Hour 2: Audi Regain Lead as Oak head LMP2 with 1-2 in Class
At the close of the second hour of the 6 Hours of The Circuit of The Americas Audi Sport Team Joest’s No.2 R18 e-tron quattro has nosed ahead of the No.8 Toyota Racing entry after a nose-to-tail battle. Tom Kristensen made the pass on Stéphane Sarrazin not long after the second set of pit stops. Third in LMP1, and one lap behind the leaders, is the No.1 Audi of André Lotterer which has made a strong recovery after losing further time to a small electrical issue which was fixed in the pits. The No.12 Rebellion Lola Toyota was running in third place until the second round of pit stops and is now fourth overall.
Alex Brundle appears to be coping extremely well with the Texan heat and has completed his second stint behind the wheel of the LMP2 class-leading No.24 OAK Racing Morgan Nissan. Just 1.8 seconds behind him is the No.35 OAK Racing entry of Martin Plowman and not much further back the No.26 G-Drive Racing ORECA 03 Nissan entry of John Martin.
The No.51 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia made a fast first stop by taking on fuel only at the end of the first hour and led the LMGTE Pro category for most of the second hour until the second round of pit stops. Bruno Senna in the No.99 Aston Martin Vantage V8 is now back at the head of the GT battle ahead of the No.71 AF Corse Ferrari of Kamui Kobayashi – the Japanese driver having competed here in F1 last year. Marc Lieb’s No.92 Porsche is leading the charge for the German manufacturer after its sister car, the No.91 suffered a fuel fire in the pit lane. It lost four laps to the leaders but is now running again.
In LMGTE Am, the Danish No.95 entry is still maintaining its position at the head of the class, with the No.81 8Star Motorsport Ferrari 458 Italia and the No.76 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche behind in second and third places in class.
RACE FACTS - HOUR 2
12:57:50 Lotterer in Audi No.1 passes Prost in Rebellion Lola No.12 to take 3rd place.
12:50:58 Kristensen in Audi No.2 passes Sarrazin to retake lead
12:48:59 Kristensen chases down Sarrazin, currently only .5s behind.
12:46:30 Toyota No.8 retains lead after its pit stop.
12:44:57 Toyota No.8 enters pitlane from race lead. Full service and Sarrazin takes over.
12:43:17 P2 leader into pitlane. No.24 Oak- Alex Brundle rejoins - fuel only
12:38:52 Driver change and full service for Audi No.2 Kristensen takes over from McNish. Toyota No.8 inherits lead.
12:33:50 In LMGTE Am, Aston Martin n°95 leads ahead of Ferrari n°81 and Porsche n°76
12:31:37 Bruno Senna in the Ferrari n°71 leads GTE Pro ahead of Aston Martin n°99 and sister car n°51
12:27:39 In LMP2, the Oreca of G Drive retakes 3rd place behind the two Morgan Nissans of OAK Racing
12:25:43 Buemi in Toyota No.8 is closing again on McNish in Audi No.2, currently only 2.5s behind
12:20:11 Audi No.1 rejoins. 2 laps down on leader.
12:17:45 Audi No.1 back into pitlane. Running slowly
12:14:06 Fire now out on No.91 Porsche - pushed into pit garage
12:12:47 Smoke and flame in pitlane from No.91 Porsche
12:11:40 McNish retakes the lead in Audi No.2 from Buemi in the Toyota No.8
12:10:20 In P2, the Oreca of G Drive sits in 3rd. The two Morgan Nissans No.24 and No.25 1st and 2nd
12:08:35 After 1 hour of racing in P1, the Toyota No.8 leads Audi n°2 by 6 seconds. 3rd is the Rebellion Lola with. Audi n°1 4th.
12:01:34 Buemi in Toyota No.8 leads, having not changed tyres at his pit stop.