WEC Silverstone 6 Hours
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GTE PRO
GTE Pro leader Alessandro Pier Guidi pits and retains a solid lead over the #91 Porsche of 14.3s. That'll be his final stop. Bruni's an experienced hand in sportscars - spending many years as a factory Ferrari driver before defecting to Porsche last year - so can he get one over on his old employers here?
GTE AM
Those two penalties have massively shaken up the GTE Am podium battle. Matt Campbell aboard the lead Dempsey-Proton Porsche is way out front, but second through fifth is a tightly contested affair.
Pedro Lamy is a mere 2.7s behind second placed Jonny Adam, while the #56 Project 1 car a further 10.7s behind with its pro driver Jorg Bergmeister driving.
This could go down to the wire.
Pedro Lamy is a mere 2.7s behind second placed Jonny Adam, while the #56 Project 1 car a further 10.7s behind with its pro driver Jorg Bergmeister driving.
This could go down to the wire.
GTE PRO
Harry Tincknell demonstrates what we've known all along - the Ford GT has been the fastest GTE Pro car this weekend. He sets a new race fastest lap and it's not necessarily for nothing, as he's only 12.306s behind fourth placed Maxime Martin.
LMP2
Anthony Davidson spins the #31 DragonSpeed around exiting Luffield. It's been a torrid day for that team across both their LMP1 and LMP2 entries, a race they'll want to forget.
GTE AM
Matt Campbell has taken over from Andlauer in the #77 Porsche and exited pitlane while the two penalised cars are still serving their penalties. They hold on to first place.
LMP1
Lead change in LMP1! Buemi has been released by Kobayashi, again at the behest of a team radio message from pit wall.
GTE AM
Big drama! Both the #90 TF Sport and #56 Project 1 cars, currently second and third but with an extra pitstop over the GTE Am leader, have been given 1m15s stop-go penalties.
That will bring Julien Andlauer and his Dempsey-Proton team-mates into victory contention. They lead and have one more stop to make.
That will bring Julien Andlauer and his Dempsey-Proton team-mates into victory contention. They lead and have one more stop to make.
GTE PRO
We have a Porsche battle for second in GTE Pro. Bruni's nipped ahead of Christensen but it's still really close, only 1.1s between them.
Oh, that's why Kobayashi lost 1.2s in a single lap. He went off road at Abbey while lapping GTE cars. Nothing dramatic but it doesn't help, either.
LMP1
And he does it again! Buemi cuts the gap to 2.7s!
LMP1
Buemi has just taken another second out of Kobayashi. The gap between #7 and #8 Toyotas is now down to 3.9s!
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One hour to go, here's how things stand:
1) Kobayashi - Toyota
2) Buemi - Toyota +5s
3) Lotterer - Rebellion +4 laps
4) Menezes - Rebellion +5 laps
5) Orudzhev - SMP +5 laps
Class leaders:
LMP2: Tung - Jackie Chan DC Racing
GTE Pro: Pier Guidi - Ferrari
GTE Am: Adam - TF Sport Aston Martin
1) Kobayashi - Toyota
2) Buemi - Toyota +5s
3) Lotterer - Rebellion +4 laps
4) Menezes - Rebellion +5 laps
5) Orudzhev - SMP +5 laps
Class leaders:
LMP2: Tung - Jackie Chan DC Racing
GTE Pro: Pier Guidi - Ferrari
GTE Am: Adam - TF Sport Aston Martin
LMP1
Brief stoppage for the #17 SMP BR1 as it enters the pits, but it gets going again and is on its way. That won't help in its fight for fourth against the #3 Rebellion, though.
LMP1
Interestingly, the gap between the two Toyotas has more than halved; it's down to six seconds. The #7 was in the pits 10s longer that time thanks to a change of rear bodywork.
LMP1
Kobayashi pits from the lead in the #7 Toyota, and rejoins without losing its advantage.
LMP2
Both of the Jota-run Jackie Chan DC Racing Orecas are also in the pits. Those two cars are still commanding the LMP2 class, despite a few small issues.
LMP1
Buemi pits the #8 Toyota, fresh rubber going on the second-placed car. The #3 Rebellion is also in the pits, dropping it back behind the #17 SMP BR1 and into fifth.
LMP1
Buemi continues to chip away at Kobayashi's lead advantage. 13 seconds now split the pair, so with a little over an hour to go that battle may not yet be decided...
Autosport
Jenson Button predicted before this race that the Toyotas would win by four laps.
They're currently 4 laps ahead of the #1 Rebellion. It's not likely being right will be much consolation for not getting at turn driving the #11 SMP before it broke down, however.
They're currently 4 laps ahead of the #1 Rebellion. It's not likely being right will be much consolation for not getting at turn driving the #11 SMP before it broke down, however.
LMP1
At last, a swing in momentum amongst the lead Toyota pair.
Buemi has gained a few seconds back on Kobayashi, reducing the #8's deficit to 16.2s.
Buemi has gained a few seconds back on Kobayashi, reducing the #8's deficit to 16.2s.
GTE PRO
Alessandro Pier Guidi leading GTE Pro is quite interesting. It didn't look particularly competitive in the opening hours, where its sister car, #71, was grabbing the limelight.
