Hour 2: Hybrid Audi Still Leads as Diesel Power Closes Gap on Drying Track
The second hour of the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps it was the nr1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro of Benoit Treluyer in the race lead but the nr3 Audi R18 Ultra of Loic Duval was just 15 seconds adrift of the leader. Allan McNish in the second hybrid Audi was 50 seconds behind the leader after the extra long first pitstop at the end of the first hour to replace the front of the car to cure a headlight problem.
With a dry line appearing on Spa-Francorchamps track, teams had a hard decision to make in choosing the best time to go for full slick tyres. The nr 48 Murphy Prototypes Oreca Nissan was given a stop-go penalty for starting the race with a driver who didn’t qualifying the car.
In LMP1 the battle for the best petrol car was between the nr12 Rebellion Racing Lola of Nick Heidfeld and the nr17 Pescarolo Team Dome of Sebastien Bourdais with Heidfeld closing up to the back of the Dome-Judd as they rounded La Source. However the German’s challenge was dented when he got stuck behind the Krohn Racing Ferrari at the bottom of Eau Rouge and Bourdais was able to pull away from his rival.
John Martin was still leading the LMP2 class at the end of the second hour in the nr25 ADR-Delta Oreca-Nissan despite being tapped into a spin at the final corner by the flying nr22 JRM HPD of Karun Chandhok. The nr49 Pecom Racing Oreca Nissan took the lead but later suffered damage during contact with a GTE Porsche, which later meant the front bodywork of the LMP2 flew off in dramatic style, meaning a trip to the pits and the nr25 ADR-Delta retook the lead as the third hour started.
Another LMP2 that suffered damage in the second hour was the nr26 Signatech Nissan Oreca of Pierre Ragues when the left rear wheel parted company with the car at T9, meaning the French driver had to limp back to the pits for a replacement.
In LMGTE Pro the nr77 Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche of Richard Lietz finished the hour as the class leader. The nr59 Luxury Racing Ferrari of Jaime Melo slid off into the barriers at T14 but the Brazilian managed to regain the track and get back up to speed in a short space of time. The nr67 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche of Nicolas Armindo was still the leader in the GTE Am class, the French driver able to keep pace with the GTE Pro class cars.
At the end of the second hour the top three cars in the Michelin Green X Challenge are the three Audis nr2, nr3, nr4.
Tweets from Twitter:
15:44 #29 Gulf Lola into pits
15:47 #13 Rebellion Lola has a pit stop stop and go penalty for jumping the start
15:54 #13 tried to do stop and go but did not appear to stop?
15:55 Spin for #29 possibly at La Source. Gene is making up 3 seconds a lap according to RLM
16:01 #48 Oreca stop and go penalty
16:04 Oak Racing LMP1 car #15 going to slicks #48 has completed stop go penalty
16:05 #49 Pecom Oreca leads LMP2 from #35 Morgan
16:06 #48 Stop Go penalty because they have to start with driver who qualified
16:08 #77 Porsche leads GTE Pro
16:09 Contact between #25 ADR-Delta and #22 JRM. #25 spins and rejoins
16:11 Jaime Melo in Luxury Racing Ferrari 458 #59 into gravel and rejoins with right rear tyre problem
16:11 1st -2nd gap now under 30secs
16:12 Stop and Go for #29 Lola speeding in pit lane
16:14 Andre Lotterer in pits from lead in #1 Audi... Benoit Treluyer takes over
16:16 McNish into #2 Audi, taking over from Kristensen
16:18 Audi #2 pits McNish rejoins the race
16:19 #71 warned for cutting corners
16:20 #17 Pescarolo Dome now leads "petrol" class
16:21 #4 Audi in pits Marco Bonanomi stays in
16:22 Leader #3 into pits Loic Duval into car
16:23 Pescarolo Team Dome #17 and Rebellion Lola Toyota 16:24 #12 in a close battle at La Source
16:25 Fastest lap of race by #1 Audi 2:06.472 on lap 48
16:26 #3 Audi in pits
16:26 #49 Pecom Oreca spins Ayari at the wheel
16:27 New fastest lap of 2:04.247 on lap 49 by McNish
16:27 #97 Aston Martin Racing Vantage V8 has retired
16:28 Faster lap by #1 Treluyer 2:04.237
16:29 #12 Rebellion Racing pits and rejoins
16:29 #67 IMSA Performance Porsche and #49 Pecom Oreca touch and continue
16:30 2 hours into the race #1Audi leads #3 Audi by 19 sec
Jeff Carter
Photo: FRANCORCHAMPS (LIEGE, BELGIUM), SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS CIRCUIT, 6 HOURS OF SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, RACE, 5th May, 2012.