Andre Lotterer has taken the lead from Anthony Davidson. Audi, Toyota, Porsche, in the top three. #2 is struggling. #8 is still a lap down. G Drive runs 1-2 in LMP2. Ferrari leads both GTE Pro and GTE Am. Nissan will have 1200 horsepower, and front wheel drive, when they debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Toyota has a 3.7 liter V8 with gasoline and a super capacitor. Porsche has eight maga joules with the 2.0 liter turbo four cylinder, and Audi, with the flywheel and the 3.7 liter twin turbo V6.
The #92 car pits from LM GTE Pro P1. Patrick Pilet brings the car in and Fred Makowiecki will get back in the car. We've got three hours to go. The Porsche has problems. The new Nissan GT-R LM Nismo is here on display at Silverstone. Andre Lotterer leads Anthony Davidson by 8.2 seconds. The leaders run in the 1:43 bracket. The LM GTE Pro Porsche factory car, has a damper issue, on the suspension system. Audi, G Drive, and AF Corse lead this race. AF Corse holds down both LM GTE Pro and Am.
This is a time certain race. We have two hours and 46 minutes to go (the distance of a common Tudor Championship race). Romain Dumas is now second as Anthony Davidson pits, and hands the Toyota TS040 over to a team mate. Kazuki Nakajima is in the Toyota, now. Nakajima can do this whole season. He's a real star in Japan, who tried Formula One. But, he's at home in sports cars. Andre Lotterer pits the #7 Audi. Lotterer will stay in the car. Stefano Domenicali is now working for Audi, after being at Ferrari in F1, for many years.
Andre Lotterer is now second, with Romain Dumas leading. 109 laps completed. 398.94 miles. Dimas has to stay out for one more lap. We're on lap 111. So, Dumas, has not stopped. Maybe they know they can't keep pace with Audi and Toyota. In LM GTE Pro, it's still AF Corse, with Toni Vilander in P1. Romain Dumas leads LMP1, with G Drive leading LMP2, and again, the aforementjoned AF Corse Ferrari's, leading both LM GTE classes.
Porsche is stretching their fuel. We'll see how effective that is. Mike Conway is carving his way through GT traffic. Ooh! A big wiggle for Marc Lieb, running over the astro turf! The upgrade in power is amazing, and it's a quantum leap. But, the battery pack is smaller and lighter, for the Toyota. Audi have also increased their flywheel unit by 100% and including the design of the magnets.
Use less power, but save fuel. This is a golden era of sports car racing. No gimmicks, either. The drivers are at the top of their game, too. They multitask behind the wheel. Mike Conway passes Marc Lieb, who is on a different strategy, trying to save fuel. Oh. Audi #8 in the garage. Loic Duval out. Into the car comes Oliver Jarvis, for his first stint. There's been a wreck, slightly. The left hand headlight was partially out.
Mike Conway passes. The reason why drivers do not run multiple types of racing, like they used to, is, they are scared to be beaten by another driver they've not heard of. Stephane Sarrazin for Toyota, did some rallying last year, and that happened, to him. The weather begins to change, and the skies are graying, while the wind picks up. Now, the #8 Audi is cming back onto the track. Oliver Jarvis is a new full season Audi endurance driver.
It is getting dark. Stephen Trummer has the Kolles car back on the road. The #36 Alpine is well out, but, if you remember, Paul Loup Chatin, had a wheel break. #31 for ESM had it's problems. But, the sister car, (#30), with Scott Sharp at the controls, could get their third consecutive WEC podium. AF Corse's Ferrari's are 1-2 in GTE Am. Porsche and Aston Martin, in hot pursuit. Kazuki Nakajima is trying to chase down Andre Lotterer. Oliver Jarvis is back on the track, lapping in the 1:43 range.
The Audi has been fixed, for the time being. Lotterer is still in the lead as car #35 goes wide. It's the Oak Racing Ligier JS P2 Nissan, with Jacques Nicolet, Jean-Marc Merlin, and Erik Maris. The ByKolles CLM AER is the only privateer car here. Rebellion Racing, is taking a couple races off, to rebuild their cars, to accommodate the new engines, since they will no longer use their Toyota V8s from last year.
The #47 KCMG car has Richard Bradley at the controls, and is back in the fray. The dark clouds have blown over, and there will be no rain at Silverstone. The weather is lightening around Silverstone now. The CLM ByKolles car, has had a pit lane penalty. #35 is pitting, and Jacques Nicolet will get in. The #98 Aston Martin V8 Vantage is pitting. Matthias Lauda will take over from Paul Dalla Lana.
Andre Lotterer has looked after his tires, and now, he's gaining over Kazuki Nakajima. It's been nip and tuck for the last couple laps. Marc Lieb, is also coming. In pit lane, it takes a minute and 25 seconds, for fuel and tires, and maybe just over a minute, for fuel. Half of the circuit is in one county and half in the other, between Northamptonshire and Puddinghamshire. Grab a coffee, and get ready for the sprint to the finish. We're going to be into the last two hours of this one, chaps.
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