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Spa WEC and Alonso's debut
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Don't forget, the #17 car started from the very back after stopping out on track in qualifying and failing to set a time.
Issakyan pits the #17 SMP and comes out ahead of Laurent in the #3 Rebellion! So that's a change for third place.
Few more LMP1 stoppers now: Jani hands off the #1 Rebellion to Lotterer, while Dillmann gets back aboard the #4 ByKolles.
A full minute splits the two Toyotas in LMP1, a similar margin separates Vergne and Lapierre in LMP2, and the #98 Aston Martin has a 36s buffer in GTE Am.
None of the lead gaps particularly close, as we enter the final 90 minutes of this race. The closest is in GTE Pro, where 18 seconds split Bruni's Porsche and Pla's Ford.
Replays show the #50 Larbre forcing off one of the GTE Pro Ferraris at La Source, explaining its penalty.
Beche pits the #3 Rebellion from third, handing over to Thomas Laurent. The battle is on for the final podium spot now, currently occupied by the #17 SMP car.
Crash
Drive-through penalty for the #50 Larbre LMP2 car for causing a collision. Not sure who with, mind.
Quote
Calado on that contretemps with the Perfetti-driven Porsche in the pits:
“That’s racing. It happens, but at the end of the day were nowhere. The BoP is so wrong, we can’t compete. That’s not racing. It’s just unacceptable. We’re nowhere, there’s nothing we can do.”
“That’s racing. It happens, but at the end of the day were nowhere. The BoP is so wrong, we can’t compete. That’s not racing. It’s just unacceptable. We’re nowhere, there’s nothing we can do.”
Rebellion's podium finish is looking on shaky ground now, given the rate at which Isaakyan in the #17 SMP car is catching Beche in the #3 machine. The gap between the pair down to 11s now.
Maldonado is back at the wheel of the #31 DragonSpeed Oreca, which slowed coming out of La Source when Nathanael Berthon was at the wheel but got back to up speed soon after.
Ferrari under investigation for that questionable release now.
Ferrari mechanics now furiously working on the #51, which Calado steps out of.
Crash
Bit of a misunderstanding in the pits as Calado clips the Project 1 Porsche as the Ferrari man leaves his box and Perfetti enters his. That's left the #51 car with front-left damage.
Information
Here's a rundown of the leading positions with just under two hours left on the clock:
1) Nakajima - Toyota
2) Lopez - Toyota +58s
3) Beche - Rebellion +1 lap
4) Isaakyan - SMP +1 lap
5) Jani - Rebellion +2 laps
6) Webb - ByKolles +3 laps
LMP2: Pizzitola - G-Drive Oreca
GTE Pro: Lietz - Porsche
GTE Am: Dalla Lana - Aston Martin
1) Nakajima - Toyota
2) Lopez - Toyota +58s
3) Beche - Rebellion +1 lap
4) Isaakyan - SMP +1 lap
5) Jani - Rebellion +2 laps
6) Webb - ByKolles +3 laps
LMP2: Pizzitola - G-Drive Oreca
GTE Pro: Lietz - Porsche
GTE Am: Dalla Lana - Aston Martin
Jani exits the pits after a 2m39s stop, dropping to fifth in the process.
This is a long stop for the #1 car and one that's probably going to wreck any podium hopes Jani, Lotterer and Senna had. At least the #3 car still looks good for third.
Both Rebellions pit. The Swiss crew are replacing the transponder on the #1 R-13's roof.
Crash
Oh, hello. Car #1 has a black-and-orange flag "to repair data transmitting". That's a trip to the pits.
Radio Comms
Meanwhile, Jani's #1 Rebellion is not far away from going a lap down. The Swiss driver has been reporting minor gearbox issues, a possible "false neutral".
Radio Comms
Calado reports to his engineers that a “vibration is getting worse” - but he is told to stay on track for the time being. He's still ahead of Bird.
