We are now into the last hour of the race. Kamui Kobayashi leading Brendon Hartley. Prema leads LMP2 and Richard Mille Racing leads GTE Am. Toyota #8 has made only 11 places up in Hypercar from 36th of 37 starters. Can you imagine if Hartley overcomes Kobayashi after the accident yesterday? Wow. What will the tire strategy be for the #8? Medium tires x2 and mixed compounds? We'll see. 55 minutes remaining in the race to find out who will win the 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps. Toyota, Toyota, Porsche, Ferrari, Cadillac in Hypercar. In LMP2, the order is United, WRT, Prema, and Inter Europol. Corvette leads GTE Am over Aston Martin and Porsche. Fina pit stops underway in GTE Am. We have three or four retirements. Vector Sport #10, Cadillac #3, Porsche #6, and Vanwall #4. So sorry to see Jack Aitken never got to drive in this race. Hopefully Action Express have learned a bunch before we go to Le Mans in June.
Ferdinand Habsburg says he was very uncomfortable in a loose race car and was disappointed to lose out to Prema earlier on. Andre Negrao in the #35 Alpine Oreca bounces off Robin Frijns in an LMP2 position change. Robin Frijns now takes the place back from Andre Negrao in the Alpine. Charles Milesi in the second Alpine Oreca has just passed Daniil Kvyat and nearly an argy bargy moment! Charlie Eastwood leading GTE Am in the ORT by TF Aston Martin, the #25. Final GTE Am pit stops cycling through. Nicky Catsburg has pitted and gone ahead of Harry Tincknell. #33 Corvette and #88 Porsche. #83 stopping as has Michelle Gatting in #85. Tom Blomqvist getting back into the #23 United Autosport Oreca in LMP2.
Daniil Kvyat is running ahead of Charles Milesi as we have a pit stop for the #5 Porsche 963 of Fred Makowiecki running ahead of James Calado in the Ferrari. Kamui Kobayashi to pit for tires and fuel. Box, box, box this lap. It will be their final stop. Final stop too for the Porsche boys. Porsche in the lane two laps earlier than they expected. 48 minutes to go. Toyota's Hypercar rivals have lost a car apiece. Both Toyota's continue in the fight. Kobayashi carefully into the pit lane. Remember, he has an enormous flat spot. So, new tires are surely needed. Final tear off pulled off the windscreen. Brendon Hartley was told the #7 would take four tires.
They bailed on that idea and changed to two tires. He still might have the flat spot. James Calado has passed Fred Makowiecki and Calado is on the hot tires while Fred Makowiecki is on medium's. Fuel only for Ferrari in their last stop and so they've indeed nailed their colors to the mast. The battle is afoot in GTE Am as Nicky Catsburg is reeling in Alessio Rovera. Charlie Eastwood being monstered by Michelle Gatting and Harry Tincknell. No tires for Ferrari and Calado. 53 seconds in the box saving themselves 22 seconds over both Toyota's as Brendon Hartley leads the race. Hartley due into the lane this lap.
Into Pouhon he goes. This is the double left hand corner and a high G force corner. Hertz Team Jota and the #38 Porsche 963 just stopped as well. Hartley now in the lane. He has completed 128 laps, 557 miles. Pit stop for Toyota #8. Clenaing the windscreen and adding fuel. Kobayashi cuts the fastest time in sector one and in sector two. Left side tires only, down off the air jacks, and here is Kobayashi! Yikes! Insistent we are hearing that #7 took four tires. Oh my! Give it back! That overtake was way off the road! That overtake was in Luxembourg, not Belgium!
Hartley can bring the tires in at his leisure. No need to drive off the road. White flag for anyone coming out of the lane. That is a yield flag. Frijns ahead of Deletraz and Kvyat in LMP2. Richard Mille Racing Team 12 seconds ahead of Corvette followed by Charlie Eastwood, Michelle Gatting, and Harry Tincknell. Car #7 under investigation for overtaking beyond track limits at turn four. Aha. I thought so. If Kamui Kobayashi does not give the place back, he is giving away a win and having to take a drive through penalty. This could be manna from heaven for Porsche. Eau Rouge is a stunning and yet very controversial corner. He is six seconds ahead of Brendon Hartley. Under duress, I think Kobayashi still cops a penalty.
No radio from #8. Brendon Hartley knows what is going on but he is just in shut up and drive mode. Daniil Kvyat is monstering Robin Frijns while Louis Deletraz has scurried away like a rat up a drainpipe. At Toyota #7, #8 is three seconds behind. Kamui Kobayashi cannot think everything is OK and he is team boss and Kobayashi wonders, "what are we fighting for?!" Trouble for the front left tire for Hartley? Is it punctured? Is it just cold? It is OK. It is just cold. Fuel only for the #2 Cadillac battling with the #5 Porsche. Driver change at Inter Europol. Richard Westbrook will resume in fifth spot as the #34 Inter Europol Oreca is in the lane in LMP2.
