FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps - Hours 2 and 3

After a spate of fast laps from some of the petrol-engined contenders, the pitstops for the lead Audis and the fitting of fresh cut slicks (or maybe even pure slicks) has restored the dominance of the R18s, and the Audis are back to enjoying a two or three second advantage over the quickest of the rest.

After the pitstops, Ayari has emerged as the P2 leader, ahead of Lienders in the #35 and Martin in the #25, with lengths on pitstops (and tyre changes) the likely influence on this change in position.

Marc Lieb maintains his lead in GTE, with a pair of prototypes between him and Jaime Melo now in the second-placed #59 Luxury Racing Ferrari, and Fisichella, driving a second stint in the AF Corse and holding third.

15:42
The #29 Lola is back into the pitlane again, but already running in a lowly 31st overall, well down the P2 order.

15:45
The #13 car is issued with a stop-go penalty for a violation of Article 62.2 in the regulations. This may be something to do with “jumping the start”.

Marc Gené is picking up speed again, but Lotterer’s pace in the leading #1 is a match.

15:50
The #13 completes a drive through, as opposed to the specified stop-go, and the manager is immediately summoned to race control.

15:52
Another fastest first sector from Gené, as Tom Kristensen also posts a new fastest lap for the #2 R18 e-tron quattro.

Gené converts that to a new fastest race lap of 2:07.574.

Following their pitlane fire, the Starworks squad are working to make good the HPD, but they seem to have a challenge on their hands. The extinguisher residue as much as the fire itself demanding many components be replaced. They later advise that the problem was due to a failure in the drive belt to the scavenge pump.

15:54
The #13 returns to the pitlane, and now serves a correct stop-go from the allocated “box”.

A host of drivers are now posting new fatest laps for their respective cars, including Heidfeld in the #12, Leinders in the LMP2 Oak #35, Van der Zande in the #31.

15:57
The Murphy Prototype is issued with a stop go penalty, for violation of article 71.1.1, which it would appear specifies that, within P2, the qualifying driver should indeed take the race start. This regulation does not apply in LMP1, we’re told, or in GTE-pro, but LMP2 and GTE-Am teams are required to employ the qualifying driver for the rolling start. Prior to the start the team had been given written confirmation by Race Control that the change in driver was permitted.

15:59
The #15 Oak Pescarolo pits and is fitted with raw slicks.

16:00
Nick Heidfeld sets a new fastest first sector outright for the #12 Rebellion Lola Toyota.

Lieb continues to hold a relatively comfortable lead in GTE-Pro over Jaime Melo and Giancarlo Fisichella, while Nicolas Armindo’s grasp on GTE-Am strengthens. The #67 has a lead of over 90 seconds on Matt Griffin, now in the #81 AF Corse F458, and then Gianluca Roda in the #88 Felbermayr Porsche.

16:03
A clash near the entry of the pitlane between the #43 Norma and Martin in the #25 third-placed ADR-Delta Oreca. The latter is tipped into a spin, and loses much ground, but recovers and presses on. Race control may have something to say about that.

16:06
A spin and ‘off’ for Melo in the #69 Ferrari. He ends up in the gravel, but the marshals help him on his way.

16:08
Another new fastest lap from Gené. His 2:07.451 narrows the gap on Lotterer to 31 seconds.

Pitstop for Leinders in the second-placed LMP2 Oak Racing Morgan.

16:09
Another stop-go, this time for the #29 LMP2 Lola, for “speeding in the pitlane”.

16:10
Martin brings the LMP2 leader into the pitlane for what is a scheduled pitstop, and allows Sam Hancock to move through into the class lead in the #38 Zytek.

Yet another new fastest lap from Gené; a 2:07.125, and that’s ten seconds out of Lotterer’s lead in the last five minutes. The full slicks his #3 R18 is wearing are evidently the footwear to have, and seconds later, Lotterer heads for the pitlane for fuel and, it’s almost certain, the same rubber.

16:14
Sam Hancock pits from the P2 lead, allowing Ayari back through again, with David Heinemeir Hansson third in the #35 Oak Racing Morgan.

16:15
Kristensen pits from second, and McNish takes over again.

Jody Firth brings the Murphy Prototypes Oreca into pit alley, handing over driving duties to Brendon Hartley.

Almost simultaneously, Jonny Kane hands over the Strakka Racing HPD to Danny Watts. The “leader” in the unofficial petrol class is now Seb Bourdais, but perhaps not for very much longer, as the Dome driver has Nick Heidfeld right on his tail in the #12 Rebellion Lola. The gap has narrowed to around half a second. 

16:21
Marc Gené brings the leading Audi into the pits for fuel and tryres. Loic Duval takes over in the R18 cockpit.

16:22
A new fastest race lap, this time from Benoit Treluyer in the #1 and crossing the line in 2:05.472, but then McNish comes through half a minute later, on his first flying lap, to post a 2:05.251 to regain the laurels.

16:23
At the moment when it looked as if he’d take fifth place, Heidfeld dives into the pitlane, so Bourdais breathes easy again.

The #49, Ayari driving, spins, and Martin snatches the class lead.

