FIA WEC, 6 Hours Of Silverstone - Race Report Hours 1 - 3

The following text was uploaded 'live' during the course of the race.

11:03
The pitlane has now been cleared and the girls are making their way onto the grid. One or two teams have already been running their engines in anticipation of heading out onto the track.

11:09
Pit lane will open at 11:10.

11:18
With the pitlane open, the cars are streaming out onto the track. It's a ten minute window only, and exit will close in two minutes.

11:20
Pilane is now closed.

11:25
Late amendments to the starting grid, originally published at 09:17, show absence of the #32 Lotus (scheduled to be started by James Rossiter) and the demotion of the #55 JWA-Avila Porsche to the back of the grid.

11:27
Tom Kristen will be starting driver in the #2 Audi, alongside André Lotterer on pole. Alex Wurz will take first stint in the #7 Toyota, and Jonny Kane is nominated starting driver for the #21 Strakka Racing HPD, sharing the second row.

11:29
Alex Brundle, having claimed his first-ever sportscar pole, will be starting the Greaves Motorsport Zytek from the fourth row of the grid.

11:32
The green flag will be waved today by two of Britain's gold medallists from the recent London 2012 Olympics - Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott, winners of the C2 double canoe slalom. It was one of those events where Britain also claimed silver, demonstrating the UK's on-going affinity with anything watery. Thankfully, Silverstone remains dry - for the time being anyway.

11:33
The Red Devils complete their aerial parachute display.

11:38
Visual confirmation that the #32 Lotus Lola is absent from the grid - reason as yet unclear.

11:39
The National Anthem - please stand.

11:42
The #32 is in the team garage and will, apparently, start from the pitlane, although there appears to be little sign of work being done at present.

11:44
Aerobatic display from Aerostars, Europe's largest civilian aerobatics team. http://www.aerostars.co.uk/

11:44
The grid being cleared of non-essential personnel.

11:51
Five minutes to go . . .

11:53
3 minutes to go...

11:55
Drivers . . . Start your engines!

11:56
The pace car moves off . . .

11:56
Funeral music being played on the PA . . . we're told later that it was actually the official Olympic song from the recent games, composed by Muse. 

11:58
André Lotterer leads the 34 cars round the track.

12:00
LMP2  - The #32 is now sitting i the pitlane, and looks ready to start. Rossiter will join after the first lap.

12:01
LMP2  - Incidents in P2, with JRM and one of the Greaves cars off at the first corner, and Brendon Hartley having to take avoiding action. All appear to rejoin OK, but that looked like an incident for Alex Brundle, the LMP2 pole-setter.

12:01
LMP1: Hectic start - Alexander Wurz takes advantage and moves up into second position. Dumbreck unlucky and spun around by an LMP2 car. He has continued in 30th position.

12:03
LMP1: Peter Dumbreck cutting through the GTE field - not sure if Dumbreck was touched, looked like a driver mistake on cold tyres into turn 1. 19th now after one lap completed.

12:03
LMP2  - Sarrazin now leads for ADR-Delta with Nic Minassian through to second for Jota. Both Brundle and Hartley have dropped back to the tail-end of the P2 grid. It appears that Alex Brundle did well to avoid the JRM HPD after Dumbrek seemed to brake unexpectedly.

12:05
LMP2 - That avoiding action for Brundle has rearranged the P2 order almost from front to back. Sarrazin already enjoys a class lead of almost two seconds over Minassian. The #32 Lotus Lola has now joined the race.

12:06
LMP1: Lotterer already 2.2 seconds clear of Wurz after just two laps. Tom Kristensen a further two seconds behind.

GTE PRO: Lietz is leading GTE PRO - seven tenths of a second ahead of Gianmaria Bruni. James Walker fighting with Darren Turner for third place in GTE PRO - the Aston moves up into third.

12:09
GTE PRO: Turner closing in on Lietz and Bruni - pulling way from James Walker.

12:09
LMP2 - Hartley seems to be the one making the best of his recovery, and has passed Giroix in the #29, but Brundle follows him through a few moments later, the two running 19th and 20th overall. Much ground to make up.

Meanwhile, Sarrazin continues to enjoy an extending lead in the Starworks HPD (apologies for earlier miss-assignment!) and is now 4 seconds clear of Minassian.

12:10
LMP1: André Lotterer closing in on the #70 Larbre Competition Corvette, #57 Krohn Racing Ferrari and #55 JWA-Avila Porsche. Six laps in.

