FIA GT - Spa 24 Hours - Hours 19 & 20

10:02 Andrew Kirkaldy completes a scheduled pitstop for the #56 CRS Ferrari from third in GT2, but is unlikely to lose any ground, as fourth-placed Stephane Ortelli now at the wheel of the #59 TrackSpeed Porsche is a full lap behind.

10:04 Muller and Longin are trading times lap by lap – Longin the quicker by a few tenths on the last tour, and Muller having the better run this time through. At such an even pace it may take clever strategy or misfortune to change the status quo.

10:05 Within seconds of writing the above, the leading #2 Maserati suffers a puncture between Turns 11 and 12 (Stavelot), leaving Muller to limp back to the pitlane. He hasn’t got far to go, but Longin is quick to exploit the situation. Starting lap 421, the Corvette is back into the lead, and a minute or so later, and we have a Corvette in second as well.

10:10 The #2 is out of the race! Astonishingly, the “puncture” was actually a major blow out that pitched Muller into a serious spin, the Maserati sustaining significant damage and losing a wheel. Muller walks away from the car, effectively signing the car’s retirement papers. As the car begins its visible slide down the timing screen, we entertain the thought of a Corvette one-two and . . . an Audi R8 in third place. The Editor is grinning gleefully and wishing he’d had the nerve to put his money where his mouth so frequently leads him.

10:15 It’s not all over yet, by several hours, and Bert Longin makes an early stop for the #3 Corvette. It’s the briefest of stops, and he’s soon back out on track, but perhaps it hints at some underlying concern for the leader.

10:18 That unexpected pitstop-visit for Longin cost the #3 Corvette the lead, but only narrowly. The black Corvette was just rising up through the pitlane exit as the yellow sped by at Radillon. There’s a sixteen second gap between first and second.

10:30 With that brief spate of excitement over, the race has settled back down to a more even tempo. There’s a slight loss of sheen in knowing that all three Maseratis are out of the chase – the #33 may be holding fifth, but fifteen laps in arrears, and the #1 languishes in 24th position – and the closest on-track battle is now for 11th, where Tim Mullen (GT2 Ferrari) is closing down rapidly on Martin in the G3 #121.

10:42 Officially, the #111 Audi R8 is now third overall, having clocked up the necessary laps to pass the stricken #2 MC12. How long it holds onto that podium step remains to be seen, since Vincent Vosse is now on the same lap in the #33 Vitaphone Maserati and comfortable circulating six or seven seconds quicker . . . or he was. At 10:44 he heads into the pitlane for the briefest of routine stops. The R8 breathes easier.

10:49 Rob Bell pits from third in GT2 and loses the place to Stephane Ortelli in the TrackSpeed #59. Mollekens is now showing as being in the #4 Corvette.

10:53 Ortelli now into the pits in the #59, but Bell is still stationary in the #56, having lost a couple of laps.

10:56 Tim Mullen arrives in the top ten at the expense of Martin in the #121 G3 leading Ford GT; the #55 F430 5th in GT2, but promptly pits.

10:59 We learn that the problem for the #56 may have been gearbox related, nope that's wrong it was a change of starter motor - done in 10 minutes flat - but as we dive into another hour, the CRS Ferrari rejoins the fray.

