Searing pace as Audi tops Bathurst 12 Hour Practice 1

AUDI has edged its German rivals to top the opening practice session at the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour.

Kelvin van der Linde set the fastest time aboard the #22 Jamec Pem MPC Audi prior to the halfway point of the 20-minute session.

The South African’s 2m02.7346s lap came at the end of a string of flyers and represents both the first time the field has dipped into the ‘twos’ in the opening session of the weekend, undercutting the quickest time in last year’s Practice 1 by well over a second.

SPOTTER GUIDE: Photos of every car in the 2024 Bathurst 12 Hour

All of the top-five cars also undercut last year’s mark. The WRT BMWs ended the session second and third, with van der Linde’s brother Sheldon aboard the #32 BMW edging Rafaelle Marciello in the #46 BMW.

Reigning victor Jules Gounon was next quickest in the #75 SunEnergy1 entry, the fastest of the Mercedes-AMG fleet, while Ricardo Feller rounded out the top five in the #2 Jamec Pem Audi.

The Pro class #912 Manthey EMA Porsche was sixth, with the #888 Triple Eight Mercedes-AMG, #27 Heart of Racing Mercedes-AMG, #130 GruppeM Mercedes-AMG and #88 Triple Eight Mercedes-AMG rounding out the top 10.

The session was completed in cool weather under cloudy skies without any crashes or spins, despite tricky early conditions with damp patches around the circuit following overnight rain.

There was, however, a scare for the session-topping Audi; van der Linde made light contact with the Invitational-class #702 IRC GT of Danny Stutterd at the Cutting amid his string of quick laps. Both cars continued without damage.

The bulk of the fastest times came in the first half of the session, with only Weerts and Marciello improving their entries’ times later among the top-five finishers.

Most of the Pro and Pro-Am squads only fielded their Platinum and Gold-graded pilots; Liam Talbot didn’t turn any laps in the session-topping #22 Audi, while MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi will also get his first laps for the weekend in the #46 BMW in a later session, as will Kenny Habul in the #75 Mercedes-AMG.

Practice 2 gets underway at 9:50am AEDT, a session that will cater solely to Bronze categorised drivers.

RESULTS: Practice 1, 2024 Bathurst 12 Hour (40min)