More pit action happening. Aston Martin in the lane. These teams are looking for performance for Le Mans, which is an invitation only race. Porsche had the advantage. Toyota should get an extra stop earlier than the Porsche will. Not now. So, this is going back in favor of Toyota, maybe, on the pit sequence. Proton Porsche leads LM GTE Am. They lead the Aston Martin of Paul Dalla Lana. Anthony Davidson leads Earl Bamber, Andre Lotterer, and Kamui Kobayashi. Davidson has 39 seconds in hand over the other leaders. In replay, Davidson wants to pass but realizes it'll go pear shaped as Dalla Lana spins the Aston Martin right in front of the Gulf Porsche! Egad! One E. Bamber is flying.
Anthony Davidson will go to the sin bin, perhaps, for exceeding and abusing track limits. Tisk, tisk, tisk. Correction from earlier. We may see more rain which is going to upset some apple carts up and down the pit lane. Left rear damage on Porsche #92. The car is on fire. Bail out of that thing! It's a local yellow flasg. Full course yellow, it is our first. Marshal, best hit that car with the fire bottls. Everyone will be frozen at 80 kilometers an hour. FCY, Full Course Yellow. Pit lane is closed except for emergency service. Kevin Estre is not a happy camper at the moment. The fire is out, while Estre makes the long walk home.
Estre/s fire was comprehensive as Edoardo Freitas does the countdown to go back to green. The LMP1 cars could make it the rest of the way on two more stops. In the wet, you save fuel. Driver changes for both Toyotas. Kazuki Nakajima in #8 and new recruit Jose Maria Lopez in #7. Lopez is a three time champion with Citroen in the World Touring Car Championship. He was also the chosen driver for the stillborn U.S. F1 team in 2010. Billy Johnson leads the LM GTE Pro class in the Ford GT. He is a Platinum level driver. Jean Eric Vergne has made his sports car debut after a career in open wheel cars.
Slower cars hold up the race leader. The rain is here, with about two and a half hours to go. Whoops. Spin for Dalla Lana in the Aston Martin. He is still the class leader in LM GTE Am. Turn in, run wide, let the Porsche through, and spin. Track conditions are getting slippery again. Jose Maria Lopez has spun and wrecked the Toyota on cold tires and in the wet. Let's see. Ooh! Loses it under braking, and spears into the tires. Lopez will keep racing in WTCC for Citroen. He's trying to grab reverse and might be in pain. The car is still straightened up, but the right front is askew. Full Course Yellow. Porsche #1 hits the pit lane. Jose Maria Lopez managed to restart the motor, but he's out of it. Get out of their, chief. Let the marshals bring you out of there.
We remain under yellow. The Toyota with Lopez at the wheel of it, went off at Copse. That's a fast turn. He's crawling back to the pit lane. The ERS and MGU are right within the suspension system. The team poreps for the car, but there are parts being shed everywhere. Oy! Jose Maria Lopez has limped the car back. The safety car is on track. Billy Johnson will be in a spot of trouble here on strategy. Lopez sprayed Toyota all over the road. No way Jose, pun intended. He'll have to get out and salvagesome points. Audi supplies the safety vehicles, other than L Mans where BMW has the contract.
Kazuki Nakajima and others following are swerving back and forth to get heat into their tires. The field is now going to stack up behind the safety car. We have a restart in our future. The pit crews wear heavy rubber gloves in order to protect themselves from getting zapped by the massive electrical energy produced by these hybrid LMP1 cars. Raindrops fall as we are set to get back to green flag racing with just over two hours still to run. The Toyota team needs to get points both for their effort and for driver Jose Maria Lopez. We're getting close to just two hours left. Andre Lotterer is set to go, in the Porsche. Be ready to scoot at the restart. But, don't have too much boost. Safety car in this time around.
James Calado is running right behind Billy Johnson in LM GTE Pro. Back to green, and Bamber sets sail after the Toyota. Watch out for the clag offline. Into Brooklands, traffic is a factor. Be patient. Nakajima is booking it right now. The new LMP2 cars are so quick with the spec Gibson motor and more grip. Harry Tincknell is now in Ford GT #67. Fred Makowiecki runs ahead in the Porsche 911 RSR. Pippo Derani is managed by Allan McNish. Matt Rao is driving the Signatech Alpine. Oliver Jarvis is running well in LMP2 as well. Jarvis shares the Jackie Chan entry with Thomas Laurent of France and Ho Pin Tung.
Aston Martin in the lane. Matthias Lauda is now at the controls, replacing Paul Dalla Lana. How will three fast drivers (Nick Tandy, Earl Bamber, and Neel Jani), get on together? More raindrops fall as we watch the GTE Pro scrap. Ford still has two bullets in the gun right now. Evening approaches the English midlands.
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