In Hypercar, Porsche #5 third, Ferrari #51 Ferrari fourth, Cadillac #2 fifth. 35 minutes to go. If Toyota #8 has a puncture, then Kobayashi in the sister #7 is going to be in deep sleet, in hot water. Kobayashi though has been the quicker of the two but he was suffering. Three minute stop and go penalty for the #63 Prema LMP2 for not respecting safety car procedure. Wowzers. That's their hopes of victory right out the window. I think they took full fuel instead of a splash and a dash. #31 in the lane for the final stop for the WRT car and United Autosport #22 in the lane as well. No tires. Albuquerque has a full set and has nearly a full fuel load.
Fuel only for Albuquerque. Frijns stationary for nearly a minute. We have seen screamingly good races in all classes today! Blomqvist back to the top of the shop in LMP2. It is squeaky, squeaky time in LMP2 as Tom Blomqvist is now back at the top of the shop in LMP2. Prema #9 in pit lane too. Spa Francorchamps is a clockwise circuit. #63 has yet to serve it's penalty and Andrea Caldarelli at the wheel of the #9. Daniil Kvyat is the driver who has to serve the penalty. Michelle Gatting reeling in Charlie Eastwood in GTE Am. Go hell for leather and bite the bullet and take fuel, or lift and coast. Those are the two ways you can cut the cake.
Caldarelli warned by the stewards for abusing track limits. The #54 team rebuilt the Ferrari up until 4Am, spent an hour for a shave, and shower, and then came right back to work, totally exhausted by now. Louis Deletraz will be good on fuel for the final half hour. Toyota 1-2 and the squabble between Porsche, Ferrari, and Cadillac for the final podium place. Will we see a penalty for the #7 Toyota? Nothing on the radio from Brendon Hartley. Porsche ahead of Ferrari. Makowiecki ahead of Calado. Ferrari 499P and Porsche 963 pretty evenly matched.
Pit stop under investigation for the #5 Porsche Penske Motorsports team. Oh boy. Peugeot #94 are in the lane and back out. Both Toyota's and both Peugeot's have hung on. Hertz Team Jota also in the race with the #38 Porsche 963 ahead of the Peugeot's, the Glickenhaus and others. Meanwhile, in GTE Am, look, it is a tight squeeze and a bunch of sevens through Eau Rouge! Casper Stevenson passing Julien Andlauer. I smell track limits. Albert Costa chasing Robin Frijns in LMP2. Albert Costa, an ex Lamborghini factory driver. He could be in a Hypercar next year. A great driver. Tom Blomqvist and Louis Deletraz in LMP2 need a splash and dash.
Calado has a 35 second gap to the Porsche and their last pit stop of course is under investigation. Push it, push it. OK. OK. I'll push it! Andrea Caldarelli third in LMP2 being harried but they are a tad behind. James Calado has three seconds over Fred Makowiecki. A drive through not served in the race will become a 30 second time penalty added to the race time at the end. Car #63 finally ends it's three minute penalty. That was actually his final splash for gas. Oh boy! Albert Costa inside Robin Frijns with Harry Tincknell in the Proton Porsche 911 RSR-19 in the way! Holy moly!
Albert Costa is a true racer indeed and so is Robin Frijns but his tires are going to be squares by now. Just over 20 minutes of racing to go. Filipe Albuquerque ahead of Albert Costa at Les Combes and Costa is reeling him in hand over fist. Kamui Kobayashi 12 seconds to the good in the overall lead. Nicky Catsburg second over Charlie Eastwood in the Aston Martin vs. the Corvette. Catching is one thing while passing is another. Fred Makowiecki has put the sole remaining Porsche into third place. The change happens in LMP2 and Albuquerque got stymied by Charlie Eastwood in the Aston Martin. Costa has to have better tires than Albuquerque does.
Fabio Scherer did more work on old tires. Albert Costa has been added to Inter Europol and Jakub Smiechowski, the Polish Bronze driver, he also has done great. Same with Fabio Scherer. James Calado smells blood, chasing Fred Makowiecki. Ferrari is the shark and Porsche are the minnow. This is "The Italian Job" movie in real life. Richard Westbrook infifth place. Pace is not there for the Cadillac compared tot the Ferrari. 17 minutes remaining. Kamui Kobayashi's race still in doubt. The weather is changing and the sun has come out in Spa. James Calado is catching Fred Makowiecki and fast. The third place Porsche 963 is still under investigation by the stewards. United and WRT in LMP2 still need to pit, followed by Prema and Inter Europol.
Tom Blomqvist is losing his advantage in LMP2. Kobayashi leads Hartley by almost 13 seconds with 140 laps completed. 609 miles. Olivier Pla in traffic in the #708 Glickenhaus SCG007. In GTE Am, Alessio Rovera leads and now, the gap is decreasing in LMP2 between Tom Blomqvist and Louis Deletraz. Richard Mille followed by Corvette Racing followed by ORT. Ferrari, Corvette, Aston Martin. Blomqvist is running out of tire. The tires in LMP2 are beginning to fall off a cliff. Can Inter Europol close up? We only have 15 minutes left in the motor race. In LMP2 a splash and dash will take 40 seconds total.
