WEC Season 10: 1.000 Miles of Sebring 2022 LMGTE race
LMGTE PRO
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Sebring 2022.
The 1.000 miles of Sebring 2022 reflected the performances set during the FIA World Endurance Championship Prologue on the famous bumpy track the weekend before. Porsche did dominate 3 out of the 4 Sessions with Michael Christensen setting the fastest lap overall. Corvette Racing was promising to be a serious challenger after setting the fastest lap in the last session of the Prologue.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Sebring 2022.
Porsche did succeed the double during two of the three free practices Wednesday and Thursday with Corvette C8.R being second with only 0.092” delay during the second practice.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Sebring 2022.
The race on Friday 18th started with the two Porsche 911 RSR in front line after Christensen won pole during qualifications with Porsche 911 RSR #92 in front of Bruni with Porsche #91 and Tandy with Corvette C8.R #64. Starting drivers, Kévin Estre and Gianmaria Bruni initially took the lead of the 1.000 miles of Sebring 2022 but race control issued them a time penalty of 15 seconds because of rule violations on the formation lap shortly before the start.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Sebring 2022.
The two Ferrari 488 GTE didn’t have the pace of the others and struggled to overtake the Am cars.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Sebring 2022.
After a good 30 minutes, Bruni (Porsche #91) had to relinquish his spot to Nick Tandy’s Corvette Racing #63 when he was held up by traffic.
At the hour, both Porsche 911 RSR-19 pitted to change two tyres and swap drivers at the first pit stop, Tandy and his durable Michelin tires only refuelled. Thanks to the time saved, the #64 Corvette C8.R moved up to first place. Tandy did set the fastest race lap – which he bettered twice later in the event – in the first two hours before handing off to Milner. Except during the few laps when Corvette Racing was pitting first, the #64 Corvette C8.R dominated the first half of the race as the two Porsche served their 15-second penalty at the second pit stop.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Sebring 2022.
The Lopez serious accident with Toyota #7 after three and a half hours of racing resulted in a 45-minute break and the lost of its advance for Corvette Racing #64. On the restart, Milner got hit from behind by a LMP2 car. The contact knocked the driver’s side door on the Corvette C8.R askew, and the team lost time getting the door to relatch when Milner stopped for a change back to Tandy with 3:15 left.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Sebring 2022.
Shortly after the restart Kevin Estre swept past the leading Corvette Racing and pulled away. A good 35 minutes later, Bruni had worked his way up the order to second place after a spirited charge. Heading into the final quarter of the race, Porsche #91 faced a problem during a tyre change that did cost about 20 seconds. As a result, Richard Lietz was relegated back to third place at the wheel of the second Porsche 911 RSR. He closed the gap but was poised to reclaim second place running out of time to make the decisive overtaking move as the 1.000 miles race was about to be halted due to a thunderstorm warning ten minutes before the end of the seventh hour.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Sebring 2022.
At the second red flag, Milner (Corvette Racing #64) had a five-second gap to Richard Lietz’s Porsche #91 in third place and was about 35 seconds behind class leader Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR #92).
A safety-car period brought Milner right on the rear of Christensen’s car. Unfortunately for Corvette Racing, the third and final red flag came only minutes after with officials halting the race.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Sebring 2022.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Sebring 2022.
Porsche and Corvette did battle, each taking the lead (71 laps for Corvette C8.R #64 and 112 laps for Porsche #92) but it was Kevin Estre and Michael Christensen who crossed the checkered flag first with their #92 Porsche 911 RSR-19. Brilliant P2 for Nick Tandy and Tommy Milner with their Corvette C8.R for their first full-season WEC campaign.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Sebring 2022.
Gianmaria Bruni and Richard Lietz with the #91 Porsche 911 RSR-19 finished in third place.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Sebring 2022.
The two Ferrari 488 GTE are finishing in fourth and fifth as they lacked power and speed since the FIA World Endurance Championship Prologue.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Sebring 2022.
AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE #51 race was error-free but sister #52 had a problem with the power steering ending one lap behind the 4 GTE-Pro despite three restarts of the race.
LMGTE AM
For 60% of the 180 laps covered by the class winner, it was a fight between #98 Northwest AMR Aston Martin Vantage of David Pittard, Nicki Thiim and Paul Dalla Lana and sister #33 TF Sport driven by Ben Keating, Marco Sorensen and Florian Latorre.
Starting from pole of the class, #33 TF Sport lead the class during five laps then was overtaken by #98 Northwest AMR until lap 106. #33 TF Sport and #777 D’Station Racing Aston Martin until #57 Team Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR-19 took the lead for 20 laps (with one lap interim by #77 Dempsey Proton Racing). From then on, it was a fight between Aston Martin Vantage #98 and Porsche 911 RSR #56.
The race was ended prematurely with a double for Aston Martin in the LMGTE Am category: first #98 Northwest AMR of David Pittard, Nicki Thiim and Paul Dalla Lana winning in front of #33 TF Sport driven by Ben Keating, Marco Sorensen and Florian Latorre.
#56 Porsche of Team Project 1 driven by Ben Barnicoat, Oli Millroy and Brendon Iribe was third of the class.
Ried/Priaulx/Tincknell with Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR #77 ended fourth.
