Stat attack: Spa-Francorchamps
This week the TOTAL 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps gets underway in Belgium behind closed doors as the championship prepares to make its eagerly-anticipated return to racing.
Below is a selection of event-based statistics from the legendary Belgian circuit. As always, thanks to Alex Harrison from @WECData for providing the key information.
1. August has previously staged three #WEC rounds – in 2012 (Silverstone), 2015 (Nurburgring) and 2018 (Silverstone). All of these saw different winning teams – Audi, Porsche and Rebellion Racing.
2. The 2018 race marked the third time that Aston Martin Racing’s #98 car won three WEC races in a row. At the time, the only other car in GTE Am to ever win three in a row was the #72 SMP Racing Ferrari, starting at #LeMans24 in 2015.
3. Toyota #8’s win from pole position in 2018 was just the second overall win from the front in LMP1 at Spa, after Audi in 2013. At the time it matched the total pole wins as all of 2017, and saw Porsche, Audi and Toyota all tied on 17 wins.
4. To date, no #WEC 6 hour event has seen more miles covered than 2012’s race at Spa. The 40 entrants combined for 23,375 racing miles, or 5,371 laps
5. No car at Spa has ever won from below the second row of the grid – all 32 class winners qualifying 4th or better. It is the only original #WEC circuit where qualifying on the first two rows plays such a big part.
6. Of the 19 drivers to have achieved 10 or more #WEC victories, 74% of them have won at Spa – with five yet to taste victory in Belgium. Conway has twice finished 2nd, as has Senna – in two different classes. Hartley has thrice finished 3rd – 2012 in LMP2, and with Bernhard in 2015 and 2017, however Thiim has never visited the podium.
7. As well as hosting the closest-ever #WEC GTE Am finish (0.221 seconds), the 2018 race saw the closest gap between pole and 2nd in qualifying for the class. 0.002 seconds split Dempsey-Proton Racing’s #77 and Aston Martin Racing’s #98.
8. Aston Martin Racing’s Maxime Martin claimed a first #WEC win at last year’s race. He became the first Belgian driver to win at home in the series, and the fourth to score a class win after 2013 LMP2 champion Bertrand Baguette, and Le Mans winners Laurens and Dries Vanthoor.
Click HERE to view the entry list for next weekend’s race.
