The huge crowds who have come to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the WEC 6 Hour race today have been treated to a feast of racing in the first 90 minutes, all held under bright sunshine but a reasonably cool temperature of 12 degrees Centigrade.
While the AF Corse Ferrari team led both the LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am categories in the first hour, thanks to the driving talents of Gianmaria Bruni in the No.51 Ferrari 458 Italia and Marco Cioci in the No.61 F458, different tyre strategies by the Italians and Aston Martin Racing have now seen the British team take not just the lead in both categories but a 1-2 in both Pro and Am.
Stefan Mucke in the No.97 Vantage V8, who didn’t take on new rubber in the first round of pit stops, leads Fernando Rees in the No.99 Aston Martin Racing entry by 3 seconds, the Brazilian driver having a superb race so far. Very close behind is the first of the two AF Corse Ferraris, the Prancing Horses being pursued hotly by the two Porsche Team Manthey 911 RSRs.
In LMGTE Am, a similar strategy has seen New Zealander Richie Stanaway charge to the front of the field in the No.95 Aston Martin Racing V8. Until just before the 90 minute mark, he was followed by his Portuguese team mate in the No.99 entry, Pedro Lamy, but this place was taken by Mirko Venturi in the No.61 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia.
The No.90 8Star Motorsports Ferrari of Gianluca Roda survived a lost right front wheel just after the one hour mark, and was fortunate to be able to return to the pits for not only a new tyre but a new wheel as well!
A full classification can be found HERE
Fiona Miller
15:59:49 G-Drive Morgan #26 leads LMP2 by 21 seconds from #38 Jota Zytek on lap 39
15:51:35 Toyota #7 into 3rd place - Toyotas now second and third
15:43:27 Aston Martin's first and second in GTE Pro and Am
15:41:30 Most GTE Am cars have Bronze drivers in at present so Stanaway (Gold) in #95 Aston extending lead
15:38:40 Porsche #14 leads by 6 seconds on lap 32 from Toyota #8 and Audi #1
15:36:35 Aston #95 now leads GTE Am after #90 Ferrari wheel problem
15:33:59 Ferarri #90 loses right front wheel but gets back to pit
15:32:45 #97 Aston leads GTE Pro after first stops due to not taking on tyres
15:30:01 Ferrari #90 takes lead in GTE Am as #61 Ferrari pits
15:27:22 Aston #95 and Porsche #88 incident at La Source is under investigation
15:26:06 Audi #3 only Audi to take on tyres at first stop
15:24:15 Toyota #8 takes 2nd place from #2 Audi on lap 26
15:21:39 Porsche #14 leads #2 Audi by 4 seconds after stops
15:20:26 Audi #3 into pits
15:19:23 New tyres on #14 Porsche but not on Audi's #1 and #2
15:18:00 Porsche #14 into pit
15:16:57 Toyota #8 into pits also #1 and #2 Audi's
15:15:05 Nakajima into #7 Toyota
15:14:20 Toyota #7 into pits
15:12:12 Touch between #88 Porsche and #95 Aston but both continue
15:10:58 Porsche #14 now has 11 second lead over 2 Toyota's on lap 19 - #7 Toyota reports oversteering problem
15:07:37 Pla in #26 G-Drive Morgan takes lead in LMP2
15:06:03 G-Drive Morgan #26 now within a second of #47 KCMG Oreca in LMP2
15:01:55 In GTE Am #61 Ferrari leads by 2 seconds from #90 and #81 Ferraris
15:00:23 Ferrari #51 leads GTE Pro by 6 seconds from #97 and #99 Astons
14:58:47 KCMG Oreca leads LMP2 by 6 seconds from #26 Morgan on lap 13
14:55:56 Stop and Go for #27 SMP Oreca for jumping the start
14:54:59 Porsche #20 dropped to 27th
14:53:31 Porsche #20 has changed rear dampers and back out
14:52:42 Porsche #14 has 5.4 second lead after 10 laps from #8 and #7 Toyota
14:49:55 Porsche #20 has early stop and into pits
14:47:27 Leaders now lapping backmarkers
14:43:38 Fastest lap for #14 Porsche with 2:01.898 on lap 3
14:41:24 Porsche #14 has 4 second lead after 5 laps from #8 Toyota and #20 Porsche
14:37:07 #61 Ferrari leads GTE Am
14:36:27 #51 Ferrari leads GTE Pro
14:35:30 KCMG Oreca #47 leads LMP2
14:34:45 90 second lead for #14 Porsche
14:33:59 Toyota #7 seems to be dropping back
14:32:07 Porsche #14 leads on first lap
14:30:16 Green Flag
14:28:51 All 28 cars on formation lap
14:26:19 Formation lap
14:21:48 Formation lap at 14.26
14:20:34 10 minutes to the Green Flag - pit exit closed
