4 hour update: Audi one-two-three-four...
It's an Audi 1-2-3-4 at the four-hour mark of the Sebring 12 Hours and the German cars are over three laps ahead of their nearest competitors.
Laurent Aiello leads Stefan Johansson's Gulf-sponsored R8 by 1m20s, with Emanuele Pirro a lap down in third position. Dorsey Schroeder brings up the rear of the quartet, a lap further down. The only rival prototype within striking distance is the Thetford Dyson Riley & Scott MkIII C of 1999 ALMS champion Eliott Forbes-Robinson, four laps behind the Champion Audi.
Rinaldo Capello seized the lead in the opening laps and built up a sizeable advantage only to see it disappear again after he handed over to Michele Alboreto. Tom Kristensen took the lead in the other works R8, but slipped back again when the engine developed a misfire.
Both Panoz LMP07s took early baths, Klaus Graf parking the second car behind the wall after just 12 laps (with an alternator problem, a water leak and glitches in the gearbox and engine management system). Gualter Salles has just returned the car to the circuit after over three hours remedial work. It is still classified in 38th place. The other chassis's first routine pitstop turned into a farce when the fuel rig discharged part of its contents over David Brabham. Jan Magnussen took over but soon had to return after the water temperature spiked.
Henri Pescarolo's Courage C60 was in the hunt for the coveted 'best of the rest' fifth spot early on, but dropped to the tail of the field when its alternator broke during the first hour. Jean-Christophe Bouillon is now in 18th place overall.
In GTS, Britain's Oliver Gavin drove an impressive opening stint in the Konrad Saleen S7-R, putting a great deal of space between himself and the Chevrolet Corvette C5-Rs of Ron Fellows and Andy Pilgrim. But that margin evaporated when the Saleen's tailpiece came adrift while Franz Konrad was at the wheel. The team taped it up rather than fetch a spare from the truck and only lost a lap in the process.
JJ Lehto and Jorg Muller lead the GT class in the Schnitzer BMW M3 GTR. The V8 engine has been reliable so far but not especially frugal, enabling the two McKenna Porsche 911 GT3-RSs to stay within a lap. Porsche's other works-backed team, Petersen/White Lightning, withdrew as a mark of respect to driver Bob Wollek, who was killed in a road accident outside the circuit yesterday (Friday).
Capello/Aiello/Alboreto Audi R8 124 laps
Johansson/Smith Gulf Audi R8 124
Pirro/Kristensen/Biela Audi R8 123
Kelleners/Schroeder/Wallace Champion Audi R8 122
Weaver/Leitzinger/Forbes-Robinson Thetford Dyson Riley & Scott MkIII C 119
Pilgrim/Collins/Freon Chevrolet Corvette C5-R 111
Fellows/Kniefel/O'Connell Chevrolet Corvette C5-R 111
Konrad/Borcheller/Gavin Konrad Saleen S7-R 110
Lehto/Muller BMW M3 GTR 110
Luhr/Maassen/Collard BMW M3 GTR 109
Share Or Save This Story
When Haas will decide on its F1 2027 driver line-up
Gucci becomes title partner of Alpine F1 team for 2027
Top 10 F1 drivers of the 1970s
Do penalty points still serve any purpose in F1?
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments