Porsche claimed its first World Endurance Championship Hypercar victory of the season in Austin as Laurens Vanthoor, Matt Campbell and Kevin Estre triumphed in a chaotic wet-weather race.
Estre took the lead within the #6 Penske-run Porsche 963 LMDh with one hour and 45 minutes to go instantly after the sixth security automotive of the race when he was in a position to put the Porsche’s nostril alongside Alessandro Pier Guidi within the #51 manufacturing facility Ferrari 499P Le Mans Hypercar at Flip 1.
#6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, Matt Campell
Picture by: FIAWEC – DPPI
The lightest of contacts was made because the Frenchman accomplished the transfer and resulted in a entrance left puncture for the AF Corse-run Ferrari Pier Guidi shared with James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi.
It was unclear if the incident was investigated by the stewards, although one other contact on the remaining nook as the protection automotive peeled off was, although Estre solely acquired a warning for the contact.
Estre had the tempo on Ferrari on this portion of the race, driving away from the #50 manufacturing facility 499P with Miguel Molina on the wheel.
#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi
Picture by: James Moy Images through Getty Photographs
He moved right into a 10s lead earlier than one other security automotive, however was instantly in a position to eke out some respiratory area and re-establish a transparent benefit on the best way to an 8.6s victory after the frontrunners all made late stops for gas.
The Ferrari Molina shared with Nicklas Nielsen and Antonio Fuoco claimed the runner-up spot, however Molina needed to work onerous for the place.
#93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Paul Di Resta, Mikkel Jensen, Jean-Eric Vergne
Picture by: FIAWEC – DPPI
He dropped behind Stoffel Vandoorne within the #94 Peugeot 9X8 2024 LMH on the remaining splash-and-dash stops for gas, however was in a position to take again second with simply six laps remaining.
That meant Peugeot narrowly missed out on scoring its finest ever end result since becoming a member of the WEC in 2022, nevertheless it was nonetheless day for the French producer.
Behind the #93 automotive Vandoorne shared with Loic Duval and Malthe Jakobsen, the sister #94 entry pushed by Jean-Eric Vergne, Paul di Resta and Mikkel Jensen claimed fourth place.
#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi
Picture by: FIAWEC – DPPI
The #51 Ferrari recovered to fifth in Pier Guidi’s fingers, which meant he and his teammates prolonged their lead on the head of the championship.
Cadillac bounced again from a disappointing qualifying when it ended up on the again after its gamble to qualify on moist tyres backfired.
Earl Bamber, who flew up the order within the early operating in a Cadillac shared with Sébastien Bourdais and Jenson Button ended up sixth regardless of a monster spin for Bourdais when the situations had been at their worst after which an additional cease to switch the windscreen wiper.
#38 Cadillac Hertz Staff Jota Cadillac V-Collection.R: Earl Bamber, Sebastien Bourdais, Jenson Button
Picture by: James Moy Images through Getty Photographs
The sister automotive shared by Will Stevens, Alex Lynn and Norman Nato regarded like a victory contender within the penultimate hour after Lynn propelled the automotive as much as third, however Nato may solely take the chequered flag in eighth.
Lynn battled with Molina for second, however the automotive dropped down the order after an early remaining cease at hand over to Nato and was jumped by the 2 Peugeots, the #51 Ferrari and its sister automotive.
Incidents and notable retirements
#83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, Philip Hanson
Picture by: James Moy Images through Getty Photographs
The brilliant yellow, pole-winning Hypercar entry from the AF Corse Ferrari squad ended up seventh between the Cadillac groups.
It led the early getting into Philip Hanson’s fingers, however misplaced the result in #51 shortly earlier than the primary spherical of pitstops in hour three. Hanson was then unable to tug up appropriately at his pitstall when he stopped at hand over to Yifei Ye, the delay dropping the Ferrari to fifth at that stage.
Robert Kubica then struggled after taking up and misplaced time with a spin.
He drove into the pits believing he had a puncture, solely to be waved by means of by the workforce.
#007 Aston Martin Thor Staff Aston Martin Valkyrie: Harry Tincknell, Tom Gamble
Picture by: Andreas Beil
Toyota once more endured a tough weekend, with each of its GR010 HYBRID LMHs spinning a number of instances.
Sébastien Buemi introduced the #8 automotive shared with Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa as much as ninth on the end, however the sister #7 entry ended up 4 laps down in 14th place after Jose Maria Lopez, standing in for the injured Mike Conway, beached the automotive after a spin.
Each Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH vehicles ran a robust tempo within the prime six over the course of the race, although neither noticed the end.
The 2 vehicles run by The Coronary heart of Racing workforce stopped within the remaining hour when observe particles clogged the radiators, resulting in engine points.
Moist climate
Picture by: James Moy Images through Getty Photographs
The race was crimson flagged after an hour — earlier than the race had turned a single inexperienced flag lap — after an organizational miscue when a second security automotive was deployed after the primary wanted to refuel.