Brief LMP2 update: Pizzitola is still more than a minute clear of nearest pursuer Lapierre, while Jota's new 'super silver' Aubry is holding third in the best of the Jackie Chan cars.
There we go. Estre slips ahead of Calado. Pier Guidi watches on from the pits, and looks unimpressed.
Estre has rejoined between the two Ferraris after that penalty. He's being hounded by Bird, but surely it won't be long until he's hassling Calado up ahead.
Lietz in the #91 has stretched his lead out over Johnson's #66 Ford to 20 seconds now.
Crash
Stop-and-go penalty for the #92 Porsche for "spinning the wheel" after a pitstop. That will drop it down the order from third in GTE Pro.
Information
So here's how things are shaping up in LMP1:
1) Nakajima - Toyota
2) Lopez - Toyota +1m03s
3) Jani - Rebellion +1m34s
4) Beche - Rebellion +1m58s
5) Orudzhev - SMP +1 lap
6) Webb - ByKolles +3 laps
1) Nakajima - Toyota
2) Lopez - Toyota +1m03s
3) Jani - Rebellion +1m34s
4) Beche - Rebellion +1m58s
5) Orudzhev - SMP +1 lap
6) Webb - ByKolles +3 laps
Nakajima pits the #8 Toyota, and Orudzhev pits the #17 SMP, so that's all the LMP1 runners in for their fifth scheduled stops. Lopez has taken over the #7 Toyota from Kobayashi now.
Quote
LMP2 leader Pizzitola pits. Here's teammate Vergne on the #26's day so far:
“We had a great start to the race, it’s been a good time so far with G-Drive. We’re leaving nothing out there on the track, doing the best we can – that’s how I like to think anyway.”
“We had a great start to the race, it’s been a good time so far with G-Drive. We’re leaving nothing out there on the track, doing the best we can – that’s how I like to think anyway.”
Minor scare for Kobayashi, who runs wide at Les Combes before pitting the #7 Toyota.
Jani has pitted the #1 car now, promoting Orudzhev another position. The #11 SMP car and the ByKolles (now with Oli Webb at the controls) have also been in.
Beche has pitted the #3 Rebellion from fourth, and resumes in fifth behind Orudzhev's SMP machine.
The gap between the two Toyotas is remaining pretty stable right now at 55s, but both are pulling away from the Rebellions, which are both 1m03s (Jani) and 1m15s (Beche) down respectively.
Estre briefly dropped behind Calado there, but within a matter of minutes he's back ahead and into third. Bruni handed over to Lietz in his stop, and the #91 car leads Johnson's Ford by 14s.
GTE Pro leader Bruni now in the pits along with second-placed Bird in the other AF Corse Ferrari.
Several pitters in GTE Pro - Johnson brings in the #66 Ford, followed by Christensen's Porsche and Calado's Ferrari. Estre takes over the #92 Porsche from Christensen.
Information
Positions and class leaders after three hours:
1) Nakajima - Toyota
2) Kobayashi - Toyota +52s
3) Jani - Rebellion +55s
4) Beche - Rebellion +56s
5) Orudzhev - SMP +1m50s
6) Kraihamer - ByKolles +2 laps
LMP2: Pizzitola - G-Drive Oreca
GTE Pro: Bruni - Porsche
GTE Am: Lamy - Aston Martin Racing
1) Nakajima - Toyota
2) Kobayashi - Toyota +52s
3) Jani - Rebellion +55s
4) Beche - Rebellion +56s
5) Orudzhev - SMP +1m50s
6) Kraihamer - ByKolles +2 laps
LMP2: Pizzitola - G-Drive Oreca
GTE Pro: Bruni - Porsche
GTE Am: Lamy - Aston Martin Racing
Kobayashi now is in second, sailing past Beche's Rebellion on the Kemmel straight.
Neel Jani runs wide at La Source and Kobayashi out-drags him before Eau Rouge to take third.
Crash
Yet more drama as leader Nakajima spins at La Source and continues, losing yet more - around 10s - of the #8 car's lead.
By: Matt Beer
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