12:10
LMP2 - John Martin passes Minassian for second in class. That is the ADR Delta Oreca, demoting the Jota Zytek to third.

12:11
LMP1: Peter Dumbreck back into 11th position - still four LMP2 cars between him and the next LMP1 car of Andrea Belicchi.

12:12
LMP2 - Fourth place is held by Frank Mailleux in the #23 Signatech Nissan, evidently none the worse for its warm-up clash with team-mate Oreca. Dumbreck, recovering steadily in the LMP1 JRM HPD #22, has just passed Mailleux for 10th overall.

12:13
LMP1 leaders have just passed the GTE PRO leaders.

12:15
LMP1: Fastest second sector time for Alexander Wurz. Gap reduced to 3.2 seconds after 8 laps.

GTE PRO: Bruni trying to find a way past Lietz - as Turner is closing in. Last lap by the Aston Martin Racing driver was over half a second quicker.

12:16
LMP2 - Martin is setting the pace now in the class, and has just completed a sub-52 lap to narrow the gap on Sarrazin. Elsewhere, Pierre Ragues is also on a charge in the #26 Signatech Nissan, but running 17th overall.

News from the pitlane confirms that the Lotus Lola #32 started from the pitlane as a result of an engine change - thought to be the second swap of the weekend for the team.

12:17
GTE PRO: Turner now under investigation "out of position at the start". Same for Jonny Adam and Markus Palttala in GTE AM.

12:18
LMP2 - The class leaders complete their eighth lap. Sarrazin now has Dumbreck on his tail, so the P1 field is about to be rejoined. Indeed, he has just passed him, so Sarrazin drops to 8th overall.

12:18
LMP1: Peter Dumbreck back in seventh position - LMP1 cars first to seventh again.

12:19
LMP1: Fast lap times by Wurz means he's now right behind race leader André Lotterer.

12:19
LMP2 - Hartley is tucked right under the rear wing of Elton Julian in the #41 Greaves Zytek, and is pushing hard to overtake.

12:20
GTE AM: Larbre Competition #50 also under investigation for possible overtaking by abusing track limits.

12:21
LMP1: Alexander Wurz looking for a way to pass André Lotterer - who was stuck behind the Gulf Racing Middle East Lola of Fabien Giroix.

12:21
LMP2 - The #29 Gulf Middle East is instrumental in the overall change for the lead, blocking Lotterer sufficiently to allow Wurz to sweep through on the exit of Copse.

12:23
LMP1: Toyota has now been in the lead of both races they have entered. They briefly lead at Le Mans.

12:23
LMP1: Wurz already two seconds clear of Lotterer - Kristensen closing in on his team-mate.

12:24
LMP2 - Hartley and Brundle both pass Elton Julian, and then Ragues, who unexpectedly gives way without a challenge. The recovering duo have now made up five places each, and are holding 16th and 17th for Murphy and Greaves respectively.

12:25
LMP2 - Sarrazin's lead has grown slightly to three seconds over Martin. Alex Brundle passes Brendan Hartley for 16th, as the driver of the #48 is also warned for "not observing track limits".

12:25
GTE PRO: Track limits warnings for Richard Lietz and Gianmaria Bruni. Those guys do everything in their fight for the lead.

12:26
LMP1: Alexander Wurz in heavy traffic - doing very well to avoid incidents and pulling away from the two Audi's.

12:26
LMP2 - Now ahead of Hartley, Brundle sets a new fastest first sector for the #42 Greaves Zytek. 

12:27
LMP2 - Sarrazin matches Brundle's time to the tenth. 34.1 for the first sector. 

12:29
LMP2 - Brundle's increased efforts are rewarded with a fastest second sector on his next lap. His next target is Lahaye in the #24 Oak, 15th overall and 8th in P2.

12:31
LMP1: Wurz is pulling away - he has just gained THREE seconds on one lap. 7.327s between him and Lotterer. Kristensen already 11.654s behind.

12:32
LMP1: Toyota Racing pit crew ready in the pit lane - that is a bit early....

12:33
GTE PRO/GTE AM: No further action on #55, #97 and #99.

12:34
LMP2 - Brundle is the next to earn a warning from the stewards for not observing the track limits. It might account for his "fastest lap" for the #42 Greaves of 1:51.726 - fastest in P2 and almost exactly a second quicker on that last lap than Hartley.

12:34
LMP1: Tom Kristensen getting warned for track limits again.

