Le Mans Series

LIVE coverage Monza 1000 km LMS - chapter 4

© Planetlemans - Gabriel Portos

We enter the final segment of the Monza 1000 km. It has proven to be a tough race and many cars have had problems, leaving just two of the diesels to fight for the race since the early stages. let’s take you to the chequere flag with Planetlemans….

17:00- A HUGE shunt from Ortelli on the Oreca car. Safety car situation, let’s hope Stéphane is OK….

17:05- The car blocked the rear end and flew missing the Audi for a few inches and turning three times before landing. The car is destroyed. Stéphane was conscious and moving but he is still in the car while he is assisted by the medical staff. A whole bunch of debris is on the track. This is a fast circuit and the accident was at full speed, you seldom see such a crash and we’re hoping Ortelli is unscathed.

17:10 (SC)- The afety car is still out obviously. It was one of the scariest accidents in the LMS if not the scariest ever in the series.

17:13 (SC)- 23 laps to go and several pit stops have occurred altering the order. Ortelli has been extracted of the car and is on the ambulance, surely he needs a very thorough medical check.

17:15 (SC)- running order LMP1: Audi 2, Peugeot 8, 15 Creation, 17 Pescarolo, 18 Rollcentre, LMP2: 31 Essex, 35 Saulnier, 34 van Merksteijn, 46 Embassy, 25 RML; GT1: 59 Modena, 72 Alphand, 73 Alphand, 55 IPB; GT2: 76 IMSA, 91 fFrnbacher, 90 Farnbacher, 99 JMB, 85 Spyker, 94 Spyker

17:20(SC)- Safety car is ending, 20 laps till the end of the race….

17:21- Green flag, racing is resumed

17:23- Lamy chasing Rockenfeller for the lead, 3.2 secs between both cars

17:24- UPDATE-Ortelli is in shock and with pain in one of his legs but climbed out of the car all by himself, encouraging signs but still needs to undergo a full medical check. He was never unconscious.

17:26- joey Foster has an off and Embassy loses all chances of a podium after a great race…. 1.7 seconds between Rocky and Lamy with 16 laps to go.. this one will go down to the wire. The 16 Pescarolo gets a stop and go, another one out of the podium.

17: 36- Lamy gets a stop and go while he jumps the first chicane!!! Audi has the race in the bag!!! This must be for passing under yellow while the tractor was towing the Embassy… AND THE AUDI GETS CRASHED BY THE PEUGEOT AT THE FIRST CHICANE AND GETS A PUNCTURE !!!!

17:28- Rocky doe the fastest lap of the race for his car on 1.34.839, Lamy on 1.34.708. It is a battle all the way and Rockenfeller is giving everything 1.5 seconds ahead of the Portuguese

17:29- verstappen up to second in LMP2, amazing recovery race, Modena still leads GT1 and IMSA 76 GT2 while the leaders hit traffic, this is amazing! The Embassy is being towed with a tractor on the track at the first Lesmo, very risky situation, unbelievable!!!

17:31- The chase continues but the Audi is holding really tight ot this one, 13 laps to go and the difference is 2.4 seconds

17: 33- 13 seconds between Enge and Beretta at GT1, GT2 is now 76 IMSA, 90 Farnbacher, 91 farnbacher 99 JMB, 85 Spyker, 94 Spyker

17:34- 1.4 seconds between the Audi and the Peugeot, what a race after over 900 km!!!

17: 39- The peugeot got a stop and go for passing under yello but the fight continues and LAMY HITS THE AUDI FROM BEHIND AND THE AUDI GETS A PUNCTURE!!!

17:41- A furious Dr. Ullrich bangs his headset, Lamy does his stop and go and gets the lead, this will be spoken about for a long time if Peugeot wins… Just before serving the penalty the Peugeot hit the Audi from behind at the first chicane and caused a puncture for which the Audi had to go slow for a whole lap….

17:44- Lamy is 45 seconds ahead of Rocky while Tinseau on Pescarolo 17 chases Stuart Hall for 3rd overall, less than a second behind those two.

17:46- LMP2 is a Porsche 1-2-3, Essex, van merksteijn and Horag, Modena leads GT1 by 11 seconds, IMSA 76 leads 91 and 90 Farnbachers on GT2

17:48- this will be a VERY polemic race and there might be protests from Audi… 3 laps to go and Lamy is 46 seconds ahead of Rocky, the battle for third continues with hall 2/10ths ahead of Tinseau, the other classes seem stabilized

17:51- LAST LAP is running…

17: 52- Tinseau passes the Creation on the first chicane in a very daring move and grabs third. Peugeot wins at Monza with Lamy-Sarrazin while the 85 Spyker comes in the pits and does not qualify…or does it? what kind of move is that? let’s await the decisio of the stewards…

Final provisional results:

LMP1 (and overall)- 8 Peugeot, 2 Audi, 17 pescarolo, 15 Creation, 7 Peugeot
LMP2- 31 Essex, 34 van Merksteijn, 27 Horag, 25 RML, 35 Saulnier
GT1- 59 Modena, 72 Alphand, 73 Alphand, 55 IPB
GT2- 76 IMSA, 91 Farnbacher, 90 Farnbacher, 99 JMB, 85 Spyker,

LMP1 - 8 peugeot