8 Hours of Portimao: Hour 4

Not even halfway, and the Alpine leads by 17 seconds, pulling ahead of the two Toyota’s.  Jota Sport are running a lap or so longer on fuel per stint compared to their rivals.  The WRT vs. Racing Team Nederland battle continues, and we have the Alpine in the lane behind the RealTeam LMP2 car and the #54 AF Corse GTE Am leading Ferrari of Giancarlo Fisichella.  Matthieu Vaxiviere is next into the car.  He set the pole time for Alpine here at Portimao.  Toyota’s are coming up to put another lap on the Glickenhaus as Michael Christensen takes over Porsche #92 for Neel Jani, and they have been having major tire woes all day.

Ferrari #52 in the lane for AF Corse for regular service, and Miguel Molina is into the car.  Yours truly has taken a wee break while still watching the race and we are 38 minutes out from halfway.  Giorgio Sernagiotto is in the second stint for Cetilar Racing and we have not seen the Gold rated driver Antonio Fuoco yet.  We saw pit stops for Jota Sport and both of their cars.  This is the hidden game of chess and strategy.  Again, D’station are out of the race.  Race Engineer David Brewer says they did indeed make contact with the Glickenhaus, stoving in the radiator.

The engine temperature went sky high, so they didn’t blow a motor.  D’Station will be back for the next race at Monza in Italy.  More about that race, after this one ends.  A change of position for the two Toyota’s.  Romain Dumas is now piloting the Glickenhaus.  Dumas will race for Champion Racing at the Pikes Peak Hillclimb next weekend.  We remember the late, great Dave Maraj.  Champion has kept their heritage livery, a lot like the heritage livery for Brumos Porsche. 

A scrap for fifth in LM GTE Am between Egidio Perfetti and Manuela Gostner.  Porsche vs. Ferrari.  This team races in the European Le Mans Series as well as the FIA World Endurance Championship.  Absorb data, pick up speed, find more confidence etc.  Toyota’s are pulling away from the Alpine.  134 laps on the board now.  Some argy bargy there between two Ferrari’s.  Yikes!  The factory Ferrari was trying to shoot past the Iron Lynx car.  Miguel Molina vs. Claudio Schiavoni.  Alessandro Pier Guidi leads LM GTE Pro in the sister #51 Ferrari.

Ferrari are having left hand side tire blisters with the heat.  The tire temps are 150 degrees.  This causes loss in performance because of how hot it is.  Porsche GT Team are running three drivers.  Ferrari running two.  For Monza they will keep the two and have a third driver, obviously, for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in August.  Fred Makowiecki and Michael Christensen are the extra drivers for Porsche this weekend as the Alpine moves past the Oreca, the High Class Racing Oreca, as the Alpine makes a move, Matthieu Vaxiviere at the controls.  Dennis Anderson at the wheel of the High Class car.

The lap times between LMP2 and Hypercar are not too far apart.  Ferdinand Habsburg is now chasing Sean Gelael.  136 laps now completed.  Getting closer to halfway as Toyota’s lead followed by the Alpine. United Autosports leads Jota Sport in LMP2.  Jakub Smiechowski has taken over the InterEuropol car.  In LM GTE Pro, it has been the battle between Ferrari and Porsche.  Ferrari 1-2, and Porsche 3-4.  In GTE Am, Aston Martin leads in the #98 car of Augusto Farfus followed by Giorgio Sernagiotto and Thomas Flohr.  At Monza, next time out, there are six slow corners, and one long loaded corner at Parabolica.

The rest of it is flat out straights.  Again, this is a taste of what the next race will be.  Ferdinand Habsburg moves ‘round Sean Gelael in LMP2.  Tom Blomqvist is suited and booted for the next stint.  Mike Wainwright is next into the #86 GR Racing Porsche.  Ben Keating has pitted and now, Sophia Floersch has pitted as well and she may stay in or Beitske Visser will get in.  How will these next pit stops shake out?  The tire pickup here is massive and the blisters have popped as well.  Those Michelin tires are overheated and totally knackered. 

Do not drive flat out through the heavily cambered final turn.  Toyota #7 is in the pit lane.  Kamui Kobayashi is next into the car as Mike Conway has finished his stint.  Kobayashi will get tires and fel; and then the #8 will pit.  Tires done on opposite sides, on corners of the car in an X formation.  The car moves on internal combustion engine power.  Toyota are playing the long game as we push towards halfway through the race.  United Autosports #22 in the lane.  Paul di Resta staying in the car.  Fuel and a windscreen cleaning.

Matthieu Vaxiviere reels off another fastest lap at 1:31.069.  Brendon Hartley in the lane and the Alpine’s fuel load is burning off, and the track temperature is burning off.  The Glickenhaus pits with Romain Dumas staying in the car.  That car is powered by Pipo Moteurs in France, with a V8, and two four-cylinder engines on a common crankcase, twin turbo V8.  Jakub Smiechowski and Ferdinand Habsburg pit in LMP2.  Halfway home now.  Four hours done, as Jan Magnussen must serve his co-driver Dennis Andersen’s penalty.