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Spa WEC and Alonso's debut
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Pizzitola has now taken over the LMP2-leading G-Drive car from Vergne. He's nearly 50s up on the Signatech ORECA, but he is, of course, the Russian squad's silver driver. A pretty good silver, it has to be said.
Kobayashi in fourth place now has the Rebellion pair in sight.
The lead of the #8 Toyota over its sister #7 with that extra stop is down from 1m48s to just 57s.
Jani is right with Beche now in the battle of the Rebelllions.
Crash
Drama as Nakajima returns to the pits in the #8 next time around as his seatbelts are not done up properly! He's back into the action after a 49s stop.
Alonso's first ever WEC stint is done, he pits from the lead and Kazuki Nakajima takes over.
Slow stop there for the #1 Rebellion as Jani gets in. The car has dropped behind the sister entry from the Anglo-Swiss team.
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Pastor Maldonado, whose #31 DragonSpeed is running fifth in LMP2: "We are still learning and doing a pretty good job, now we are suffering a little bit but the race is still very long and we hope to recover and be there at the top. We had a little bit of set-up issue, especially the second stint, a little understeer. But it is quite good at the moment."
The Rebellion pair are running in close company - Bruno Senna in second and Gustavo Menezes in third.
Senna has been reported for track limits violations.
Alonso reports to his engineer that his car is handling well, though there is a some front-locking.
The #17 SMP BRE has been given drive-through for speeding in the pitlane.
Johnson is finally past Chriistensen for second in GTE Pro. The problem for Ford is that he's now 14s down on Bruni
But there's action in GTE Pro, Billy Johnson in the #66 Ford reclaims second place from Michael Christensen's Porsche, taking advantage as Alonso lapped them. He has 14s to make up on class leader Gianmaria Bruni's Porsche.
The LMP1 runners are in an impasse right now - the lead for Alonso's Toyota is over a minute from Bruno Senna's Rebellion, and Kobayashi in the sister Toyota in fifth is not making inroads.
Bruni is pulling away at the front of GTE Pro, as teammate Christensen fights a rearguard action to hold off Johnson in the Ford.
Negrao moves the Signatech ORECA past Tan for second in LMP2, but he's still the better part of 50s behind class leader Vergne in the G-Drive ORECA.
The #77 is back in the action with Matt Campbell at the wheel, sixth in the GTE Am class.
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Julien Andlauer on the problem for the 77, which he says was consistent with having no fuel:
"The car was very good during my stint but then at the end I don't know, a problem with the fuel or whatever."
"The car was very good during my stint but then at the end I don't know, a problem with the fuel or whatever."
The #92 Porsche jumped the #67 Ford for second in that round of stops. Christensen was in the pits for just 55s, but the Ford spent 1m05s in the pitlane after Johnson took over from Mucke.
Green flag
We go green, Fernando Alonso still at the wheel and still leading.
Both Rebellions managed to pit just before the caution, now both Toyotas pit. The #8 car gets a new rear wing.
Crash
A horrible minute for Dempsey-Proton Racing. First the #77 car, which was second in GTE Am, pits and is in the garage with an apparent technical problem, then the #88 car with Giorgio Roda at the wheel spins off and is in the barriers at turn 13. And it's a full course yellow.
Information
Positions and class leaders after two hours:
1) Alonso - Toyota
2) Senna - Rebellion +20s
3) Menezes - Rebellion +21s
4) Sarrazin - SMP +1m04s
5) Kobayashi - Toyota +1m50s
6) Dillmann - ByKolles +1 lap
LMP2: Vergne - G-Drive Oreca
GTE Pro: Lietz - Porsche
GTE Am: Eastwood - TF Sport Aston Martin
1) Alonso - Toyota
2) Senna - Rebellion +20s
3) Menezes - Rebellion +21s
4) Sarrazin - SMP +1m04s
5) Kobayashi - Toyota +1m50s
6) Dillmann - ByKolles +1 lap
LMP2: Vergne - G-Drive Oreca
GTE Pro: Lietz - Porsche
GTE Am: Eastwood - TF Sport Aston Martin
Crash
Drive-through penalty for the #31 DragonSpeed car - Maldonado's, albeit currently driven by Roberto Gonzalez - for pitlane speeding.
Lead battle in GTE Am is hotting up. 19-year-old Julien Andlauer has taken over from Ried in the #77 Porsche and is now on Eastwood's tail.
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Bruni on a solid first stint in the GTE Pro-leading #91 Porsche:
“Was a nice battle. We were P2 and fighting with the Fords. We hit some debris after the crash of Tincknell. Richard has reported some issues, but I hope we can bring it home and get a result.”
“Was a nice battle. We were P2 and fighting with the Fords. We hit some debris after the crash of Tincknell. Richard has reported some issues, but I hope we can bring it home and get a result.”
Radio Comms
Alonso is told on the radio his “rear tyres are too hot”, and he will have his boost reduced accordingly.
Alonso update: His advantage is up to 20s over Senna out front. Menezes is hanging on to his teammate, three seconds further back, while Sarrazin's SMP machine is another 20s down.
The #29 Dallara has rejoined the race after its earlier alternator problem, by the way.
The #17 SMP has been reported to the stewards for pitlane speeding.
Richelmi passes teammate Tan for second in LMP2, and we have a new leader in GTE Am - Charlie Eastwood's TF Sport Aston, which has cleared erstwhile leader Paul Dalla Lana.
Lead change in GTE Pro: Porsche man Lietz has passed Mucke's Ford.
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Here's Mike Conway on his burn from the stern in the #7 Toyota:
“It was kinda weird starting in the pitlane to be honest. We had a bit of help with the safety cars, but to unlap ourselves is one feat, and to catch up again is another thing. So the first target is to make it 1-2, and then for us to go one better.”
“It was kinda weird starting in the pitlane to be honest. We had a bit of help with the safety cars, but to unlap ourselves is one feat, and to catch up again is another thing. So the first target is to make it 1-2, and then for us to go one better.”
Richelmi appears to have a flapping door in the #38 DC Racing ORECA - presumably not secured properly at that last stop.
Kobayashi has just put in the fastest sector 3 of the race.
Kobayashi has just unlapped himself from Alonso, who is now 10 seconds to the good from Senna.
Good battle raging in LMP2 - Jean-Eric Vergne clears Weiron Tan to put the #26 G-Drive Oreca back into the lead. Third is Stephane Richelmi in the second of the Jota-run Jackie Chan cars.
That safety car has worked wonders for Signatech's strategy after its earlier woes. Silver driver Thiriet is only a couple of seconds off the lead despite that drive-through for the car and into his second stint.
One of the Rebellions ran wide at La Source, but Senna and Menezes are still second and third. Kobayashi - now a lapped sixth in the #7 Toyota - also has a moment at Pouhon clearing traffic.
By: Matt Beer
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