Photo: Porsche LMP1 Team watches and waits for the outcome of the clash of Porsches
Skid blocks and clashing Porsches turn the 6 Hours of Silverstone on its head
In the first of a new series, we look at the key turning points that impacted FIA World Endurance Championship races in 2016, starting at the beginning of the season at Silverstone with the dramatic accident involving Brendon Hartley and Michael Wainwright and the post-race exclusion of the winning Audi.
Mark Webber usually goes well around Silverstone. He won the British Grand Prix twice in his esteemed Grand Prix career, and had previously won there in Formula 3000, the FIA GT Championship and in Formula Ford. Having finished third on Porsche’s first appearance in the championship in 2014 and retired with gearbox failure while leading in 2015, 2016 looked destined to be the year that Webber finally added a WEC victory to his list.
Having qualified third with Brendon Hartley, it wasn’t long before Webber had dispatched the two front-row Audis and disappeared off into the distance. His fastest lap of the race, set on lap 3, was just 0.006 seconds off Neel Jani’s outright fastest time and after 27 laps, the Australian handed the car over to Hartley with a comfortable lead over the No. 8 Audi of Oliver Jarvis.
Hartley continued Webber’s good work and was lapping strongly out in front when his race came to an abrupt halt on lap 71. Entering the fast, left-hand sweeper at Farm, the Kiwi spotted the LMGTE Am class Gulf Racing Porsche of Michael Wainwright up ahead.
Photo: The wounded Gulf Racing LMGTE Am after the clash between Wainwright and Hartley
Suffice to say the two Porsches touched - Hartley later, admirably, admitting fault – and the LMP1 race leader dramatically flipped onto its side before landing safely back on all four wheels and coming to rest in the gravel bed. Relief soon turned to disappointment as Hartley trudged back to the pits, the No. 1 crew’s title defence getting off to a less than ideal start and Webber’s hopes of a ‘home’ victory in the UK dashed.
Following their demise, the battle for victory went down to the wire between the No. 7 Audi and No. 2 Porsche of Jani, Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb but the drama had not yet played out to the final curtain.
Photo: Audi's joy at winning was short-lived. Post race scrutineering took them out of the race, and maximum points went to Porsche.
A puncture in the final hour looked to have handed victory to André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer and Marcel Fässler in the Audi, but the German car was later excluded for failing a post-race scrutineering check concerning the thickness of its front skid block and it was Porsche that took the maximum haul of points after all.
With just three months to go until the 2017 edition of this event, what surprises will be in store for spectators and viewers this year?
James Newbold
