Aston Martin leads both LMGTE categories at halfway stage

02/05/2015

The LMGTE Pro class was a close affair with the category developing in to an Aston Martin v Ferrari battle.

The #95 Aston Martin, started by Stefan Mucke, led early on but pitted early as part of a race long strategy to eradicate the need for an anticipated late race splash and dash.

This allowed the sister #99 Aston Martin Vantage V8 of Fernando Rees through in to the lead and the Brazilian did a stellar job to fend of the advances of Gianmaria Bruni in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia.

Rees led up until the second scheduled stops before handing over to Richie Stanaway, who set about extending the lead of the #95 Aston Martin, now with Darren Turner aboard. After Turner pitted just before the three hour mark, Stanaway had a 25-second gap over second placed Gimmi Bruni.

The LMGTE Am class witnessed an exciting fight between Ferrari, Aston Martin and Chevrolet throughout the first half of the race.

Pedro Lamy took an initial stranglehold on the event in the #98 Aston Martin Vantage V8 and opened up a gap to the chasing pack, which was initially headed by Klaus Bachler in the Abu Dhabi-Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR.

After Lamy handed over the steering wheel to Paul Dalla Lana the complexion of the class changed when the Canadian spun at the final chicane and lost time. This let the SMP Racing Ferrari through in to the lead of the class with Victor Shaytar enjoying a brief period at the front of the field.

After the second set of pit stops the flying #50 Larbre Competition Chevrolet Corvette muscled its way to the front with Kristian Poulsen at the wheel.

However, the Dane suffered contact with a G-Drive Ligier and spun off the track at the Paul Frere turn just after the 2hrs 30mins mark and suffered rear end damage but eventually attempted to make it back to the pits for repairs, only to stop again at Blanchimont.

As the clock ticked to three hours the #98 Aston Martin was back in the lead with Mathias Lauda in the cockpit. The Austrian enjoyed a 90 second lead over the SMP Racing Ferrari driven by Aleksey Basov as the race entered its second phase.

Sitting in third position was the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia being driven by Rui Aguas.

Follow the race live on the official WEC App HERE

RACE FACTS – 180 minutes

17:23:23 Porsche #88 also involved in spinning Ferrari's incident but no contact
17:21:54 Corvette #50 has been abandoned
17:20:38 Spin for #71 and #51 at pit entry but no contact
17:17:00 ESM #30 had a collapsed rear wing
17:15:52 Corvette #50 stopped again just past Blanchimont
17:13:54 Corvette #50 going again smoking from rear right
17:10:26 Corvette #50 towed away by crane
17:08:04 Gibson #38 back into lead of P2
17:04:52 Aston #98 now leads GTE Am
17:03:53 Corvette #50 into gravel at Stavelot from lead of GTE Am
17:00:27 Webber in #17 into pits and stays in
16:59:39 Davidson into pits in Toyota #1 stays in car
16:56:28 Audi #8 into pits Di Grassi now in
16:55:18 Leader #18 into pits16:53:41Audi #7 into pits Lotterer stays in
16:51:28 Ligier #26 back into the lead of P2
16:48:38 THIS WEEKEND THERE ARE 8000 MORE SPECTATORS THAN LAST YEAR
16:45:59 Debris on track at Chicane - wing mirror from #77
16:43:46 Audi #9 into garage to fix broken window Rast in
16:42:27 Seefried spins in #77 at Rivage and hits tyre wall
16:41:01 Reported that 54,000 spectators have attended this weekend
16:40:15 Toyota #1 goes wide at Pouhon
16:36:19 Corvette #50 takes lead in GTE Am
16:33:00 Spin but continues for Aston #98 at Rivage
16:31:55 Toyota #2 takes 4th from #9 Audi
16:28:49 Audi #9 has a broken side window
16:25:53 CLM #4 into pits
16:24:28 Spin for Porsche #77 of Patrick Dempsey at the Chicane
16:21:30 Lotterer is closing on Dumas for the lead now only 12.7 seconds
16:18:21 Porsche #17 had rear suspension problem
16:17:15 Evans in #38 Gibson leads P2
16:12:25 Webber now out in #17 has dropped to 7th
16:11:27 Audi's now 2nd 3rd and 4th
16:09:13 Porsche #17 into its garage from lead
16:08:34 Davidson in Toyota #1
16:07:51 Sarrazan now into Toyota #2
16:06:51 Dumas now in #18 after pitstop from the lead
16:05:52 Lotterer into Audi #7
16:04:05 Audi #7 into pits
16:02:22 Duval overtakes Bernhard for 2nd
16:00:59 Pitstop for #26 Ligier the P2 leader
15:58:46 Duval passes Fassler for 3rd
15:56:58 Porsche #17 drops to 2nd behind #18
15:55:36 Porsche #17 takes penalty
15:52:47 15 second stop and go penalty for leader #17 for incident crossing pit lane entry and causing danger to marshals
15:47:12 Rees in Aston #99 back into lead of GTE Pro
15:44:33 Hulkenberg now into #19 Porsche
15:43:23 Bonanomi in Audi #9 overtakes Toyota #2 for 6th place
15:41:47 Tandy in #19 into pits
15:41:04 Tandy spins at turn 19 and blocks pit entry
15:35:40 Ferrari #72 leads GTE Am15:32:26Aston #97 retakes lead of GTE Pro as #99 PITS
15:30:24 Sven Muller in for first stint in #91
15:24:43 ESM #30 now back out after long stop - lost 6 laps
15:21:33 Drive through penalty for #91 Porsche ignoring blue flags
15:19:43 All P1s have now pitted15:18:56Jani now in Porsche #18
15:18:14 Porsche #17 into pits Bernhard takes over
15:16:02 Pit stop for #7 and #9 new tyres
15:11:23 Rear damage to #96 but does not appear too bad
15:10:17 Aston #96 hit barriers at Radillon but continued
15:06:18 Black and White fLag for #91 abusing track limits
15:05:13 Long pit stop for #30 ESM
15:04:16 Aston #97 pits and Rees in #99 takes lead in GTE Pro
15:02:25 Spin for Fassler at the Chicane Duval takes 3rd
14:59:52 Lieb in 2nd dropping away from Hartley in 1st
14:53:42 Tandy lost just over 3 minutes with pitstop for new nose
14:51:27 Hartley leads by 5.3 secs from Lieb after 20 minutes
14:49:50 Porsche #19 back out
14:48:13 Aston #98 leads GTE Am
14:47:04 Porsche #19 has front body damage and into garage
14:46:16 Contact between Porsche #19 and #91 at Pouhon
14:44:56 Aston #97 leads GTE Pro
14:43:21 Ligier #26 leads from #43 Morgan
14:42:15 1.57.972 fastest lap for Hartley in #17
14:40:58 Drive through penalty for #38 and #96 for jumping the start
14:37:45 Fastest lap for Hartley in #17 1.58.012
14:36:03 KCMG #47 took 30 second penalty before leaving pit lane
14:34:04 Faster up to 3rd in Audi #7
14:33:26 Porsches in first three places
14:32:17 Hartley leads in #17 Porsche
14:30:39 Green Flag

6 Heures de Spa-Francorchamps WEC 2015