Sebring 12h: Cadillac 1-2 in the opening practice session

Renger van der Zande set the fastest time (1:48.279s) in the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R. Trailing the Dutchman by almost half a second at 1:48.758s was Jack Aitken in the No. 31 Action Express Cadillac. Nick Tandy was third overall in the No. 6 Porsche 963 with a best lap of 1:48.941s.

Leading the LMP2 class was Mikkel Jensen in the No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA, lapping the circuit in 1:51.342s. He was just ahead of ex-F1 driver Paul di Resta in the No. 2 United Autosports entry.

As expected, the GTD field was very competitive. Reigning champion Jack Hawksworth and the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 led both both the Pro and GT drivers at 2:00.202s. He was only 0.094s clear of his competition though, which was Daniel Serra in the No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) team.

#14 VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3: Jack Hawksworth, Ben Barnicoat, Kyle Kirkwood, Mike Conway, #12 VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3: Frankie Montecalvo, Parker Thompson, Aaron Telitz, Ritomo Miyata (Photo by: Art Fleischmann)

The third quickest driver and the first among the non-Pro entries was Parker Thompson in the sister Vasser Sullivan Lexus.

It was a challenging session from the get-go for the Proton Porsche team, as its No. 5 car came to a stop on its outlap and forcing a red flag. The sister No. 55 managed to get out on track, but also spent a large amount of time in the garage with mechanical gremlins.

A handful of cars did not set a lap at all during the Thursday's first of three practices. They were the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 (GTD-Pro), the No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA (LMP2), the No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 (GTD), and as previously mentioned, the No. 5 Proton Porsche (GTP).

There were other teams that encountered problems, but they were still able to at least set a time. In the closing moments of the session, the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 Evo stopped on track with an issue.