Hour 19 Positions

Pos  No  Name  Nat  Cls   Car  Laps  Stops  Gap  Diff  S1  S2  S3  Last Lap  Best Lap 
1  3   LONGIN BEL 1 Corvette Z06 442  16     39.481 1:06.346 36.198 2:22.025 2:15.423
2  4   MOLLEKENS BEL 1 Corvette Z06 441  17 1 Lap 1:15.415 38.956     2:18.356 2:16.462
3  111   BASSENG GER 4 Audi R8 LMS 427  19 15 Laps   40.431     2:24.371 2:21.106
4  33   LEMERET BEL 1 Maserati MC 12 425  16 17 Laps   39.502 1:04.864   2:19.225 2:16.297
5  50   COMPANC ARG 2 Ferrari F430 422  17 20 Laps 1:32.210 42.494 1:08.625 38.511 2:29.630 2:23.965
6  2   MULLER GER 1 Maserati MC 12 419  15     39.273     2:19.431 2:16.067 Rtd Lost Wheel
7  97   RAGGINGER AUT 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS  419 8 23 Laps 56:39.122 41.738 1:07.453 38.233 2:27.424 2:23.155
8  59   ORTELLI MON 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 417  20 25 Laps 11.420 42.243 1:06.767 38.864 2:27.874 2:23.593
9  56   BELL GBR 2 Ferrari F430 413  19 29 Laps   2:33.282 2:24.492
10  55   MULLEN GBR 2 Ferrari F430 411  17 31 Laps 13:13.258 42.184 1:09.511 52.482 2:44.177 2:25.179
11  61   HOMMERSON NED 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS  410  16 32 Laps 50.049 42.493 1:08.821   2:29.150 2:26.813
12  121   MARTIN BEL 5 Ford GT 409  19 33 Laps 49.981 48.900 1:31.434 58.908 3:19.242 2:22.475
13  60   O'YOUNG CHN 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 406  18 36 Laps 2:26.083 44.856 1:09.563   2:29.510 2:23.559
14  172   HOOYDONCK BEL 5 Aston Martin DBRS9 404  19 38 Laps 42.736 42.474     2:28.795 2:26.666
15  123   LEFORT BEL 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 402  15 40 Laps   43.480 1:10.455   2:32.426 2:28.608
16  70   NARAC FRA 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 400  15 42 Laps 1:09.688 42.486     2:28.093 2:22.658
17  161   LANIK GBR 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 399  16 43 Laps 4.903 41.889     2:28.417 2:24.896
18  35   DAVIDSON GBR 1 Nissan GT-R 394  18 48 Laps   40.642 1:06.387   2:22.864 2:18.321
19  160   HAVETTE FRA 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 386  15 56 Laps 18.659 45.414     2:42.274 2:32.599
20  99   HARTSHORNE GBR  2 Ferrari F430 385  17 57 Laps 1:11.468 44.954 1:12.187 41.400 2:38.541 2:27.720
21  145   HELARY FRA 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 384  17 58 Laps 29.663 42.498 1:08.679   2:29.367 2:26.578
22  116   ECKERT AUT 4 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 383  15 59 Laps 2:19.751 46.791 1:28.851 55.009 3:10.651 2:32.213
23  120   LUDWIG USA 5 Ferrari 430 GT3 373  24 69 Laps 2:01.483 43.892 1:10.040 40.217 2:34.149 2:30.688
24  1   BERTOLINI ITA 1 Maserati MC 12 368  17 74 Laps 24.596         2:16.784
25 110  DEKEERSMAECKER BEL 4 Mosler MT900 334 17 108 Laps 24.202 1:01.158 1:19.967 55.000 3:16.125 2:29.196
26  77   RUBERTI ITA 2 Ferrari F430 329  21 113 Laps 56.035         2:22.014
27  51   CADEI ITA 2 Ferrari F430 316  13 126 Laps 23.287 41.330 1:07.584 43.965 2:32.879 2:22.603
28 174  LESOUDIER FRA 5 BMW Alpina B6 GT3 288 13 154 Laps 1:26.320 46.603 1:19.169 1:07.668 3:13.440 2:27.122
29  122   LUNARDI BRA 5 Ford GT 272  13 170 Laps 1:30.071 3:19.343 1:31.475 1:08.353 5:59.171 2:29.016
30  124   KONSTANTINOU GRE 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 234  9 208 Laps 1:49.946 42.451     2:31.831 2:29.853
31  40   KUPPENS BEL 1 Ford GT (001 PT GT1) 200  10 242 Laps   41.836 1:05.912 37.011 2:24.759 2:20.711

Hour 19 - Big Drama

So I spoke about a pattern? Talk about speaking too soon. The hour began when Alex Müller suffered a massive puncture, lost a wheel, spun, and parked off course. He’s walked away from the car. Bert Longin leads the race.  And there’s not even a fat lady in Belgium to sing when it is over!

No.3’s lead is short-lived as it stops out of sequence to contend with fuel pressure issues. The other Corvette moves to the fore while the Audi will soon take over third place overall. Could it . . .?

I’m sure that all are waiting breathlessly for word about the No. 40 Ford. The team has replaced the clutch this time and the car is running again. Or maybe it was the gearbox, or maybe it’s on the third engine of the day. In any case, it’s completed about 40% of the distance of the overall leader. All hail GT1, 2010 style.

There is still life down in G3 as Markus Palttala resets fast lap in the class at 2:24.896 with the No. 161 Porsche Cup.

The real contest now is between the two Corvettes. However, there is another important issue to decide. The Audi is third overall but the No. 33 Maserati is two laps behind and four seconds per lap faster. That’s a matter of some interest.

Hour 20

11:04 Burbling down the pitlane comes the leader; Bert Longin having built up a lead of about 70 seconds before completing another stint. It’s a long trek for the Corvette, with the #3 having to make a slow journey all the way round to the final box on the older Eau Rouge pitlane. Longin climbs out to be replaced by Soulet, handing the lead to Mollekens in the #4.

