Oreca Matmut dominate

Olivier Panis and Nicolas Lapierre set the pace throughout the three sessions in the French team's Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, setting a hot lap of 1:32.235 late in the final session.

The Oreca Matmut team used a new chassis this weekend, and it paid immediate dividends as Olivier Panis set the fastest lap of the first session on the final lap.

Team-mate Lapierre took over in the second session, lapping .726 seconds faster than second-placed Rebellion Racing, who experienced electrical difficulties with their number 12 car early on.

The Oreca team came under increasing pressure in the third and final session of the day, as the Frenchmen's rivals eventually passed them on the time-sheets.

Lapierre took to the track again and immediately posted the quickest first sector time, before running wide and ending up in the gravel.

The red flag stopped the session in order for the Peugeot to be retrieved, but Lapierre eventually made it back out and set his hot lap.

Rebellion Racing's Lola B10/60 Coupe Rebellion secured the second fastest lap of the day, with a fastest lap of 1:33.347 set in the afternoon practice.

Miguel Amaral put on a show for his home crowd in the LMP2 class, setting the fastest time of 1:35.227 in the Quifel-ASM Team Ginetta-Zytek 09S.

The Strakka Racing HPD ARX 01 trio of Nick Leventis, Danny Watts and Jonny Kane came in second, just 0.147 seconds off the pace.