Hughes Tops ELMS Barcelona Prologue as United Autosports Rebuilds After Pit-Box Fire

Overview

• Jake Hughes' 1:28.667 for Algarve Pro Racing, set Monday evening, stood as the fastest lap after the two-day European Le Mans Series Prologue at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
• Rik Koen led Tuesday morning for Rossa Racing by Virage with a 1:29.330, but the lap fell short of Hughes’ benchmark as earlier Monday times from Louis Delétraz and Paul-Loup Chatin remained high on the combined chart.
• United Autosports' No. 22 LMP2 caught fire in its pit box Tuesday morning, the team reported no injuries, ORECA cleared the chassis for use, and Gibson supplied a replacement engine as the crew rebuilds the car.
• Class pace-setters emerged with Laurin Heinrich quickest in LMGT3 at 1:41.400 for High Class Racing and Hugo Schwarze setting LMP3’s best at 1:37.324 for R-ace GP on Tuesday afternoon.
• A record 47-car field produced heavy traffic and multiple stoppages, with AF Corse’s No. 83 losing early track time to recurring issues, and teams now using the test data to finalize setups before the Barcelona season opener.