FIA GT – TOTAL Spa 24 Hours – Hour 1
Corvettes

The #50 AF Corse Ferrari has been down on straight line speed throughout the meeting so far, but the team has found that the rear uprights were flexing, causing the brakes to bind – exacerbated by the use of endurance pads. The problem should have been fixed for the race…

The track is dry for the start, the clouds are high – the only real problem we have is with the ruddy WiFi in the press room… so if this is posted late, that’s the reason.

We’re looking for early progress from Maassen, at the back in the Tech 9 Porsche, and from Fabio Babini in the #23 Aston Martin. The crowd doesn’t look to be terribly impressive, alas.

The start is though – Oliver Gavin passing Karl Wendlinger into Eau Rouge, and chasing after Marcel Fassler. Bertolini sat in fourth – and these four began to edge away from the rest.

Jos Menten was in trouble by the end of lap 2, at which point Gavin passed Fassler under braking into the Bus Stop. Massen was up to 29th already.

Lap 3 and it reads
#3, #5 (-0.8), 33 (-1.3), 11 (-2.4), 4 (-6.6). Only the Bertolini Maserati is featuring at this stage, nos. 1 and 2 in sixth and seventh.

Completing lap 6, Fassler is right with Gavin, and having a look at Les Combes. They’re lapping cars already. Massen up to 26th, catching the tail of the GT2s. Ashburn is taking his seven minute penalty.

Fassler hounds Gavin, 2:17 laps, growing to 2:20 in traffic.

GT2 is 51 (Bruni), 76 Long), 74 (Pompidou), 50, 97, 52, 63, 60, 78, 95.

Gavin is baulked on lap 8 by a Porsche, and Fassler leads – two lead changes already. Wendlinger and Bertolini are still right there, Longin now 12 seconds down in fifth.

Then it’s Montanari, Lamy and Peter in the MC12s – Toccacelo ran wide exiting Les Combes, losing places to Bouchut and Babini, racing for tenth, 25 seconds off the lead after 8 laps.

Fassler has a two second lead thanks to a better run through traffic. The #105 Mosler has a very slow lap, dropping to the tail (it has pitted).

The Menten Lamborghini is still in its garage.

Montanari is right on Longin’s tail for fifth. Lamy is catching them in #1 Vitaphone.

The Ashburn Porsche made two stops, reason unknown for one of them, and is five laps down. Tim Mullen started from pit lane we think, in the 430 that took a whack against the kerbs this morning. Yes, he did – the repair finished as the field completed half a lap.

Long passé Bruni on lap 11, so Porsche leads GT2.

Longin holds the inside line into Les Combes, the MC12 unable to pass on the straight – and Montanari cuts across the grass. Lamy is right on his tail.

Busnelli in #12 Playteam MC12 comes together with a GT3 Ferrari (the 201 car we think – the Coupe du Roi thing), at Rivage, and both are off. Bouchut seems to be involved too – perhaps? Or is he off the track separately?

Toccacelo in #22 pulls off, after Pouhon. Race over? Lap 14 and Montanari does pass Longin at last.

Busnelli has broken rear suspension in #12, and has made it some of the way back, before stopping, half on the grass. He gets going again. He does get back. Damage front and back.

16 laps and Fassler leads Gavin by 3.5 seconds, Wendlinger is four more back, 3.5 ahead of Bertolini. Montanari is 13 seconds behind. Lap 17 and Lamy passes Longin for sixth. Peter is right behind Longin… who tries to pass Lamy. Philipp Peter in the Aucott / Macari car has a door flapping open.

Long, Bruni and Muller are 1-2-3 in GT2, just 1.4 seconds apart. Pompidou is 2 seconds behind this group, Collard two more back. Mullen is working through the lower order, up to 27th after 43 mins.

46 mins. and Fassler laps the AF Corse Ferraris, Pat Long 2.4s ahaead – he gained 2 secs on that lap.

20 laps and Fassler leads Gavin by 5 secs, #33 almost another 2 secs behind.

22 laps and Longin passes Lamy into Pouhon, Peter right behind these two still. This group is half a minute down on Fassler.

Menten’s problem was a driveshaft, but he’s out and running again – 10 laps down. Bouchut is back to the pits in the other car, and it is in the garage.

Bad start for Lamborghini all round.

The #12 MC12’s damage was mainly at the back. It’s had a new underbody fitted, and is still in the pits with other repairs going on.

Lap 23 and Fassler’s lead is 8 seconds – as Peter pits.

Just before the hour: