Porsche Make Wet Tyres Last Longest
- Nov 1, 2015
- 3 min read
The beginning of the hour always brings the cross over of pit stops. Audi pitted and gave Porsche P1/2 in class at the beginning of the hour. #18 lead #17 by around six seconds, but both Porsches took an advantage when they managed to pit without need to change tyres. It made the stops for #17 and #18 a lot quicker than those stops of the Audis. Although they hadn’t managed to get a pit stop in hand on the challenging cars because of fuel, they had managed to optimise on tyre wear – something that has been a big issue for Porsche throughout the year. Toyota took the risk to go onto intermediates but proved it was still too wet as his first lap was 11 seconds off the leading Porsche’s pace. As expected, for their championship hopes, Porsche #17 took the lead from the sister car, leading the Porsche 1-2 at the end of the hour with the Audi’s chasing behind. Rebellion #12 leads the privateer class with all three cars (Rebellion #13 and Team Bykolles #4) still running.
#29 Morgan once again managed to take the lead of the LMP2 class. It swapped hands through the hour as most LMP2 cars started to change onto the intermediate tyres as dry lines began to form slightly on the track. Hour-three leader #30 lead before pitting and handing the lead to #29 who also pitted to hand the lead to #36. When #36 pitted the #29 Morgan was readily sitting in P2 to take the lead in class once again. #31 got a stop and go penalty for a pit infringement that went under investigation at the beginning of the hour, and things got worse for G-Drive as #28 picked up a drive-through penalty for causing a collision. The usual front runners of LMP2 seem to be caught up in the middle field at the end of the hour, but with two hours left everything can still change.
LMGTE Pro, again, remained very much the same through the forth hour. Porsche #91 still leads strongly from the two AF Corse cars as we cross the halfway mark of the race. #51 demoted #71 for P2 in class just after the hour change, putting them in the best position to chance down the leading Porsche and trying to gain the most points for their championship battle with the German manufacturers. The Am class saw Ferrari take a step forwards as they demoted both Aston Martin’s, with car #83, for the lead of the race. As the conditions dry the most challenging thing for the Aston Martins will be to retain their superior wet-weather pace, but Porsche and Ferrari look keep to close the gap in hour five.
With Porsche #17 and #18 in the positions they are currently in it could be the case that, in only their second year back into the sport, Porsche could wrap up the constructor’s title with a race in hand. It would be an amazing feat if they did, considering the reliability problems that plagued them last year and at the beginning of this year. A first place only finish would be enough to see Porsche take the constructors a race early, and right now that is very much looking like it could be the case.
(Image: www.fiawec.com)
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