LMS Monza – Race Start and Hour 1

A cool morning has blossomed into a bright sunny day and whilst the crowd here doesn’t yet seem to be at the level we had at Barcelona we do have a fair number of spectators in the main grandstand as the cars start to come out onto the grid.

The #7 Peugeot is amongst the first to emerge but it stops outside the Embassy racing pit with something apparently dragging under the car.  The Embassy crew take a look as a Peugeot technician runs down to the car, it appears there is no major drama – Move along, nothing to see here!

One of the static cameras shows that there IS a drama for Audi however, the #2 car stopped out on track at Curva Grande.  Rockenfeller is under tow but the towrope breaks at Ascari, the car having no fuel pressure, it eventually arrives behind an Iveco tow truck at 12:35 local to be pushed back into the garage.

The #44 KSM Lola Mazda is still in the pitlane engine cover off and the #85 Spyker, after some last minute attention roars off but pits again, this car though already starts from the back of the grid after exceeding the allowable cockpit temperature level yesterday.  The Lola fires up, sounding a little lumpy if truth be told and growls away to wait at the pitlane exit (gearbox sensor issues apparently).

A good, orderly start sees them all get away, Capello though seems to stumble through the first chicane, Mucke all over the back of the R10 and the Italian has to defend throughout the whole of the first lap.

All of that allows the Peugeots to pull out an enormous early lead #7 leads #8 by 2.4 seconds but the Audi is already 6 seconds adrift.

Lap 3 and the 908s are already moving through backmarkers as the #2 Audi is already into the top 30.

Good early progress from both the Epsilon and Creation, both into the top 10.

In the classes its a Porsche 1,2 with Verstappen leading Lammers but Belicchi lies third in the Speedy lola Coupe.

GT1 has the Beretta Corvette fending off the close attentions of Enge's Aston.

GT2 has Bruni leading comfortably but Davison has dropped well back, the car pits, rear left puncture it seems as back on track there are dramas for both Vanina Ickx (spin at first chicane) and the Team Bruichladich Radical (car stopped out on track.  

The #77 was actually a suspension breakage and as the Safety Car is withdrawn the Peugeots get a massive run ahead of the GT1 cars behind. 

The #1 Audi took the opportunity to pit fopr tyres, the car unable to get any heat into its Michelins whilst the Lola Aston follows it in, fuel only and leapfrogging the Audi in the pits.

Behind them though there is a MASSIVE moment for Dindo capello, just out of the pits, with what looks from the onboard camera to have been contact, turning the #1 car around, it digs in, lifts off to drivers right ripping off the front left hand bodywork and the whole of the rear deck.the car spinning at least four times and coming perilously close to turning over.  The other car involved appears to have been the Rollcentre Pescarolo.

The safety Car is scrambled again immediately to allow the clear up of what can only be described as a debris field.  The Audi makes it back to the pits and is immediately wheeled into the garage and several other cars (#6 Courage - Fuel only, #40 Lola, fuel and tyres, #37 WR and #55 lamborghini take the opportunity to pit, the Murcielago suffering chronic understeer.

The WR though spins immediately at the first chicane but rejoins  

Rockenfeller is already up to 5th place after 24 minutes.

The Radical is a retirement - no oil pressure

LMP2 is ramping up nicely Belicchi still holding second place but Verstappen romping away.  Lammers and Elgaard are thrid and fourth but next up after that little lot is the new Pescarolo and the RML MG Lola with the Embassy Racing pair still well in touch with that pair.

In GT1 Beretta pits in the class leading LAA Corvette, tyres and fuel for the Vette and Enge now leads after being in the wheeltracks of the Corvette from the start

GT2 has seen Bruni gradually pulling away in the lead of the class battle.  Now second is Pierre Kaffer in the Farnbacher 430 with Westbrook and Lietz in the Farnbacher and IMSA Performance Porsches next up.

The Peugeots both now make their routine stops, Rockenfeller leads!  Pedro Lamy is now aboard the #8 car as both the #6 Oreca and #45 Embassy cars pit and are wheeled into their respective garages.

The van Merksteijn and Horag Lista Porsches both pit - fuel and no tyres for Verstappen and Lammers.

Enge pits in the GT1 leding Aston as Vanina Ickx brings the Rollcentre Pescarolo in for regular service too, a telltale black rubber mark on the front left hand corner of the #18 car.  The apparent contact with Capello caused an instant deflation of the Audi's left rear.