Aston Martin Leads Barcelona Friday Practice by 0.038 Seconds
Harry Tincknell put Aston Martin on top of Friday’s second practice session at Barcelona on October 16, 2026, as the FIA World Endurance Championship prepared for its first race at the Spanish venue. His No. 007 Valkyrie recorded 1:31.712, only 0.038 seconds ahead of the No. 17 Genesis.
The championship’s FP2 report identifies Tincknell as the driver who set the Aston Martin’s time. Robert Kubica’s No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari placed third, leaving three different manufacturers within 0.084 seconds. Cadillac and Toyota completed the top five.
Friday FP2: the leading Hypercars
| Position | Car / team | Best lap |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No. 007 Aston Martin THOR Team | 1:31.712 |
| 2 | No. 17 Genesis Magma Racing | 1:31.750 |
| 3 | No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari | 1:31.796 |
Source: official final Hypercar FP2 classification. These are session results, not qualifying positions or a starting grid.
Ferrari led the morning; McLaren topped afternoon LMGT3
In Friday morning’s FP1, Kubica had led Hypercar with a 1:31.891 lap. Ferrari also took the first two LMGT3 positions, with Alessio Rovera setting the best time in the No. 21 Vista AF Corse entry.
The afternoon’s LMGT3 benchmark instead came from Finn Gehrsitz in Garage 59’s No. 58 McLaren, at 1:41.650. The No. 78 Akkodis ASP Lexus finished second and the No. 79 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG third in that session.
Keep the session result in perspective
The changing leaders across Friday’s two practices show why a single fastest lap is not a race forecast. Practice establishes a timed comparison for that session; it does not settle qualifying order, endurance-race pace or the outcome of six hours of competition.
The official event schedule lists the race for Sunday, October 18, at noon local time in Barcelona. This report covers Friday practice only; Saturday sessions are separate results.
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Photo credit: Archive photo: No. 007 Aston Martin Valkyrie at Le Mans, June 14, 2025—not the October 2026 Barcelona session. Photo: Lukas Raich / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Display resized; no editorial alterations.