11:09 A spin for Rob Bell in the #56 on the exit of the Bus Stop, but he recovers quickly and continues.

11:16 The GT2 leader is into the pits; Louis Companc bringing the #50 car through for a routine visit. He rejoins without losing the place.

11:20 The Barwell Aston has been in the pits for several minutes now and is in imminent danger of losing its position in class, currently third, to the #161 ProSpeed G3 Porsche.

11:21 A routine pitstop for the #61 ProSpeed GT2 Porsche from 5th in GT2.

11:23 Confirmation on screen that the Barwell car has dropped off the third step of the G3 podium and now risks sliding yet further down the order, although has several laps in the bag over Anthony Davidson in the #35 Nissan GT1.

11:25 While GT1 looks settled, at least for the time being (Mollekens leading by a steady half-minute over Soulet) there are increasing prospects of some entertainment in GT2. Jaimie Melo is pushing hard, and for good reason. Ragginger in the #97 is less than ten seconds behind on track and lapping just a tad quicker in the Porsche . . . although there are two laps between them in the race. With the retirement of the #2 Maserati some of the sparkle has undoubtedly gone out of this race, at least for now.

11:35 After twenty minutes or more of “no change”, things are finally starting to get a little spicy in GT1. Soulet has started to narrow the gap on the leader, and what was thirty seconds ten minutes ago has been cut to eighteen, and the #3 took another three seconds out of Mollekens’ lead on lap 457. In addition, now that Lemeret is back on the same lap as Fassler, the prospect of a dispute over third place is now in the offing.

11:40 Movement at last from the Barwell Aston Martin, which lost ten laps during its extended pitstop. Wauters is back in the car and it’s lying 18th overall, having lost one position in class to stand fourth in G3. The car had run faultlessly until Renard had an off at Les Combes early in the morning. He brought the car back to the garage and the team fixed the cosmetic damage, largely with gaffer tape. A little later they detected some strange data readings on oil pressure, and also some visible misting. The war returned to the garage where damaged to the oil radiator was discovered, caused by the earlier incident. Tell-tale grease at the rear also suggested a possible drive shaft issue as well, so that was replaced.

11:42 The gap at the top has shrunk a little further, with Mollekens now just 17 seconds ahead of Soulet.

The situation in GT2 has Melo leading (#50) from Ragginger (#97) and Ortelli (#59). There are two laps between each. Fourth is Rob Bell, four laps adrift in the #56 and three laps clear of Tim Mullen.

We learn that the extra pitstop for the #3 Corvette was initially because of a faulty fuel rig, which had not dispensed the expected allocation of fuel. The car was sent back out while the problem was fixed, and then made a second pitstop to collect the full allocation, with the tyre change executed during the same stop.

Soulet will complete a double stint in the #4 Corvette now, followed by a double from Oliver Gavin and then a similar run for Bert Longin to the finish. Ruffier looks unlikely to get back into the car.

11:45 Niki Lanik, who not so long ago snatched third in G3 from the Barwell DB9, is circulating with trailing bodywork. The rear of the car is somewhat disarranged, but it doesn’t appear to have diminished Lanik’s pace. He’s holding 16th overall.

11:47 The much-troubled #40 Ford GT is back into the pitlane. This time the stop looks routine, but this is now just a case of keeping going for the MarcVDS squad, so close are they to the back of the remaining runners.

11:48 A routine pitstop for the #33 Maserati – fuel, tyres and driver change to Pier Guidi. Another reprieve for Fassler in the #111 Audi, which continues to retain a grip on third overall.

11:50 Two more seconds out of the Mollekens lead on that last lap, which now stands at thirteen seconds over Soulet in the second Corvette. That was a 29 lap stint on fuel for the #4 car with mollekens saying that 30 would have been possible on an economy run.

11:56 Mollekens pits in the #4 to hand over to Mike Hazemans and Soulet moves through to take the lead.

