Peugeot needs reliability and pace. For spinning the #1 car, the #9 entry for Prema Orlen has copped a drive through penalty. Charles Milesi says that they don't know what the issue is with the car, but they believe it is a gearbox problem. Fix the car, get back out there, and turn laps. That is their objective to go for points. The contact is a shame and some racing drivers don't quite know how to drive. Uh... uh... uh um, uh um, uh um. We'll park that. Milesi did not anticipate the speed difference as we watch GTE Pro and the battle for third spot as the #64 Corvette C8.R passes the #91 factory Porsche. Ryan Cullen has indeed fulfilled his minimum drive time as #28 is in the lane for service at Jota Sport.
Leading the motor race, Nico Lapierre in the Alpine followed by the Toyota of Brendon Hartley. Will Alpine triple stint their tires? Remind us to have a Captain Cook. The gap first to third is going up. Kamui Kobayashi is fighting the #7 Toyota. I wonder if he is having issues with harvesting energy. Someone is off and on in the second chicane. Nico Lapierre gets stymied behind a Ferrari GT car and Hartley could have a head of steam building. We want to stay with this battle. Hartley is really closing up. Lapierre needs clean space through the Ascari chicane and so on with no lapped traffic.
The gap has been split two seconds in four laps. Brendon Hartley is motoring. He had dropped down in the second half of the lap. Robert Kubica serves his drive through penalty and that is done and dusted. Romain Dumas still has fastest race lap. That tells us one thing. The Toyota, the Alpine, and the Peugeot, are nowhere near as quick at Monza as the Glickenhaus was on full tanks before they had to retire the car with the blown turbo. Vector Sport in the lane now. United still lead LMP2 with Alex Lynn in the #23. Second spot is held by Antonio Felix Da Costa and into the lane comes Vector Sport in the #10. Sebastien Bourdais will turn the car over to one of his co-drivers. Not sure if it is Nico Mueller or Ryan Cullen.
One of the Corvette mechanics, ah. Jackpot! Ice cream bar! That's the way to go, mate. That's the way to go. Snack time for the mechanics. One of the other mechanics is startled. Huh? What on earth is that camera doing in our pit box? Alex Lynn is making his first start at Monza since 2016 when he raced in GP2 in open wheel competition. A final note on that Corvette ice cream bar thing. One of the other mechanics sneaks right up, and... chomp! He steals the rest of that poor bloke's chocolate covered ice cream bar! Oh man. Pit lane hijinks, look, here at Monza! All in good fun! Last time 'round Nico Lapierre ran a 1:38.7, and noe 1 :38.3.
Lapierre is quicker than Hartley who laid down a 1:38.8 and despite being on older tires, we can see that Nico Lapierre has more pace at this point. How long will that hold out? Alex Lynn made his Monza debut the same year as team-mate Oliver Jarvis, in 2013. The #46 Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR-19 is in the lane in GTE-Am. That is the Mikkel Pedersen, Matteo Cairoli, Nicky Leutwiler car. We did not race at Monza when Alex Lynn drove in GTE Pro with Aston Martin. Still leading GTE-Am, Iron Dames. No change there. United Autosport #23 pits. We have covered a European Le Mans Series race distance at four hours and now have just a tad over a Le Mans Cup race to go.
A Le Mans Cup event is an hour and 50 minutes, and this just reminds yours truly to get on the stick about some other sports car races. Believe me. There are so many, it is hard to keep up, sometimes. AF Corse and Ferrari still run 1-2 in GTE Pro. All five classes are very close. It is #51 and #52 leading from the #64 Corvette which has been outperforming both of the factory Porsche 911 RSR-19's, #91 and #92. More woe and another spot of bother for the #1 car. Just out of pit lane for Paul-Loup Chatin. They have been suffering gearbox trouble after being clattered earlier in the race and he is slowing. No gears changing. Engine with no power.
Game over. We've seen a bucketload of attrition today which is not something we are seeing these days. We have lost maybe three heavy hitters. Yes. In a field of 36 cars or so, nearly 40, we've had three retirements and even more in trouble. Glickenhaus had the turbo failure. We saw the massive barrel roll for the #33 Aston Martin, and I am stumped as to who the third retirement was. Sorry, folks. It has been a long old race this one, for a six-hour event. Antonio Felix Da Costa in the lane and stays in the car to the end. Inter Europol Competition and Esteban Guttierez now lead LMP2.