12:36
GTE PRO: Darren Turner has just passed Gianmaria Bruni for position. Bruni now outside top 25 as James Rossiter passes him as well (but Rossiter is in the Lotus LMP2 car)

12:38
LMP1: Wurz continues to set fast sector times and still not pitting - bluff or strategy game? Gap to Lotterer is now 11.5 seconds.

12:38
LMP2 -  Hartley does set a new fastest lap for the Murphy Oreca, a 52.339, and on current form that's second quickest in the class. Sarrazin's lead over Martin has shrunk again, and is back down to less than 2 seconds. One of the closest battles in P2 is currently between Pierre Kaffer in the #49 and Bertrand Baguette, just a few tenths behind in the #35 Oak.

Rossiter (#32 Lotus Lola) has now overtaken all the GT cars during his run from the pitlane and is lying 22nd overall, fifteenth in this sizeable P2 grid.

12:39
LMP1: Wurz enters the pit lane - as the Audi pit crew prepares for a stop as well. Lotterer crosses the line to take the lead.

12:40
LMP1: 68.6 litres of fuel for the Toyota.

12:42
LMP2 - Mailleux into the pits - the first P2 car to make a pitstop. He's followed by a string of others, including #35, #30 and #26.

12:43
LMP2 - Baguette into the garage in the #35 Oak Nissan.

12:44
GTE AM: Cioci has passed Hall in GTE AM for the lead - Ruberti right behind Hall now.

12:44
LMP2 - Sarrazin pits the #44 Starworks HPD from the lead in P2. Kaffer (#49), Lahaye (#24) and Brundle (#42) all follow.

12:45
LMP2 - Martin currently leads, yet to stop, with Minassian in second for the #38 Jota Zytek. Hartley sweeps through to third, but is also yet to make his first pitstop.

12:45
LMP1: Neel Jani pits, the second LMP1 car to pit this race.

12:45
LMP1: Alex Wurz re-emerged from the pit in third place - 35 seconds behind Kristensen now.

12:46
LMP1: Kane and Belicchi pit.

12:47
LMP1: André Lotterer pits from the lead after 26 laps - Peter Dumbreck in as well.

12:47
LMP2 - Lucas Ordonez has taken over from Alex Brundle in the #42. A number of other driver changes in the class as well, including Zugel for Julian (#42) which probably suggests some tyre changes too, because a driver change without seems a waste of time. 

12:47
LMP1: Kristensen now leads - Wurz has passed Lotterer again.

12:48
LMP2 - An issue for Rossiter in the #32, and spins at Brooklands. He recovers.

12:49
LMP1: Tom Kristensen now pits - Wurz was just 28 seconds behind and will move back into the lead of the race.

12:50
LMP2 - With the exception of Rossiter, all the P2 cars have now completed their first scheduled pitstops, and the status quo is largely restored. Sarrazin leads from Martin, but a lengthy stop for Minassian drops the Jota to 16th overall.

Rossiter pits and the #32 is wheeled backwards into the garage.

12:52
LMP1: Wurz now 6.558 seconds ahead of Lotterer and 19 seconds ahead of Kristensen

GTE PRO: Turner lapping quick - six tenths of a second between him and GTE PRO class leader Richard Lietz. None of the GTE cars has made a stop yet.

12:52
LMP2 - Minassian's extended pitstop dropped him to ninth. The driver-change cost the #41 three positions, and Ordonez has rejoined just behind Minassian. Hartley has moved up to 8th in class.

12:53
LMP2 - Baguette and Rossiter both still pit-bound (Oak #35 and Lotus #32 respectively).

12:54
LMP2 - The Status GP Lola is back into the pits after just a handful of laps - Sims in the coupés cockpit.

12:55
GTE PRO: Turner now all over the back of Lietz - as André Lotterer (LMP1) passes them.

GTE AM: Stuart Hall has lost another position - Paolo Ruberti moved up into second. Contact between Ruberti and Hall - damage to the rear of the Porsche.

12:56
GTE PRO: Battle for the lead intensifies - Turner had to abort attempt as they approached entrance of turn 15 (yellow flag zone).

12:56
LMP2 - After that round of pitstops, Sarrazin's lead has been extended top 8 seconds over John Martin, and then there's another similar gap back to Kaffer; the #49 Pecom Racing Oreca having moved through to third after that long pitstop for Jota.

12:57
Fantastic work by one of the marshals for removing the debris from the track - that would have been a safety car in other series (...F1).

12:57
LMP2 - The Status GP Lola's return visit to the pitlane was brief, but the #30 is now tail-end Charlie in P2, 20th overall.

12:58
LMP1: Another track limits warning for the #2 Audi - which is leading the Michelin Green X at the moment.