But Pier Guidi has been able to peg the factory Porsche pair so far, still a little under 10s ahead of Christensen.
But Pier Guidi has been able to peg the factory Porsche pair so far, still a little under 10s ahead of Christensen.
GTE AM
Julien Andlauer is back in the #77 Dempsey-Proton Porsche and is being rapid again. He's eating into Adam's GTE Am lead but there's a long way for Andlauer to catch up. Nearly half a minute, in fact.
Lindsey is heading in the opposite direction, already 8.3s behind Adam after being passed for the lead a few laps ago.
Lindsey is heading in the opposite direction, already 8.3s behind Adam after being passed for the lead a few laps ago.
LMP2
Anthony Davidson gets a black and white flag for infringing track limits. Maybe that #31 DragonSpeed still isn't slowing down properly!
LMP2
Might we see an intra-team grandstand finish in LMP2? The #38 and #37 DC Racing Orecas are separated by only 10.6s with nearly 90 minutes still to go. This might end up being closer than the Toyota battle!
LMP1
Kobayashi has further extended the gap established by his #7 Toyota co-pilot Lopez. He's now 20 seconds up the road from Buemi.
GTE PRO
Scratch that. Priaulx sends one down the inside of Martin into Brooklands and takes fourth place. He's got nine seconds to make up before he can catch Bruni in third.
GTE PRO
Those pitstops under yellow have really shaken up the GTE Pro order.
The #67 Ford pitted a few minutes before that full course yellow and it's hurt them badly. Andy Priaulx is now fifth and is now all over the back of Maxime Martin in the #97 Aston.
Alessandro Pier Guidi now leads in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari, 10s up the road from Michael Christensen. The second factory Porsche is third, with Gimi Bruni behind the wheel.
The #67 Ford pitted a few minutes before that full course yellow and it's hurt them badly. Andy Priaulx is now fifth and is now all over the back of Maxime Martin in the #97 Aston.
Alessandro Pier Guidi now leads in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari, 10s up the road from Michael Christensen. The second factory Porsche is third, with Gimi Bruni behind the wheel.
LMP1
Thomas Laurent lines up Stephane Sarrazin down the Wellington straight, drafting past and securing the inside line into Becketts. He's back up to fourth place, restoring Rebellion's 3-4.
LMP2
This opens up the podium battle again in LMP2. The #36 is third and #31 fourth. One lap further behind the DragonSpeed is the #29 Racing Team Nederland Dallara, now with Giedo van der Garde driving.
They ran third early on before a spin by bronze driver Frits van Eerd and being clobbered by the #90 TF Sport Aston set them back. Can they make it back to the podium places with this?
They ran third early on before a spin by bronze driver Frits van Eerd and being clobbered by the #90 TF Sport Aston set them back. Can they make it back to the podium places with this?
LMP2
Even more misery for DragonSpeed. Both the #31 and #10 have been given stop-go penalties for stopping too early under the safety car.
The #36 Signatech gets penalised for exactly the same infringement, also with 75 seconds stop-go to serve. Ouch.
The #36 Signatech gets penalised for exactly the same infringement, also with 75 seconds stop-go to serve. Ouch.
GTE AM
The drivers may have changed but the battle is the same in GTE Am.
Jonathan Adam takes over the #90 TF Sport while Patrick Lindsey assumes control of the #56 Project 1 machine.
Adam then makes a dive at the inside of Brooklands, taking the lead in GTE Am.
Jonathan Adam takes over the #90 TF Sport while Patrick Lindsey assumes control of the #56 Project 1 machine.
Adam then makes a dive at the inside of Brooklands, taking the lead in GTE Am.
LMP2
Pastor Maldonado suspects the brake discs on his #31 DragonSpeed Oreca are damaged. That could explain a few mistakes from earlier.
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Green flag
Da Costa's stricken BMW has been cleared, so we're underway once again.
My mistake, Alex Lynn is the driver exiting the #97 Aston Martin. Maxime Martin, who defected from BMW and its DTM programme at the end of last season, jumps in to replace him.
I bet Martin's glad he's not driving one of the M8s this weekend. Especially not the #82.
I bet Martin's glad he's not driving one of the M8s this weekend. Especially not the #82.
Driver Change
Kobayashi takes over the #7 Toyota from Lopez, while Buemi takes over the #8 Toyota from Nakajima.
The #31 DragonSpeed won't be going back out though - it's missing a left front and gets wheeled into the garage.
Pit stop
And now all the LMPs are in. It's a busy pit lane.
Driver Change
Driver changes ahoy in GTE Pro. We'll have a full set of new drivers picking up that lead battle when we go green again.
Michael Christensen, Alessandro Pier Guidi, Gianmaria Bruni and Alex Lynn jump in to the #92 Porsche, #51 Ferrari, #91 Porsche and #97 Aston Martin respectively.
Michael Christensen, Alessandro Pier Guidi, Gianmaria Bruni and Alex Lynn jump in to the #92 Porsche, #51 Ferrari, #91 Porsche and #97 Aston Martin respectively.
By: Matt Beer
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