Ryan Cullen has covered his allotted driving time and we wonder now if Jakub (Kuba) Smiechowski has done the same. #34 are in the game fighting the #28 car. Ed Jones now in the Jota #28. Will Stevens I believe is in the #38 again replacing Roberto Gonzalez who has finished. Roberto Gonzalez I think is in for his firsr or second stint. The boys in the booth had their strategy computer run out of steam before the start of the race. Antonio Felix Da Costa has handed over to Will Stevens and then Roberto Gonzalez and Antonio Felix Da Costa will finish it out.
A battle is afoot for fourth in GTE Pro between the factory Porche's. #92 ahead of #91. #41 WRT in LMP2 is closing up on #34. The #38 Jota car was clean and green at Le Mans while everyone else was in a sword fight. There is only a one second difference between the Ferrari's, the Corvette, and the Porsche's. It has been a bit of a parade in GTE Pro. Sorry, everyone. I, and Martin Haven in the WEC both are totally wrong. RealTeam did not finish third in class at Le Mans. I'm a dunce. I am confusing Le Mans last month was Spa Francorchamps at the beginning of May.
Another warning flag for abusing track limits to the #777 Aston Martin. The top three has not changed. It is still Lapierre leading Hartley and Kobayashi. Rahel Frey is at the wheel of the GTE-Am leading Iron Dames Ferrari. Sara Bovy, congratulations to her winning the first FIA championship pole for a lady driver. She is very happy to be able to have earned pole. But today's race is the most important part. Michelle Gatting too, she is trying to keep cool. The race will be a close one until the very end. They are really enjoying themselves. They've come up through the European Le Mans Series into World Endurance.
Hard work yields longterm results and a large slice of luck helps. Keeping going. A great combination of drivers. Fun, fast, and now, I am sure, very lucky. Michelle Gatting will finish the race out and the team started from pole. Harry Tincknell for Dempsey Proton Racing and Matteo Cairoli for Project 1 are still in the fight as well. It isn't over just yet let me tell you. Giancarlo Fisichella in the #60 Iron Lynx Ferrari is also in the GTE-Am scrap. We are also keeping a very close eye on the LMP2 battle between Esteban Guttierez and Ed Jones. #28 has been a contender all day long. The LMP2 scrap has been hot and heavy the whole way with half a dozen or more cars involved.
We have seen some odd Full Course Yellows today which have really turned the fuel strategy on it's ear. Wow! Yet another lurid slide for United Autosport into the gravel and back onto the track! Guys, please. Stay out of the gravel trap! You are giving us heart attacks here in the broadcast booth! Sheesh! Give the gravel traps a rest. We are still investigating why this is happening. Rahel Frey still has the GTE Am lead but Harry Tincknell in the Porsche is coming in a hurry. Matteo Cairoli is clawing back time as well.
Sebastian Priaulx is still a Silver rated driver and so will his dad, Andy, he will become a Silver rated driver due to his experience. Harry Tincknell is Platinum rated and Rahel Frey for Iron Dames is a gold. Andy Priaulx has not come to see Sebastian Priaulx race. He does not want to be giving his son advice, but, Andy was there to see his son drive at Le Mans on the test day. Wow. He does not want to be a motor racing dad and wants his son to forge his own path. The ebb and flow in Hypercar is that Nico Lapierre and Alpine are pulling away a wee bit from the Toyota's. Kamui Kobayashi is now 15 seconds down from the lead as the #86 GR Racing Porsche is in the lane for service.
Ricardo Pera getting out and Mike Wainwright doing his final stint. Harry Tincknell is closing up on Rahel Frey hand over fist. Harry Tincknell fractionally closes the gap. Frey will be catching traffic first. Just a tad over an hour and a half to go. Big drama as the GTE Pro race leader is handed a five second penalty for a tech infringement that is going to drop the Ferrari #51 to fourth place! Wow! Using someone else's tires? It is the #51 but no pit stop infringement per se as Nico Lapierre has to squirm past a GT car.
