It has been an action-packed start to the 6 Hours of Silverstone, the opening round of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship. In front of many thousands of keen sportscar fans, but under heavy clouds and cold conditions, the race got underway at 12 noon – waved off by the race’s Grand Marshal, Derek Bell.
AF Corse’s World GTE Champion, Gianmaria Bruni, led away the LMGTE Pro category but it was only a matter of 5 laps before the No.51 Ferrari 458 Italia was being pressured by both the Porsche Team Manthey entries. On lap 9 Britain’s Nick Tandy overtook the Italian in the No.91 Porsche 911 RSR, followed through some six laps later by the No.92 of Fred Makowiecki.
It was then that the race really came alive because the sprinkling of rain, which had fallen over the Silverstone circuit since the start, increased considerably and the pits became a hive of activity. After most, but not all, of the LMGTE Pro and Am competitors came into the pits to change to treaded tyres to cope with the wet conditions, the race began to settle into a rhythm. The rain then stopped and teams had to make a second round of stops for slick tyres.
After the first 90 minutes of racing, the AF Corse No.51 Ferrari of Toni Vilander now leads again, ahead of the No.92 Porsche of Makowiecki and the No.97 Aston Martin Racing Vantage V8 of Stefan Mucke – that car having been started by Darren Turner. In fourth place in LMGTE Pro is the No.71 AF Corse Ferrari of James Calado and Davide Rigon, that car having made one less stop than the others.
In LMGTE Am, Ram Racing’s Ben Collins now leads the class in the No.53 Ferrari 458 ahead of the No.81 AF Corse Ferrari of Sam Bird who impressed in the early laps of the race. Third in the category is the Danish-crewed No.95 Aston Martin Vantage V8 of Kristian Poulsen which is another car to have only made one pit stop so far.
With the weather conditions changing frequently, it is far too early to predict who might still be leading in another 4+ hours!
Full timesheets can be found HERE
13:29:36 Ram Racing 2012 spec Ferrari #53 retakes lead of GTE Am from #81 Ferrari
13:25:05 Pilet now into #91 - leading GTE Pro Porsche
13:22:54 Toyota #7 into pit for 2nd pit stop - Nakajima into the car and new tyres
13:22:02 Ferrari's fill first 3 places in GTE Am - #61 leading #90 and #53
13:20:38 Ferrari #51 under investigation - overtaking under yellow flags
13:19:51 Rebellion #13 had broken gearbox
13:19:21 Spin for 3rd place Toyota of Wurz at Club
13:17:48 Rebellion #13 has been retired
13:17:13 Porsche #14 into it's garage with hydraulic problem
13:16:28 Ferrari #61 takes lead in GTE Am from #53 Ram Ferrari
13:15:13 Audi #1 had damaged monocoque
13:14:44 Bernhard in #20 Porsche takes 2nd place from #7 Toyota of Wurz
13:13:41 Porsche #14 going slowly
13:11:05 Aston #98 has left door open
13:10:05 #51 Ferrari now into 2nd in GTE Pro, #91 Porsche down to 3rd
13:08:42 Ferrari #53 now leads GTE Am from #61 Ferrari
13:07:42 Audi #2 rejoins
13:06:49 Audi #2 back into pit garage
13:05:53 GTE Am leader #98 Aston into pits
13:04:22 Audi #2 off track at Stowe
13:03:41 Audi #1 now retired
13:01:12 Porsche #20 into 3rd place after #2 Audi pitstop
12:59:49 Porsche #14 now rejoins after 16 minute stop
12:57:11 Toyota's #8 and #7 now lead the race
12:56:33 Lola #13 pushed into pit garage
12:54:52 Audi #1 back to pitlane and into it's garage
12:54:17 Porsche #91 up to 2nd in GTE Pro
12:52:58Audi #1 moving again
12:52:09 Aston #98 leads GTE Am from Aston #95
12:51:24 Porsche #92 now leads GTE Pro from #71 Ferrari
12:50:00 #27 Oreca into it's pit garage
12:49:28 Rain is now easing
12:48:44 Toyota #8 retakes the lead from #2 Audi
12:47:27 #47 Oreca now leads LMP2 from #26 Morgan
12:45:39 Porsche #14 has front left suspension damage and wheel missing and into pit
12:44:36 #61 Ferrari spins off
12:44:09 Audi #1 into gravel and barrier and has front end damage
12:43:03 2nd place Toyota #7 into pit - intermediates put on
12:41:51 1 Minute stop and go for #75 Porsche
12:40:53 Oreca #37 pushed into it's pit
12:40:18 Porsche #20 into pits - puts on "slick wets"
12:39:30 #27 Oreca stopped out on circuit
12:38:43 Aston #98 takes lead in GTE Am
12:37:49 Leading GTE Am #81 Ferrari into pits
12:35:59 Now raining more heavily
12:34:47 1:44.217 fastest lap for Lotterer in #2 Audi on lap 17
12:27:12 Pla still leads LMP2 in #26 Morgan from #47 and #37 Orecas
12:25:23 Lotterer takes lead in #2 Audi
12:24:51 #92 Porsche takes 2nd place in GTE Pro from #51 Ferrari
12:21:49 #88 Porsche takes 3rd in GTE Am
12:19:41 #91 Porsche of Tandy takes lead in GTE Pro from Bruni
12:16:54 1:44.269 for Lotterer in #2 now fastest on lap 9
12:15:26 In GTE Am #81 Ferrari leads from #98 Aston and #61 Ferrari
12:14:00 Bruni in #51 leads GTE Pro from #91 and #92 Porsches
12:12:21 Pla in #26 Morgan leads LMP2 from #47 Oreca
12:11:07 1:44.859 fastest lap for Di Grassi in #1
12:10:19 Audi's now 2nd and 3rd on lap 5
12:09:50 1:44.961 fastest lap for #2 Audi on lap 3
12:08:12 1:45.012 fastest lap for #7 Toyota on lap 3
12:06:05 Bruni has half second lead in GTE Pro from the 2 Manthey Porsches
12:04:19 Fastest Lap for #7 Toyota 1:45.304 on lap 2
12:03:07 Toyotas first and second on 2nd lap
12:01:12 Di Grassi in #1 tries to take Wurz at first corner
11:59:46 Green Flag
11:56:15 Formation lap
11:54:18 3 minutes to start of formation lap
11:50:30 Some cars changing to intermediate tyres
12:43:41 Race declared as "wet"
Fiona Miller
Photo: SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT (SILVERSTONE, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, UK), 6 HOURS OF SILVERSTONE, SUNDAY 20 APRIL 2014, RACE. The start of the race in LMGTE, AF Corse's No.51 Ferrari taking control.
