Audi Lead Most Of Wet Hour Three as All Cars Are Still Running
- Nov 1, 2015
- 3 min read
It wasn’t only the LMGTE cars that struggled in the worsening conditions of hour three. Toyota #1, at the time piloted by Nakajima, picked up a puncture as the Japanese driver lost control of the car, spinning into the gravel. It took to the pits a few laps after the spin, knocking it down the field. Audi seemed to have the advantage in the wet as the two cars took the lead when both Porsches had to pit for new tyres. But the advantage didn’t last long. Porsche dropped themselves out of the pit cycle by pitting early, but this left Audi a pit in hand by the end of the hour. Whether this tactic pays off by the end of the race will all depend on how long Porsche can run their wet weather tyres and if they can gain a pit stop. Porsche #18, driven by Jani, leads at the end of the hour.
It was a good hour for Brundle in the #29 Morgan. Until the pit stop at the end of the hour he held the lead and kept the car on the track in the worsening conditions. With the sequence of pit stops being completed, #30 has taken the lead in class with #29 chasing down the lead in P2, having stopped where #30 hasn’t. There was more trouble for the #42 Strakka car as it spun off the track yet again. But having managed to get going again fine only they were affected by the spin. G-Drive #26 was hit with a drive-through penalty for speeding under the full course yellows that were brought out at the beginning of the hour for Porsche #88. This is good news for the title-chasing #47 KCMG car that is still trying to recover from the early race spin out.
The situation remained very much the same in the LMGTE Pro class during the hour. Most cars were focused on keeping the cars on the track rather than chasing down the leader. This worked to the advantage of the leading #91 Porsche that still held the lead it had obtained coming into the hour by the end of it. The pit stops happened in sequence with little action happening as the field remained in the same order – Porsche #91 leading whilst the AF Corse’s did their best to catch it and stile its championship campaign.
The #50 Corvette and the #88 Porsche were the only two LMGTE Am cars that lost it in the wet conditions. #88 brought out a full course yellows for a period of time but managed to get the car moving again without need of assistance. A few laps passed before the Porsche dove into the pits, being wheeled back into it’s garage for extra checks to make sure the car was still running OK. Around twenty minutes later the #88 Porsche rejoined the track, fifteen laps behind the leaders, to retain that all cars were still running half way through the race. The lead was swapped between the Aston Martin’s as the hour drew to a close and the pit stops were complete but it was the #98 that held the lead yet again by the end of the hour.
The rain began to lighten up halfway through the hour, so the question of whether Porsche’s tyre gamble in the LMP1 class is one to watch through the next hour. The Porsches seem to have the pace through the classes, and whether they can convert that pace to maximum points by the end of the race will all depend on tyre degradation, which Porsche is notoriously known for having high degradation to compete with, and whether the weather gets worse again.
(Image: www.fiawec.com)
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