12:59
LMP2 - Sims passes Zugel for 19th overall.

13:00
GTE PRO: Lietz and Turner in the pit together - right on the hour mark.

13:02
GTE PRO: Driver changes at Aston and Porsche - Lieb and Mücke take over from Lietz and Turner.

13:04
LMP1: Alexander Wurz is almost 12 seconds clear of Lotterer after one hour of racing.

13:06
GTE PRO: Interesting to note is that the GTE PRO Aston and Porsche have pitted seven minutes ago - however the Ferrari's have not and are now 1-2-3.

13:07
GTE PRO: First Ferrari stops now...Andrea Bertolini is in the pit.

13:07
LMP2 - The #35 Oak Racing Morgan Nissan has rejoined. The issue was with the starter motor.

13:08
LMP2 - Minassian's extended pitstop was for the fitting of fresh tyres.

13:10
LMP2 - Hartley has Nic Minassian on his tail, and Baguette has rejoined just behind these two, creating a tight visual battle on track, with the Oak driver as keen to unlap himself as Minassian must be to gain the place on Hartley. 7th in class is at stake, 14th overall.

13:10
GTE AM: Race leader Marco Cioci is in the pit.

GTE PRO: Race leader Gianmaria Bruni is in the pit.

13:12
LMP2 - Hartley and Minassian both pass Ragues. Meanwhile one of the Signatech cars has had a mishap, allowing Lahaye through to fourth in P2.

13:14
LMP2 - That was the #23 of Frank Mailleux that took the spin. Ordonez brings the #41 into the pits - that cannot be scheduled, surely?

13:15
GTE PRO: After pit stops in GTE PRO Lieb is back in the lead, 1.781s over Fisichella. Mücke is now in third.

GTE AM: Larbre Competition #70 is reported to have a small fire at the back end.

13:16
LMP2 - Minassian (#38) overtakes Hartley for 13th overall. Meanwhile, Mailleux also pits in the #23. Perhaps these stops are scheduled, but they do seem early.

13:17
LMP2 - Fresh tyres and a driver change in the #23. Lucas Ordonez has returned to the track without the driver change.

13:18
LMP1: Toyota pit crew is back in the pit lane again. Kazuki Nakajima ready as well - this won't take long before the #7 will be in.

13:19
LMP2 - Sarrazin continues to lead the class for Starworks, his lead stabilising around the seven second mark over John Martin, second in the ADR-Delta. Pierre Kaffer holds third, almost 30 seconds back, but with only seven seconds over Minassian, pushing hard in the Jota Zytek. Hartley is running 6th for Murphy.

13:21
LMP1: Lap 45 pit stop for Toyota.

13:22
LMP2 - Minassian sets a new fastest second sector, confirming how hard he's pushing in order to make up for that lengthy pitstop - those new tyres seem to be working well.

13:22
GTE PRO: Darren Turner "Struggling for front end grip all weekend. In this race weather conditions it's working much better"

13:24
LMP2 - Ragues makes a pitstop for the #26 Signatech Nissan from 7th in P2, 14th overall.

13:24
GTE PRO: Darren Turner: "Bruni made a mistake that allowed me to go by. Always intended to do a single stint on tyres at the start, not enough data as yet on those tyres. Looking at tyres to decide on strategy for remainder of the race."

13:25
LMP1: Audi #2 given another track limits warning.

13:26
GTE PRO: Mücke out-braked Fisichella and the Aston Martin Racing Vantage #97 is back in second place.

13:28
LMP2 - Rusinov takes over from Ragues in the #23, as Brendon Hartley earns a second warning for not observing the track limits.

John Martin moves the #25 Oreca through to take the lead from Sarrazin in the Starworks #44.

13:28
GTE AM: Stuart Hall back in third position - now chasing Fernando Rees in the #50 Larbre Competition Corvette.

13:29
LMP2 - Pierre Kaffer pits from third, allowing Matthieu Lahaye through in the #24 Oak.

13:30
LMP2 - Tyres and driver change for the Pecom Racing Oreca. Sims is right on the tail of Giroix and challenging for 14th overall.

13:32
LMP1: Another track limits warning for Audi - this time for the #1.

GTE AM: Fernando Rees takes the lead - Adam and Hall now second and third.

13:32
LMP2 - Lahaye is next to pit, climbing out of the #24 Oak Morgan as the team fits a new set of tyres. Olivier Pla takes over. Perez Companc is now in the Pecom Oreca.