McNish does another fastest race lap; a 2:04.247.

Start of Third Hour

16:26
Brendon Hartley, two laps into his first ever race stint in a sportscar, sets a new fastest lap for the #48 Oreca, and promptly moves up to 16th overall, 7th in LMP2. His 2:11.345 is the fastest in class at the moment.

16:31
One of the cars, as yet unidentified, but possibly the Pecom Oreca, has lost a front section of bodywork. Ayari duly pits for a new nose.

The GTE Leader, Marc Lieb, pits the #77 Felbermayr Porsche.

16:33
Another new fastest lap from Brendon Hartley - the youngster evidently relishing his first experience in the Murphy Prototype.

16:37
Tréluyer leads overall by 11 seconds over Duval, with McNish third and Jarvis fourth. Bourdais continues to hold fifth with Danny Watts 45 seconds further down the road in the Strakka HPD.

Marc Lieb’s pitstop allowed Fisichella through to the GTE-Pro lead, but the Ferrari has yet to make its second pitstop.

16:40
McNish sets a personal best for the #2 R18 e-tron quattro, and has closed to within 43 seconds of Duval.

16:41
Heidfeld passes Watts around the outside through Blanchimont to take 6th place. Unsurprisingly, that was a new fastest lap for the #12 Rebellion Lola.

Richard Leitz, having taken over from Marc Lieb in the #77, is also enjoying the improving conditions, as the track continues to dry out, and has set a new fastest time for the Felbermayr Porsche and shaved more than 5 seconds off Fisichella’s class lead.

Duval has closed to within three seconds of Tréluyer in the lead Audi.

16:45
Leitz closes to within 5 seconds of Fisichella, who still has to make that second pitstop.

The #15 Oak completes a third pitstop, and is running 8th overall.

16:46
The two leading R18s are nose-to-tail. Fisichella pits from the lead in GTE-Pro, and Lietz sweeps through unchallenged into the class lead. 

Gianmaria Bruni takes over from Fisichella in the AF Corse Ferrari #51. Makowiecki, driving his third stint in the #59, is running third, 14 seconds behind Bruni.

16:51
Duval takes the lead at La Source, with Tréluyer seeming to let the #3 through.

16:53
Yet another fastest lap from Brendon Hartley, who posts a 2:10.824; the first sub-eleven time in LMP2.

Car #40, the Race Prformance Oreca, goes off at Turn 12 and makes contact with the barriers. The car rejoins.

Sébastien Bourdais pits the Pescarolo Dome from fifth. Heidfeld and Watts both move through.

A combination of fast lappery and others pitting has moved Hartley through to fourth in class.

Oliver Jarvis in the #4, and the last of the R18s, is working towards putting a lap on the #12 Rebellion Lola, and when he does that, it will mean a full lap lead over the rest of the field for all four Audis.

Hartley’s pace continues to impress, with a 2:10.699 bringing him to within 10 seconds of #35 Oak Morgan. The #26 Signatech Oreca Nissan, which had been holding second in class, stays in the pits for an extended stop for attention.

17:00
Simon Dolan moves through to take the lead in LMP2 for Jota, the #38 Zytek Nissan taking advantage of fuel efficiency to stay out longer than the Orecas.

The situation in GTE-Am has the #67 IMSA Performance Porsche (Armindo’s pole-setter) still leading, now in the hands of Anthony Pons, and a full lap clear of Perazzini in the #81 AF Corse Ferrari, with Ruberti in the amateur Felbermayr Porsche #88 third.

17:03
Pierre Ehret in the #58 AF Corse Ferrari spins out, but recovers quickly.

17:05
Simon Dolan pits the LMP2 leader from 10th overall.

Danny Watts pits the #21 Strakka HPD. He rejoins a minute down on Bourdais, but still holding seventh.

Omitted to mention that the Starworks HPD has rejoined after its pitlane fire.

17:11
Elton Julian brings the #41 Greaves Motorsport Zytek into the pitlane for a routine pitstop and driver change. The car suffered a delay right at the start of the race after contact with an unknown “other” in the opening lap. The team has been playing catch-up ever since. Christian Zugel takes over.

17:13
Kevin Weeda, fresh out of the pitlane #32 Lotus Lola, goes straight across the track and hits the barriers on the outside of La Source. There’s damage to the rear of the car and he makes a sedate tour back to the pitlane.

17:17
McNish goes wide at Stavelot. Looks as if there may be some oil on the track down at the bottom there.

17:19
Harold Primat in the #13 Rebellion takes Baguette for 8th to unlap himself.

A fourth pitstop for the Murphy Prototype Oreca, with Brendon Hartley staying in the cockpit for a second stint. He’s taken the #48 through to a fairly secure fourth in LMP2.

The #50 Corvette, with Bornhauser aboard, is running third in GTE-Am, and is pulling away from Pierre Ehret in the #58. Bornhauser sets a new fastest lap for the Corvette of 2:26.037, nearly two seconds faster than Ehret.

The #32 Lotus Lola sustained a bent track rod, and is still in the pits.

17:29
The #15 Oak Racing Pescarolo pits from 8th to mark the half-distance mark.

MP