Hour 20 Positions

Pos  No  Name  Nat  Cls   Car  Laps  Stops  Gap  Diff  S1  S2  S3  Last Lap  Best Lap 
1  3   SOULET BEL 1 Corvette Z06 467  17     40.287 1:06.440 36.265 2:22.992 2:15.423
2  4   HEZEMANS NED 1 Corvette Z06 466  18 1 Lap 1:36.366 39.158     4:04.795 2:16.462
3  111   FASSLER SUI 4 Audi R8 LMS 451  20 16 Laps   40.852 1:06.783   2:25.249 2:21.106
4  33   PIER GUIDI ITA 1 Maserati MC 12 450  17 17 Laps 29.079 40.072 1:04.080   2:19.629 2:16.297
5  50   MELO BRA 2 Ferrari F430 446  18 21 Laps 1:52.975 41.606 1:07.279 37.340 2:26.225 2:23.965
6  97   MILLER USA 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 443  19 24 Laps 0.799 42.841 1:07.292 37.825 2:27.958 2:23.155
7  59   ASHBURN GBR 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 440  21 27 Laps 1:11.259 45.164     4:55.763 2:23.593
8  56   BELL GBR  2 Ferrari F430 437  20 30 Laps 4:31.279 42.617 1:07.777 43.563 2:33.957 2:24.492
9  55   MULLEN GBR 2 Ferrari F430 434  17 33 Laps   41.921 1:10.135   2:29.088 2:25.179
10  61   CORONEL NED 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 433  17 34 Laps 1:18.021 42.515     2:29.045 2:26.813
11  121   HENNERICI GER 5 Ford GT 432  19 35 Laps   43.390 1:08.419   2:30.157 2:22.475
12  60   COLLARD FRA 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 430  19 37 Laps 24.826 42.164 1:08.517   2:27.812 2:23.559
13  123   LEFORT BEL 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 426  15 41 Laps 56.828 43.616     2:33.607 2:28.608
14  70   PILET FRA 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 424  17 43 Laps 35.145 42.663 1:16.332 52.978 2:51.973 2:22.658
15  161   LANIK GBR 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 423  16 44 Laps 1:45.821 42.406     2:29.623 2:24.896
16  2   MULLER GER 1 Maserati MC 12 419  15     39.273     2:19.431 2:16.067
17  35   DAVIDSON GBR 1 Nissan GT-R 416  19 51 Laps   40.385 1:06.060   2:23.686 2:18.321
18  172   WAUTERS BEL 5 Aston Martin DBRS9 415  20 52 Laps 1:28.799 43.330 1:09.962 39.572 2:32.864 2:26.666 19  145   HELARY FRA 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 408 18 59 Laps 2:31.585 42.258 1:07.780 37.955 2:27.993 2:26.578
20  99   HARTSHORNE GBR 2 Ferrari F430 406  18 61 Laps   45.235 1:12.543 50.714 2:48.492 2:27.720
21  160   BROUARD FRA 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 404 17 63 Laps 39.584 47.090 1:15.716 49.850 2:52.656 2:32.599
22  116   RICH GBR 4 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 399  16 68 Laps 8:01.326 3:35.040     3:05.262 2:32.213
23  120   CULLEN IRL 5 Ferrari 430 GT3 395  25 72 Laps 1:36.593 44.278 1:09.679   2:34.106 2:30.688
24  1   SARRAZIN FRA 1 Maserati MC 12 392  18 75 Laps 53.910 42.506     4:13.396 2:16.784
25  110   DEKEERSMAECKER BEL 4 Mosler MT900 334 17 133 Laps 24.202 1:01.158 1:19.967 55.000 3:16.125 2:29.196
26  77   RUBERTI ITA 2 Ferrari F430 329  21 138 Laps 56.035    2:22.014
27  51   CADEI ITA 2 Ferrari F430 316  13 151 Laps 23.287 41.330 1:07.584 43.965 2:32.879 2:22.603
28  174   LESOUDIER FRA 5 BMW Alpina B6 GT3 288 13 179 Laps 1:26.320 46.603 1:19.169 1:07.668 3:13.440 2:27.122
29  122   LUNARDI BRA 5 Ford GT 272  13 195 Laps 1:30.071 3:19.343 1:31.475 1:08.353 5:59.171 2:29.016
30  124   KONSTANTINOU GRE 5 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S 234  9 233 Laps 1:49.946 42.451     2:31.831 2:29.853
31  40   DEDONCKER BEL 1 Ford GT (001 PT GT1) 223  11 244 Laps   42.765 1:08.343   2:29.718 2:20.711

Hour 20 Review

Let’s try this again. The race has stabilized. Quick, run!

Mollekens is 35 seconds clear of Soulet. The Audi is in third but Lemmeret is biting off chunks of that gap each time by.

There are definitely issues at work in SRT land. The Corvette stopped well short of schedule and less than a full load of fuel was loaded aboard. It appears that some sort of fuel flow problems exist. (They did - but they're sorted Ed)

GT2 is still comfortably in No. 50’s control. The question henceforth is how many times can we say “definitely” “stable” etc. and watch those words turn to muck.

Certainly, nothing is stable in the CR stable as the No. 56 has had to have the starter replaced—an operation that earlier was done to the No. 55.