13:34
LMP2 - Giroix pits.

Hartley has lost the front left wheel on the #48 Murphy Prototypes Oreca. He has the car under control and is heading back towards the pitlane. The wheel just flew loose along the old pit straight, on the approach to Copse. Hartley did well to maintain control.

13:35
RACE CONTROL: "Debris on track main pit straight close to pit wall drivers right"

13:36
LMP2 - Hartley has pitted safely and handed over to Warren Hughes. The pitstop is not wildly out of sequence, but the slow half-lap for Hartley cost a couple of places. Confirmation on exact position when this series of pitstops is completed.

Hartley says the wheel "just came off" without warning. It was a "bit scary".

13:36
LMP1: André Lotterer pits from the lead - this will allow Kristensen to take the lead for now.

13:37
LMP1: Tréluyer has taken over from Lotterer.

13:38
GTE AM: "Investigation involving cars 50 & 50, car 50 given formal reprimand"

13:38
LMP2 - Martin continues to lead, but now from Minassian, who has yet to make a second pitstop. He and Zugel (#41 Greaves) are the only two yet to make that scheduled stop.

13:39
LMP1: Kristensen leads Nakajima by 30 seconds - Tréluyer another 15 seconds behind in third. Kristensen still has to pit though.

13:39
LMP2 - Martin pitted first, allowing Minassian through, but then the Jota driver pits next tiome round as well. The Starworks HPD #44 looks set to regain the lead.

13:41
LMP2 - Zugel brings the #41 Greaves Motorsport Zytek in for a second pitstop. The slow lap for Hartley and subsequent pitstop did cost the team dearly, and Hughes has rejoined in 17th overall, 10th in LMP2. 

13:42
LMP2 - Alex Sims brings in the #30 for what is a third pitstop for the Status GP Lola.

13:43
LMP1: Audi #2 dropped from the airjacks with wheel left front not yet attached - they've lost time there.

13:44

LMP1: A 1:39 pit stop for that car - lost 21 seconds compared to #1 stop and 12 seconds to #7.

13:44
LMP2 - Contrary to expectations, Potolicchio in the Starworks HPD has not taken the lead, but remains nearly 40 seconds down on Martin, thanks to a swifter pitstop (no driver change or tyres) for the ADR-Delta squad.

13:45
LMP1: Fastest sector 3 time for Nakajima - who now leads again by 14 seconds. An now a faster second sector. Harold Primat has passed Nick Leventis for position. Rebellion now fourth and fifth.

13:46
LMP2: The #32 Lotus LMP2 is back in the pit lane - about to rejoin the race. So far we've not seen any retirements yet.

13:49
GTE PRO: Stefan Mücke closing in on Marc Lieb. On the previous lap he was over a second quicker! Gap is reduced to a second. Fisichella is five seconds behind.

13:50
LMP2 - The man on the move in P2 at the moment is Olivier Pla, consistently setting quick laps in the #24 Oak, and roughly two seconds a lap quicker than almost everyone else in the class. He's running 4th (11th overall) and closing on Nic Minassian.

13:51
LMP1: Tréluyer has reduced the gap to nine second...as McNish returns to the pit to replace a slow right rear puncture! That will drop them out of contention for now.

13:52
LMP2 - The gap between Ordonez and Lombard for 6th in class (13th overall) is just four-tenths.

13:52
LMP1: Kazuki Nakajima is about to put Allan McNish a lap down...

13:53
LMP2 - Ordonez duly takes the place, easing the #42 through ahead of the #23. At almost the same moment, Minassian takes second from Potolicchio.

The #32 pulls off with a very smoky engine, on the Hangar Straight.

13:54
LMP1: Benoit Tréluyer had to brake to avoid hitting the back of Stefan Mücke's Aston Martin.

13:55
LMP1: Contact between Tréluyer and the GTE AM Ferrari of Tracey Krohn - Ferrari spun.

13:57
SAFETY CAR

13:57
RACE CONTROL: Incident involving cars 1 & 57 under investigation

13:59
LMP2 - Woes for the #32 seem to have culminated in retirement. The pre-race problem was exhaust related, The stop on track for Rossiter and ensuing pitstop was to extinguish a small fire in the wiring loom. Not a confirmed retirement yet, but looks set to be the first in this race.

Minassian is doing a triple-stint in the Jota Zytek but the tyres won't go that distance, which is why the team elected to change a set at his first pitstop.

Brendon Hartley had been really struggling with the tyres towards the end of his stint, and was actually on his in-lap when the wheel broke loose.