Austin – H+1: Audi escapes

Après avoir dominé les essais libres et les qualifications, les Audi R18 ont entamé tambour battant l’épreuve des 6 Heures du COTA à Austin au Texas. Partie depuis la pole, l’Audi n°7 de Fässler – Tréluyer – Lotterer a conservé sa position, en dominant dans les premiers tours la Porsche 919 n°1 de Webber – Hartley – Bernhard, qui avait pris le meilleur sur l’Audi n°8 de Jarvis – Duval – di Grassi.

Loïc Duval, however, did not take long to regain his second position, before the two R18s escaped at the head of the race, having a lead of more than 28″ at the time of the pit stop of the n °7, first to begin the initial salvo of supplies.

Derrière les Audi séparées par moins de 2″, on retrouve après les arrêts à 39″ la Porsche 919 Hybrid n°1 aux prises avec la Toyota TS050 Hybrid n°5 Buemi – Davidson – Nakajima and the Porsche 919 Hybrid n°2 of Dumas – Jani – Lieb. The three cars are separated by barely a second.

In LM P2, Signatech-Alpine let the #05 Oreca 44 of the Manor team take the lead before theAlpine A460 n°36 of Stone – Menezes – Richelmi does not return to the top of the category. The fight for second place now pits the No. 05 Oreca 26 of G-Drive Racing of Rast – Rusinov – Brundle and the No. 2 Ligier JS P43 of RGR Sport of Senna – Gonzalez – Albuquerque,

Aston Martin et Ferrari There is a duel in GTE Pro, with the No. 95 Vantage of Sorensen – Thiim leading the category. The two Ferrari 488 #71 AF Corse of Davide Rigon and Sam Bird, and #51 of Bruni – Calado follow about ten seconds ahead of the #97 Aston Martin of Darren Turner and Fernando Rees. . Note that the No. 66 Ford GT of Stefan Mücke – Olivier Pla stopped at his stand for a long time, losing more than 16 laps, visibly slowed down by a technical problem.

If the No. 911 Abu Dhabi – Proton Racing Porsche 88 RSR and No. 86 Gulf Racing Porsche 98 RSR dominated at the start of the race in GTE Am, it was the No. 911 Aston Martin Vantage of Dalla Lana – Lamy – Lauda which is in the lead ahead of the two 86s n°88 and n°50. The No. 4 Larbre Compétition Corvette is in XNUMXth place.

Ranking after one hour