WEC Season 5: 6 Hours of Nürburgring 2016 LMP Race

LMPWEC

Apr 17

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 6 Hours of Nürburgring 2016

The qualifying time was based on the average times of two drivers per car. Both Audi R18 qualified in front row with Marcel Fässler and Andre Lotterer taking pole position; #8 driven by Oliver Jarvis and Lucas di Grassi only lost 0.266 seconds on pole.

Mark Webber and Timo Bernhard with Porsche 919 Hybrid #1 ended third, 0.417 seconds to the top. The sister car #2 driven by Neel Jani and Marc Lieb was fourth, 0.449 seconds back.

Both Toyota were more than 1 sec. off Audi #7 and privateers LMP1 more that 6,6 sec.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 6 Hours of Nürburgring 2016

The #7 Audi maintained its pole position advantage heading into the first turn, with Bernard in Porsche's first car overtaking Audi #8 around the outside for second place at the second corner

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 6 Hours of Nürburgring 2016

The first stint was a fierce battle between Fässler on Audi R18 #7 and Bernhard in Porsche 919 #1.

Then it was to their sister cars to take the lead with Jani in #2 Porsche and Jarvis with Audi #8.

Both Audi R18 lost grap with the lead in the third hour of the race, after both Audi cars had just finished pitting, the race was yellow-flagged following an accident. Due to its larger fuel tank capacity, Porsche was able to pit later and gained a major time advantage during the caution period. Following the caution period, Lucas di Grassi (#8) was trailing the race leader by 24 seconds and Marcel Fässler (#7) was lacking 29 seconds.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 6 Hours of Nürburgring 2016

The second half of the race was a battle between the two Porsche 919 Hybrid ending with the victory of reigning champions Mark Webber-Timo Bernhard-Brendon Hartley with Porsche 919 Hybrid #1 after fighting back from first hour puncture. In the overall, the Porsche 919 Hybrid trio lead almost half (91/196) of the laps raced.

#8 Audi R18 of Loic Duval, Oliver Jarvis and Lucas di Grassi took second.

2014 Champions Marcel Fässler and Andre Lotterer, finished third in #7 Audi Sport Team Joest R18 Benoit Tréluyer was injured beforehand when he fell from a mountain bike and is unable to participate

2016 24 Hours of Le Mans winners of Jani-Dumas-Lieb remained leader of the Championship despite a fourth place after collision with LMGTE Am car in penultimate hour.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 6 Hours of Nürburgring 2016

After qualifying more than 1 sec. off Audi #7, both Toyota have never been on it with #5 Toyota TS050 Hybrid (Davidson-Buemi-Nakajima) ending one lap behind the winners and sister #6 four laps behind.

Privateer LMP1 class sees #13 Rebellion drivers Kraihamer/Tuscher and Imperatori take third victory of the season while sister #12 driven by Nicolas Prost, Mathias Beche and Nick heidfeld ended 7 laps behind.

Third straight win for #36 Signatech Alpine trio Lapierre-Menezes-Richelmi.

#43 RGR Sports take second podium of the season with Senna-Gonzalez-Albuquerque.

#31 Extreme Speed Motorsport Ligier JS P2-Nissan of Derani-Cumming-Dalziel take third podium of year.

#42 Strakka Racing Gibson 0155-Nissan with Leventis, Williason and Kane eded fourth of the LMP2 class.

#26 G-Drive Racing lead early stages but retire with gearbox problem.

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