The gap to Andrea Caldarelli is 58 seconds. 18 seconds is the gap between Calado and the Porsche. WRT ready for Louis Deletraz. United inthe lane. So, this is a battle between two of the best LMP2 teams. Deletraz down and away and a longer stop for United! Oy! Someone screwed up. Hard to say who did what. #9 is going to have #34 right on it's six. Eastwood on Catsburg's six as well. No dice for Iron Dames and Richard Mille Racing and the Ferrari well ahead in GTE Am in the final ten minutes and now the Porsche 963 is going to get stymied by this battle and Ferrari might just go ahead. No dice for catching Alessio Rovera.
19 seconds is the spread among the top four in LMP2. In Hypercar, it is about the final step on the podium and a possible penalty for Kamui Kobayashi. We shall have to keep you updated if anything happens. Cadillac had to make an extra pit stop compared to Toyota and Porsche. Nicky Catsburg defending but says that his rear tires are falling off the cliff. Charlie Eastwood into the final chicane is going to go for it. Catsburg knows where to place the Corvette. Eastwood to the otuside and tries the over under but can't get it done. Catsburg knows Spa like the back of his hand. Calado squeezes past this battle! Yikes!
10.3 seconds the gap from the Ferrarito the Porsche, Catsburg held up by the #38 Jota Porsche 963. Albert Costa giving Andrea Caldarelli fits. Costa has the pace advantage, these two, former Lamborghini teammates. I think the fire has gone out for a battle for the LMP2 lead. This is all about third between Prema and Inter Europol, the racing bakers. Nicky Catsburg hanging on to second over Charlie Eastwood in GTE Am. Eastwood tries it but gets balked by Catsburg. This has been a genuinely fun race to watch. Oh dear. Costa is going for it. This is going to be a bear and a half. Calado closing up with six minutes to go. We should get three or so more laps.
Can Catsburg keep the pressure? Catsburg has run touring cars, GT cars, prototypes, everything. In LMP2, through Blanchimont, no dice. Lockup for Prema cutting the corner and now, he will have to give it up and let Inter Europol by. The jig is up. The jug is up? Not now. Drink it? Not yet. Oh blimey! This madness, and here comes Prema and they touch! #9 has to give it up again up the Kemmel straightaway! Up into Les Combes as well. Now then, Charlie Eastwood forced to the outside by Nicky Catsburg. Two, maybe three laps to go.
The Ferrari of Calado, he can see the Porsche off in the distance, chasing Makowiecki. Now, it is the Kimi Raikkonen, leave me alone, I know what I am doing, situation. Be decisive in traffic. Less than three minutes. Where does the leader cross the line? Two to go. Down through Pouhon to Piff Paff/Fangnes. Porsche just have not had the punch here at Spa in GTE Am. 3.2 seconds to the good between Makowiecki and Calado. Porsche 963 vs. Ferrari 499P. Ferrari have just had issues of lighting up the tires and losing traction. Porsche started on slicks and Ferrari on wets.
Leader on the final lap but it isn't over. Tom Blomqvist passes Louis Deletraz? Wait a minute. Say what? Never mind. Albuquerque and Frijns. Final lap for this pair as Makowiecki and Calado are going for it/. Five second penalty for Toyota? Wait a minute. Five seconds added for next pit stop for overtaking car #8 but that is five seconds adeed to the race time. Ferrari in the slipstream of the Porsche up the Kemmel straightaway and Ferrari makes the pass on Porsche. Toyota win it! Kobayashi ten seconds ahead of Hartley.
Louis Deletraz and WRT win at home! GTE Am last lap lunge! Who will it be.? ECatsurg late on the brakes. Eastwood pushing hard. Who is going to nab the GTE Am victory? Catsburg pushing hard and now, where is Rovera? This is a two man race. Two extra pit stops compared to Porsche and Toyota but Ferrari still come home in second place. Half a lap to go for Charlie Eastwood to see if he can do anything about Nicky Catsburg. The answer is... well, we'll see. Winner for the #83 Richard Mille Ferrari with Lilou Wadoux winning the first race for a female driver in WEC. Catsburg will come home second. Eastwood third.
Overall/Hypercar: #7 Kobayashi/Conway/Lopez Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 Hybrid
LMP2: #41 Andrade/Deletraz/Kubica Team WRT Oreca 07
LM GTE Am: #83 Perez-Companc/Rovera/Wadoux Richard-Mille AF Corse Ferrari 488
GTE Evo
What a race at Spa! Another Toyota victory in spite of the other Hypercar teams doing everything and anything to step up to the plate. We have seen gallant challenges from Ferrari, Porsche, Cadillac, and Peugeot, but it is not yet enough to dethrone the kings at Toyota. What's next? Well, it is the granddaddy of them all. It is the one we have all been waiting for. The centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with more Hypercars coming, some from the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship stateside. Another Penske Porsche, another Glickenhaus, and another Cadillac from my pals at Action Express.
Be there or be square. Tickets sold out for the centenary Le Mans a wee while ago. If you cannot be there, join us here on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog. Grab plenty of snacks and beverages. We'll be open all night at Le Mans again this year, the second weekend in June. Join us Saturday June 10th and Sunday June 11th for the centenary. You won't want to miss it! For now, au revoir from the Ardennes forest of Belgium. Bye bye.
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