The #89 AKKA-ASP Mercedes AMG GT3 of Daniele Perfetti, Alex Fontana and Ludovic Badey ran quickest of the 50 cars during the two Blancpain GT Series Test Days at Paul Ricard, with a time of 1:56.558 set by ex-McLaren GT Driver Academy graduate Fontana on Tuesday afternoon.

The trio’s best time was less than a tenth quicker than the second best time of the two days, which was set early on Tuesday morning by Orange 1 Team Lazarus, a team which is new to the Blancpain paddock. The best time by the GT Open regular’s Lamborghini Huracan – driven by Fabrizio Crestani and Gustavo Yucatan – was a 1:56.620, set by Crestani.

It was a very tight two days on the timing screens, with the top 12 within the same second on the final afternoon of running.

Meanwhile, on Monday, it was an Audi which lapped fastest, with the #75 ISR R8 LMS of Filip Salaquarda, Clemens Schmidt and Audi stalwart Frank Stippler the best of the five on the entry. The flyer was set by Salaquarda who reeled off a 1:56.789. In the afternoon it was an Audi 1-2, as the #25 Sainteloc Racing Audi managed to climb to second on the screens.

Both R8 times were set in the afternoon, following the Rinaldi Racing #333 Ferrari 488 topping the screens and setting the pace in the first session of the season earlier in the day.

The opening round of the 2017 Blancpain GT Series is set to take place at Misano, Italy, where the Blancpain Sprint Cup runners will compete in two hour-long races on April 1/2.

Photos courtesy of Blancpain GT