United States Grand Prix · Debrief
Ferrari leads Mercedes-AMG in Barcelona LMGT3 practice
Simon Mann put VISTA AF Corse’s Ferrari fastest in LMGT3 FP3 at Barcelona, ahead of Iron Lynx’s Mercedes-AMG by 0.4 seconds.
Ferrari set the pace in the final LMGT3 practice session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Simon Mann taking VISTA AF Corse’s #21 296 Evo to the top of the timesheets in dry but misty conditions.
Mann’s best lap was 1m41.696s, putting the car 0.4 seconds clear of the #61 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG. Alessio Rovera and François Hériau share the Ferrari with Mann. The session was the first bespoke 60-minute practice run exclusively for LMGT3 cars at the event.
The result continues the Mercedes entry’s strong showing across practice, after it also demonstrated competitive pace in Friday’s opening two sessions. For context from the earlier running, see our reports on Aston Martin and McLaren leading Barcelona WEC FP2 and Ferrari topping both classes in FP1.
Lexus, McLaren and Ford fill the next places
Akkodis ASP Team placed third, with the #87 Lexus RC F of José María López, Clemens Schmid and Petru Umbrărescu. Garage 59’s #58 McLaren finished fourth, ahead of Proton Competition’s #88 Ford Mustang, which was the highest-placed Ford.
The McLaren crew of Alexander West, Benjamin Goethe and Finn Gehrsitz is looking to recover this weekend after its race-ending accident at Fuji. The #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin took sixth, with Eduardo Barrichello, Gray Newell and Jonny Adam aboard. The trio is seeking a response after the team’s retirement in Japan last month.
VISTA AF Corse’s other Ferrari, the #54? No—the second 296 Evo, driven by Thomas Flohr, Francesco Castellacci and Davide Rigon, placed seventh. Ferrari is aiming to end an 11-race LMGT3 winless run.
Manthey enters the top 10 as Corvette sits 15th
Manthey’s #92 Porsche, the 2025 title-winning car, took eighth. It finished ahead of the #69 Team WRT BMW and the #78 Akkodis ASP Lexus, which completed the top 10.
The championship-leading #33 TF Sport Corvette again failed to reach the leading group, ending the session 15th among 18 cars.
LMGT3 qualifying and Hyperpole are scheduled to follow at 11:50 CEST. The Barcelona weekend’s wider title picture is covered in our preview of the Hypercar and LMGT3 battles.