CLA	DRIVERS	#	CHASSIS	LAPS	TIME	INTERVAL	KM/H
1	R. van der ZandeS. BourdaisS. DixonCADILLAC RACING	01	Cadillac V-Series.R	31	1'48.279		124.345
2	P. DeraniJ. AitkenT. BlomqvistWHELEN CADILLAC RACING	31	Cadillac V-Series.R	29	+0.479 1'48.758	0.479	123.798
3	N. TandyM. JaminetF. MakowieckiPORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT	6	Porsche 963	28	+0.662 1'48.941	0.183	123.590
4	R. TaylorJ. BarbosaB. HartleyWAYNE TAYLOR RACING WITH ANDRETTI	10	Acura ARX-06	36	+0.796 1'49.075	0.134	123.438
5	J. TaylorL. DeletrazC. HertaWAYNE TAYLOR RACING WITH ANDRETTI	40	Acura ARX-06	35	+0.940 1'49.219	0.144	123.275
6	C. de PhillippiN. YellolyM. MartinBMW M TEAM RLL	25	BMW M Hybrid V8	32	+1.098 1'49.377	0.158	123.097
7	J. KrohnP. EngA. FarfusBMW M TEAM RLL	24	BMW M Hybrid V8	33	+1.285 1'49.564	0.187	122.887
8	D. CameronF. NasrM. CampbellPORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT	7	Porsche 963	31	+1.303 1'49.582	0.018	122.867
9	T. van der HelmR. WestbrookP. HansonJDC/MILLER MOTORSPORTS	85	Porsche 963	31	+1.396 1'49.675	0.093	122.763
10	M. CairoliA. CaldarelliR. GrosjeanLAMBORGHINI IRON LYNX	63	Lamborghini SC63	18	+2.683 1'50.962	1.287	121.339
11	S. ThomasM. Jensen H. McElreaTDS RACING	11	ORECA 07	41	+3.063 1'51.342	0.380	120.925
12	D. GoldburgP. di Resta B. GargUNITED AUTOSPORTS USA	22	ORECA 07	35	+3.084 1'51.363	0.021	120.902
13	B. KeatingN. PinoB. HanleyUNITED AUTOSPORTS USA	2	ORECA 07	35	+3.279 1'51.558	0.195	120.691
14	G. KurtzC. BraunT. SoweryCROWDSTRIKE RACING BY APR	04	ORECA 07	37	+3.388 1'51.667	0.109	120.573
15	P. HyettP. ChatinM. BrabhamAO RACING	99	ORECA 07	35	+3.693 1'51.972	0.305	120.244
16	G. RobinsonF. FragaJ. BurdonRILEY	74	ORECA 07	38	+3.892 1'52.171	0.199	120.031
17	M. JakobsenH. HedmanR. LindhDRAGONSPEED	81	ORECA 07	36	+3.925 1'52.204	0.033	119.996
18	J. SmiechowskiN. BoulleT. DillmannINTER EUROPOL BY PR1 MATHIASEN MOTORSPORTS	52	ORECA 07	34	+4.223 1'52.502	0.298	119.678
19	L. WillseyJ. BarbosaJ. EdgarSEAN CREECH MOTORSPORT	33	Ligier JS P217	29	+4.794 1'53.073	0.571	119.074
20	L. Perez CompancN. NielsenL. WadouxRICHARD MILLE AF CORSE	88	ORECA 07	33	+4.798 1'53.077	0.004	119.069
21	J. FaranoM. DinanC. EastwoodTOWER MOTORSPORTS	8	ORECA 07	36	+5.411 1'53.690	0.613	118.427
22	D. Andersen S. Lucas L. HörrMDK BY HIGH CLASS RACING	20	ORECA 07	35	+6.533 1'54.812	1.122	117.270
23	J. HawksworthB. BarnicoatK. KirkwoodVASSER SULLIVAN	14	Lexus RC F GT3	32	+11.923 2'00.202	5.390	112.011
24	D. SerraD. RigonJ. CaladoRISI COMPETIZIONE	62	Ferrari 296 GT3	34	+12.017 2'00.296	0.094	111.924
25	F. MontecalvoP. ThompsonA. TelitzVASSER SULLIVAN	12	Lexus RC F GT3	30	+12.387 2'00.666	0.370	111.581
26	L. Heinrich S. Priaulx M. ChristensenAO RACING	77	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	31	+12.519 2'00.798	0.132	111.459
27	T. MilnerN. CatsburgE. BamberCORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS	4	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	29	+12.568 2'00.847	0.049	111.414
28	M. SkeenM. GrenierK. KochKORTHOFF/PRESTON MOTORSPORTS	32	Mercedes AMG GT3	20	+12.672 2'00.951	0.104	111.318
29	R. GunnA. RiberasM. FarnbacherHEART OF RACING TEAM	23	Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo	33	+12.686 2'00.965	0.014	111.305
30	R. LacorteG. SernagiottoA. FuocoCETILAR RACING	47	Ferrari 296 GT3	32	+12.807 2'01.086	0.121	111.194
31	F. Perera J. PepperM. BortolottiIRON LYNX	19	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	27	+12.807 2'01.086	0.000	111.194
32	M. GoikhbergL. SpinelliD. DeFrancescoFORTE RACING	78	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	36	+12.913 2'01.192	0.106	111.096
33	R. WardP. EllisI. DontjeWINWARD RACING	57	Mercedes AMG GT3	32	+12.917 2'01.196	0.004	111.093
34	S. MannF. HeriauM. MolinaAF CORSE	21	Ferrari 296 GT3	34	+12.932 2'01.211	0.015	111.079
35	R. FoleyP. Gallagher J. WalkerTURNER MOTORSPORT	96	BMW M4 GT3	22	+12.938 2'01.217	0.006	111.074
36	K. Li A. FjordbachK. BachlerMDK MOTORSPORTS	86	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	33	+13.015 2'01.294	0.077	111.003
37	B. IribeF. SchandorffO. MillroyINCEPTION RACING	70	McLaren 720S GT3 EVO	35	+13.182 2'01.461	0.167	110.850
38	J. PotterA. LallyS. PumpellyMAGNUS RACING	44	Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo	34	+13.187 2'01.466	0.005	110.846
39	A. Adelson E. SkeerJ. HeylenWRIGHT MOTORSPORTS	120	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	33	+13.187 2'01.466	0.000	110.846
40	H. TincknellM. RockenfellerC. MiesFORD MULTIMATIC MOTORSPORTS	64	Ford Mustang GT3	26	+13.220 2'01.499	0.033	110.816
41	M. KirchhoferO. JarvisJ. HinchcliffePFAFF MOTORSPORTS	9	McLaren 720S GT3 EVO	31	+13.343 2'01.622	0.123	110.704
42	R. De AngelisZ. RobichonI. JamesHEART OF RACING TEAM	27	Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo	29	+13.360 2'01.639	0.017	110.688
43	A. GarciaA. SimsD. JuncadellaCORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS	3	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	28	+13.461 2'01.740	0.101	110.596
44	J. HandD. MullerF. VervischFORD MULTIMATIC MOTORSPORTS	65	Ford Mustang GT3	22	+13.461 2'01.740	0.000	110.596
45	A. Mantella N. Varrone T. MerrillAWA	17	Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD	29	+13.636 2'01.915	0.175	110.438
46	S. YolucR. AndradeS. AndrewsLONE STAR RACING	80	Mercedes AMG GT3	11	+13.692 2'01.971	0.056	110.387
47	O. Triarsi C. Scardina A. RoveraTRIARSI COMPETIZIONE	023	Ferrari 296 GT3	31	+13.753 2'02.032	0.061	110.332
48	O. FidaniM. BellL. KernAWA	13	Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD	29	+13.809 2'02.088	0.056	110.281
49	R. FreyM. GattingS. BovyIRON DAMES	83	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	32	+13.819 2'02.098	0.010	110.272
50	C. SchiavoniM. CressoniL. PulciniIRON LYNX	60	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	34	+14.084 2'02.363	0.265	110.033
51	K. MarcelliD. Formal G. DoyleWAYNE TAYLOR RACING WITH ANDRETTI	45	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	29	+14.185 2'02.464	0.101	109.943
52	R. Hardwick G. Levorato C. LewisPROTON COMPETITION	55	Ford Mustang GT3	8	+14.290 2'02.569	0.105	109.848
53	J. AndrettiG. ChavesS. HargroveANDRETTI MOTORSPORTS	43	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	19	+15.353 2'03.632	1.063	108.904
54	S. Monk K. LeggeT. CalderonGRADIENT RACING	66	Acura NSX GT3	8	+15.570 2'03.849	0.217	108.713
55	B. SellersM. SnowN. VerhagenPAUL MILLER RACING	1	BMW M4 GT3	6
56	G. BruniA. PicarielloJ. AndlauerPROTON COMPETITION	5	Porsche 963	0
57	D. MerrimanR. Dalziel C. ZilischERA MOTORSPORT	18	ORECA 07	2
58	M. Franco A. CostaC. SbirrazzuoliCONQUEST RACING	34	Ferrari 296 GT3	3