The No.7 Toyota GR010-Hybrid continues to lead the WEC 6 Hours of Monza after the second Toyota Hypercar suffered issues in the second and third hours to drop out of winning contention.
Porsche and Ferrari continue to thrill In the LMGTE Pro class as each take turns of the lead in ultra-close battle.
Below are the main headlines from hours 2 – 4…
Hypercar
• No.7 Toyota GR010-Hybrid Hypercar has 25-second lead as Jose Maria Lopez heads Romain Dumas in Glickenhaus 007 Hypercar
• Brendon Hartley in No.8 Toyota, which had run second for much of first two hours, has issues relating to a fuel pressure problem
• No.8 loses 15 laps after two separate long pit-stops and is out of contention for podium place as team changes fuel collector
• Alpine Elf Matmut run third as Matthieu Vaxiviere completes solid double stint before Nicolas Lapierre takes over the wheel
• No.709 Glickenhaus 007 LMH runs well in second position and gets on to Alpine’s tail, but it also runs second due to pit-stop off-sets with the Alpine
• No.708 car fights back from early issues but soon has to pull back in to pitlane with Gustavo Menezes at wheel. Car retires with a gearbox issue.
And so...@Glickenhaus is leading a #WEC race for the first time.#6HMonza #Motul @motul pic.twitter.com/oH6P1ccTUI
— WEC (@FIAWEC) July 18, 2021
LMGTE Pro
• Fascinating battle in LMGTE Pro as Porsche and Ferrari fight tooth and nail for glory
• James Calado in No.51 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE grabs lead with decisive move on Neel Jani’s No.92 Porsche 911 RSR-19 at first chicane at start of third hour as safety car period ends
• Jani loses momentum and drops behind team-mate Richard Lietz too but soon fights back and re-takes lead in fourth hour but top two covered by just 1.6s
• No.91 Porsche 911 RSR-19 which is driven by Richard Lietz places third ahead of No.52 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo with Daniel Serra
#WEC - Driver change: @kevinestre takes over the leading #911RSR from @neeljani again. Fuel and @Michelin_Sport tires. Still 130 race minutes @Autodromo_Monza left@FIAWEC #Porsche @TAGHeuer #6HMonza pic.twitter.com/waMtXjOjq6
— Porsche Motorsport (@PorscheRaces) July 18, 2021
LMP2
• United Autosports USA takes control of LMP2 as Filipe Albuquerque and Phil Hanson take advantage of clever strategy and safety car period to emerge with 38-second lead
• Fabio Scherer at wheel throughout fourth hour and consolidating lead
• Early leaders Team WRT lose out as they pit just as Safety Car is called. Charles Milesi fights back and is attempting to reduce gap to leader
• Inter Europol Competition fightback from early penalty for contact with Real Team Racing car, as Jakub Smiechowski places third after creative strategy
• Racing Team Nederland lose time with penalty for speeding in pit-lane. Paul-Loup Chatin at wheel and closing on Inter Europol for challenge to third place
• Tough few hours for JOTA as No.38 car suffers misfire issue while in third position. Antonio Felix da Costa pits but car now out of contention
• No.28 JOTA entry runs fifth as Tom Blomqvist takes the wheel but Richard Mille entry vaults it just before the end of the fourth hour
• Tatiana Calderon is in cockpit for her second stint at the wheel after Sophia Floersch’s early double time at the wheel
Grab some popcorn and enjoy this superb three-way LMP2 fight!#WEC #6HMonza @JotaSport @HighClassRacing @followWRT pic.twitter.com/2iKoVZReB5
— WEC (@FIAWEC) July 18, 2021
LMGTE Am
• No.83 AF Corse Ferrari pushes to the front as Alessio Rovera extends lead to 5-seconds over No.56 Team Project 1 Porsche
• Aston Martin customer entries have mixed fortunes as D’Station Vantage makes tremendous progress to come through to second position
• Andrew Watson overtakes Riccardo Pera to take position and sets sights on leading Ferrari
• No.98 Aston Martin up to fourth position as Marcos Gomes undertakes first stints at wheel
• TF Sport Aston Martin witnesses heartbreak as Ben Keating gets a puncture just after two-hour mark
• Car suffers bodywork damage and requires repairs, dropping down to last position
• GR Racing Porsche is big winner in mid-section of race as Tom Gamble and then Ben Barker elevate car to fifth position
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