Some vehicles ended up following the second course car into the pits when it was recalled, race management opting to halt the race so it may re-establish the right order.
New winners in LMGT3
#95 United Autosports Mclaren 720S LMGT3 Evo: Darren Leung, Sean Gelael, Marino Sato
Picture by: FIAWEC – DPPI
LMGT3 honours went to McLaren and United Autosports for the primary time, with Marino Sato, Sean Gelael and Darren Leung taking the victory in a super-exiting climax.
In the long run, Sato crossed the road within the #95 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO in second place behind the #54 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 of Davide Rigon, Francesco Castellacci and Thomas Flohr.
#77 Proton Competitors Ford Mustang LMGT3: Bernardo Sousa, Ben Tuck, Benjamin Barker
Picture by: FIAWEC – DPPI
The Ferrari, nonetheless, had 5 additional seconds on its elapsed race time — added after the chequered flag — for contact within the closing phases as Rigon handed Ben Barker within the #77 Proton Competitors Ford Mustang GT3 for the lead.
The penalty dropped the Ferrari to 3rd behind the #46 WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo shared by Valentino Rossi, Kelvin van der Linde and Ahmad Al Harthy, which got here again from two penalties.
#46 Staff WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, Kelvin Van Der Linde
Picture by: FIAWEC – DPPI
Rigon had moved into the lead within the remaining hour, solely to drop again to fifth when AF opted to ship him out after his remaining cease on slicks.
The Ferrari driver made essentially the most of a drying observe, in a position to battle again within the dying minutes of the race as he lapped up 5s faster than the vehicles forward of him that had opted to remain on wets.
The McLaren and the BMW had been additionally on the Goodyear slick on the end, the highest finisher on wets being the Ford Mustang that Barker shared with Ben Tuck and Bernardo Sousa.
Images from Austin – Race
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1
PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT HYPERCAR
6
Porsche 963
120
4
2
FERRARI AF CORSE HYPERCAR
50
Ferrari 499P
120
8.625
4
3
PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES HYPERCAR
94
Peugeot 9X8
120
0.916
4
4
PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES HYPERCAR
93
Peugeot 9X8
120
5.608
6
5
FERRARI AF CORSE HYPERCAR
51
Ferrari 499P
120
7.470
5
6
Cadillac Hertz Staff JOTA HYPERCAR
38
Cadillac V-Collection.R
120
19.898
5
7
83
Ferrari 499P
120
14.438
5
8
Cadillac Hertz Staff JOTA HYPERCAR
12
Cadillac V-Collection.R
120
13.941
5
9
8
Toyota GR010 – Hybrid
120
3.719
4
10
PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT HYPERCAR
5
Porsche 963
120
1.502
3
11
Alpine Endurance Staff HYPERCAR
35
Alpine A424
120
24.649
6
12
BMW M Staff WRT HYPERCAR
15
BMW M Hybrid V8
119
6
13
99
N. Varrone
Porsche 963
118
4
14
7
Toyota GR010 – Hybrid
116
4
15
Alpine Endurance Staff HYPERCAR
36
Alpine A424
116
1’15.622
5
16
95
McLaren 720S GT3 Evo
115
4
17
TEAM WRT LMGT3
46
BMW M4 GT3
115
0.256
6
18
Vista AF Corse LMGT3
54
Ferrari 296 GT3
115
2.449
6
19
The Bend Staff WRT LMGT3
31
BMW M4 GT3
115
1.143
5
20
59
J. Cottingham
McLaren 720S GT3 Evo
115
2.609
5
21
Coronary heart of Racing Staff LMGT3
27
Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3
115
8.374
4
22
77
Ford Mustang GT3
115
6.462
4
23
Manthey 1st Phorm LMGT3
92
Porsche 911 GT3 R
115
0.465
5
24
88
Ford Mustang GT3
115
18.124
6
25
IRON LYNX LMGT3
60
A. Gilbert
L. Nicolas Hanafin
Mercedes AMG GT3
115
15.685
5
26
Racing Spirit of Leman LMGT3
10
Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3
115
15.174
7
27
Vista AF Corse LMGT3
21
Ferrari 296 GT3
115
4.290
8
28
81
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
114
5
29
AKKODIS ASP Staff LMGT3
78
A. Robin
Lexus RC F GT3
114
7.812
9
30
IRON LYNX LMGT3
61
Mercedes AMG GT3
85
6
31
33
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
76
6
32
AKKODIS ASP Staff LMGT3
87
R. Umbrarescu
Lexus RC F GT3
72
5
33
BMW M Staff WRT HYPERCAR
20
BMW M Hybrid V8
13
34
IRON DAMES LMGT3
85
Porsche 911 GT3 R
113
7
35
Aston Martin THOR Staff HYPERCAR
009
Aston Martin Valkyrie
106
5
36
Aston Martin THOR Staff HYPERCAR
007
Aston Martin Valkyrie
102
4
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