From a press release issued by FGSport Group:

The permanent World Endurance Championship teams who have travelled to Japan to take part in this weekend’s Suzuka 8 Hours round of the championship have been out on track today for the first time since arriving earlier in the week. For most of them today has been a shake-down session and a chance to learn or re-learn the circuit.

Suzuki Castrol’s Vincent Phillipe was happy with the progress made, but is looking forward to the timed practice beginning: “It’s very difficult because of the weather – and our tyres are for European conditions. Tomorrow will be better.”

All the teams have had two open practice sessions so far today, with the first timed session to come this evening. Teams are split into two groups to reduce the amount of traffic on the circuit, but this means that each group has less total track time; a situation made worse by incidents which have seen the pace car and ambulance out on track in three out of the four sessions.

Suzuki Castrol’s Olivier Four was involved (but unhurt) in one of these incidents after being pushed off the track by another rider, and Yamaha Phase One’s Marko Rohtlaan has spent most of his time behind the pace car when he should have been learning the circuit at racing speed. Yamaha Austria’s Horst Saiger is also at Suzuka for the first time: “How is it going? Ask me on Sunday…”

Yamaha GMT94’s Sebastien Gimbert was feeling the heat this afternoon, but declared himself satisfied with the bike set-up so far: “I am very hot but I am very happy.” GMT94 tested here earlier in the year, and although their tests were interrupted by poor weather they have obviously been useful. Yamaha Phase One’s Sebastien Scarnato was also happy with the day’s progress. “We have some things to change, but we know what we have to do.”

Qualifying takes place tomorrow, with two timed sessions for each rider in each team. These will decide the grid positions for the race, with the fastest twenty teams progressing to Saturday afternoon’s “Special Stage” Superpole competition before the race itself on Sunday.