Information to the pit lane, car #51 has a five second penalty for not transferring data after the pit stop according to Edoardo Freitas. You have to download the data which is monitored in real time from every entered car, and you give the marshals a hard copy on a data card and change the driver ID. That is protocol for every single pit stop. What a nightmare. Charlie Fagg reported to the stewards for constant abuse of track limits as Esteban Guttierez and Ed Jones are flying and Norman Nato is back there in LMP2. With the LMP2 cars shuffling through, that messes up the rhythm of the GTE Am battle as well.
The LMP2 lead battle rages on. Whether you are in an LMP2 or a GTE Am car engaging with the leader, the traffic is always there. The #22 United Autosport LMP2 entry was trundling 40 minutes ago but they are back up to full speed now as #51 stops the start watch, in Murray Walker's words, or starts the stopwatch. Now that was quick, but he has lost the lead to his teammate. It is true. #51 has dropped from first to fourth spot. A delayed stop adds insult to injury for #22 United Autosport who's dismal, luckless 2022 season continues. They were in a purple patch winning the whole deal last year but not this year.
Peugeot in the lane and so is the #36 Alpine from the lead as Matthieu Vaxiviere takes over. Kamui Kobayashi is the erstwhile leader and now Ryo Hirakawa takes over the sister #8. A four-tire change for both Alpine and Toyota. Game on. Alpine ahead of Toyota. It was 1.3 seconds but has now shrunk to mere tenths. Hirakawa is going for the pass on the inside. Oh boy. The Toyota makes the pass. Whistling clean there, look. A slower stop for the Alpine. More heat in the Alpine's tires. Hirakawa will be hanging on by his fingernails and Hirakawa is into his first and only stint as we see the sister #7 Toyota in the lane and Kamui Kobayashi is driving now.
The Toyota had the shorter run around Curva Biassone and Curva Grande, both. Argy bargy through Parabolica and down the front straight. Wow! Toyota gets trapped behind the Ferrari! Here, right on the scene is the sister Toyota! Man, oh man! Hirakawa pushes Lapierre out of the way! Vaxiviere balked into Curva Grande and so Kamui Kobayashi took fuel only and is squirming around on older tires. Ryo Hirakawa is driving like he is in an open wheel car. No drama for Toyota #7. Kobayashi managing fuel and tires just the same.
Lapierre has a run but no dice. The Toyota is faster than Matthieu Vaxiviere. Kobayashi runs over the curb and goes straight on! Wow. That was a close shave. This is first, second and third in the race with 84 minutes left on the board. Kobayashi did lock up and the Hypercars are quite a bit heavier than the old LMP1 cars. The margins are extremely close in all classes at this stage. Kevin Estre and Gianmaria Bruni are the drivers in the Porsche's right now in GTE Pro. Kamui Kobayashi is warned about hitting the curbs and now, Esteban Guttierez pits from the LMP2 lead. Jota and Ed Jones are the erstwhile leaders ahead of both Sebastien Bourdais and Alex Lynn.
Filipe Albuquerque says that the United Autosports team will keep going in spite of the adversity they've faced today. Keep your head up and know the speed is there. The Oreca is a spec car and a spec part has failed. United Autosport has had a tough year this year after having a perfect season last year. Jota #28 is in the lane. In and out quickly. Bad luck does not last forever. Nothing is constant. Push it, push it, push it as long as you can. Ryo Hirakawa is being asked if he is faster than Kamui Kobayashi. He is on the fresher tires is Kobayashi.
So I wonder if this is a signal to move over. Hirakawa though has the speed. I am faster, let me through. How do you open the gap for the sister car? Oooh! Vaxiviere has it on the inside but look at the traffic ahead! How on earth do you pick the bones out of this shemozzle? There's traffic everywhere down the straight and into the Lesmo's! There is a Porsche in the way, the #77 Dempsey Proton car for Harry Tincknell. He has no place to move. Hirakawa muscles his way past Vaxiviere! How about that! We have a yellow flag, a local yellow. Vaxiviere on the radio claims he was pushed.
