AKKA ASP ended the first day of GT World Challenge Europe's pre-season test on top of the times, with Raffaele Marciello posting a best lap of 1m53.468s in the #88 Mercedes-AMG.
The Italian driver went fastest in both the morning and afternoon sessions at Circuit Paul Ricard, while the CMR Bentley came closest to his benchmark with a 1m53.855s. The #40 GPX Porsche was top for much of the afternoon only for Marciello to once again hit the front late in proceedings. Madpanda Motorsport (Mercedes-AMG), Emil Frey Racing (Lamborghini), and Attempto (Audi) also lapped in the 1m53s on Thursday.
The majority of the day was run under clear blue skies, though the weather grew overcast during the final hours of the afternoon session. Similar conditions are forecast for tomorrow, which will see another eight hours of running at the French track.
Thursday also saw the 2020 GT World Challenge Europe entry lists released, with 53 cars confirmed for the Endurance Cup and 33 for the Sprint Cup. A further day of testing follows tomorrow at Circuit Paul Ricard.