Phillip Island event will be broadcast on 7plus and 7mate this weekend.

Image: RACE PROJECT

Don’t forget the latest issue of Auto Action will be available via subscription here or at selected outlets. For more of the latest motorsport news, subscribe to AUTO ACTION magazine.

CLICK THE IMAGE TO READ THE LATEST DIGITAL MAGAZINE

Podcast: Brodie Kostecki is back and the Auto Action RevLimiter is back to Wednesday Breakfast.

We talk about the return of Kostecki, the death of Bev Brock, and malaise overcoming F1. And then there’s all the latest news.. out now on your podcast app of choice or here Australia’s Leading Motorsport News Podcast | The RevLimiter

Listen to our latest episode on your podcast app of choice or here

    

Shares

Recent Stories

array (
  0 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 5191,
     'name' => 'GT World Challenge',
     'slug' => 'gt-world-challenge',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 5191,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 659,
     'count' => 27,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 5191,
     'category_count' => 27,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'GT World Challenge',
     'category_nicename' => 'gt-world-challenge',
     'category_parent' => 659,
  )),
  1 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 11,
     'name' => 'Latest News',
     'slug' => 'latest-news',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 11,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 0,
     'count' => 13300,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 11,
     'category_count' => 13300,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'Latest News',
     'category_nicename' => 'latest-news',
     'category_parent' => 0,
  )),
  2 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 1527,
     'name' => 'TCR',
     'slug' => 'tcr',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 1527,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 659,
     'count' => 524,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 1527,
     'category_count' => 524,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'TCR',
     'category_nicename' => 'tcr',
     'category_parent' => 659,
  )),
  3 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 1980,
     'name' => 'Trans Am',
     'slug' => 'trans-am',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 1980,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 659,
     'count' => 188,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 1980,
     'category_count' => 188,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'Trans Am',
     'category_nicename' => 'trans-am',
     'category_parent' => 659,
  )),
  4 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 2029,
     'name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
     'slug' => 'email',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 2029,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 2031,
     'count' => 4217,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 2029,
     'category_count' => 4217,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
     'category_nicename' => 'email',
     'category_parent' => 2031,
  )),
  5 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 2031,
     'name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
     'slug' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 2031,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 0,
     'count' => 3616,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 2031,
     'category_count' => 3616,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
     'category_nicename' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
     'category_parent' => 0,
  )),
)
81192
Wood

Aussie Wood making an impact on and off the track

Australian international racer Caitlin Wood will be making a mark on and off the track in the 2024 Porsche Sprint Challenge GB season. Whilst the Australian version begins at Phillip […]

Piastri blames Stroll, pleased with points

Oscar Piastri has stood up for his fellow Australian and said Lance Stroll caused the carnage at the hairpin which affected his Chinese Grand Prix. As the field entered the […]

Kostecki erebus winton test aprl 10

How Kostecki is preparing for Supercars comeback

Brodie Kostecki is “happy” following his first laps driving the #1 Erebus Motorsport Camaro at Winton today. Following Monday’s bombshell announcement the championship-winning combination of Kostecki and Erebus have reunited, […]

Newey

Newey set to leave Red Bull

The latest bombshell from Red Bull could be coming soon with reports emerging that legendary designer Adrian Newey could be about to leave the team. Newey has been one of […]