You don't wnat to make high speed contact with these sports cars. Oh dear. Gustavo Menezes in the #94 Peugeot 9X8 is stopped at the side of the road. Will Edoardo Freitas wait longer to put the yellow out? Here comes the Alpine. Vaxiviere right behind Hirakawa and Kamui Kobayashi in the lead, he is managing the traffic plus he has a tire advantage. Alpine have to be creative with the strategy. The trouble the are having is that they are quick as a flash on track, but are giving up bucketloads of time in the pit lane which is really where they are getting stymied, clearly.
Nico Lapierre is well aware the tires are just going to fall off with the higher track temperatures. Ryo Hirakawa is being told to close up the gap and here comes Lapierre again! They touch. The Alpine has the pass made, or does he? He has the run out of the Prima Variante. Hirakawa has a free run. Late on the brakes, Lapierre holds on. Yellow flag next corner. Stay on the line and don't defend when there is a local yellow there. You knew Hirakawa just wasn't going to give it up no matter what. Vaxiviere is galloping away. They have the speed, but in the wrong spot.
Monza pushes you to run as little downforce as possible in a stwaight line, like a Formula 1 car when they race the Italian Grand Prix here. Oh man. Side by side with Vaxiviere and Kobayashi are side by side! Kobayashi tries an inside pass! The two touch down the straightaway! Kobayashi shreds his right rear tire! The carcass of that Michelin tire on the right rear, is gone! The bodywork at the back of that Toyota is going to be an utter mess unless he slows down right now. It's true. He's lost the right rear tire and is on a tail wagging ride through the grass and the escape road!
Vaxiviere was right there to hold his ground. This is top level racing. Not Formula Ford. 195 miles an hour down the straight. They were side by side and Kobayashi did the squeeze play and it didn't work. Kobayashi thought he had the pass. The legality plank was being burned away from under the car. The Peugeot is moving but the Toyota is going to be trundling 'round. Full Course Yellow. Full Course Yellow. The Toyota is crawling. The track narrows after the pit lane exit. Bliney! That was totally unnecessary. Full Course Yellow. We could see an LMP2 car heading to the podium.
We started with the most Hypercars in the field ever, with half a dozen, and we might finish with fewer. Misfortune for Toyota, Alpine,a nd Glickenhaus. But this might have been the best Hypercar race we've seen. You can't have five eyes watching everything with five awesome classes racing each other. Toyota have spare bodywork set to go. The suspension on the car should be fine but the rear clip on the Toyota will need to be replaced. Peugeot have not done all the accident damage replacement procedures yet as this is only their first race. Rear decklid followed by the tail section.
300 kilometers an hour in seven places on this track which is 187 miles an hour or more. Toyota #7 still third with the #36 Alpine still leading with a shade over an hour remaining in the race. Alpine #36 and Toyota #8 are both back on track and will gain position over the #7 which has now been repaired. The LMP2 leader is four laps down as we see the #98 AMR Aston Martin GTE-Am car in pit lane. Accidents are never isolated events. The top three in LMP2 are pitting. #38 has taken their stop and now we see #41 and #28 both in the lane.
Alex Brundle is now back at the wheel of the #34 Inter Europol car. Ferrari #52 pitting and so does Porsche #92 and Corvette #64. Dempsey Proton #77 is in as well. Ferrari, Corvette, Porsche in GTE Pro. Kobayashi did not make a mistake. The Alpine has been quick through Parabolica for the whole of this race so far. How much farther off to the right can you go? I am quite surprised that the #7 Toyota did not hit the wall. Kobayashi thought he was clear, but he wasn't. He was trying to move in front to find where to put the car in the braking zone. It is hard to judge with a long tail of the car and you can't see in the mirror with the vibrations aboard the car.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Full Course Yellow removed. Vaxiviere is going to do all he can to get clear of Hirakawa passing by Nick Cassidy in the #54 AF Corse Ferrari. More LMP2 traffic. James Allen and Algarve Pro Racing lead the Pro-Am portion of LMP2. This scrap is not just for the win of today's race but for the title fight with two races left after today. If Alpine wins, we are going to see a massive battle for the end of the year. Big lockup for Michelle Gatting. Wow. Harry Tincknell is on an out lap. Wait a minute. Michelle Gatting is on the out lap and Tincknell stopped a lap or so earlier. We have to see where the gap is.
The blue and yellow #88 Dempsey Proton Porsche is the sister Am class car, but that car in the Bilstein colors is a lap down.
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