Le Mans Series

Spa 1000 km LIVE at Planetlemans - Chapter 4

© Planetlemans - Marcel ten Caat

As we head into the final stage of the race the leading Peugeot has just gone into the box for its sixth pit stop. The gap to the rest of the field is big though, but with the events we have seen in this and the earlier races nothing is decided yet. Back to the action all the way to the finish!

17:25- Jos Verstappen has gone into the pit for his stop. Rockenfeller also makes the fifth stop for the Audi #2 as Verstappen leaves the box again. Driver change, with Premat getting back behind the wheel.

17:26- Jan Lammers has passed Jos Verstappen during the pit stop.

17:27- Another pit stop, this time it is the third placed Team Oreca Matmut Courage-Oreca.

17:29- The Speedy Racing Team Sebah Lola has not been out of the box after it came in several minutes ago. It has already dropped to sixth in LMP2 and 15th overall.

17:31- McNish is in. Capello will take over the car and go out again.

17:32- Jos Verstappen is some 30 seconds behind Jan Lammers. He is however lapping some seconds quicker than Lammers, still too close to call.

17:33- John Nielsen has taken the Team Essex Zytek to third in the class It is a Porsche 1-2-3 again.

17:34- Verstappen is flying. A 2:06.711 is the fastest lap of an LMP2 car so far. He is really pushing, but will he push too hard?

17:35- Lammers is in the box. Nearly running over someone in the pit. Verstappen has been told not to push too hard, as the strategy should be good enough to pass Lammers and stay ahead of the rest of the class.

17:37- The Speedy Racing Team Sebah Lola is out on the track again.

17:38- Nic Minassian and Alexandre Premat are currently setting similar lap times. The gap between the two French drivers is now 1 minute and 15 seconds.

17:42- Andrea Chiesa is a man on a mission. He just improved the fastest lap time set by the squad so far and is closing in on the Felbermayr cars ahead of him.

17:45- GT2 leader Rob Bell gets punted off the track at the Bus Stop chicane. Under braking the Virgo Ferrari was hit from behind by the Saulnier Racing Pescarolo number 4, driven by Marc Faggionato.

17:50- 134 of 143 laps completed. So we will be finishing well within the six hours.

17:52- The Strakka Racing Aston has spun.

17:53- Stop&go penalty for the Saulnier Racing Pescarolo #4.

17:54- Mathieu Lahaye gets tagged by one of the Audi R10s as he closes the gap. Lahaye does the unthinkable, he beaches the car on the curbstone.

17:56- SAFETY CAR due to the Saulnier #35.

17:57-(SC) Verstappen was stuck behind the safety car for a short period. But he is now waved by as the safety car picks up the leader.

17:59-(SC) In the Rollcentre box Mikael Forsten is back in the car again.

18:03-(SC) Safety car in this lap.

18:04- Green flag. The Peugeot pulls away and by the time the cars have reached the sector 1 timing beacon the gap is already 17 seconds to the Audi of Premat.

18:05- At the Bus Stop the Virgo Motorsport Ferrari misses the turn at nearly clips the back of Verstappen. Fortunately for the Dutchman Robert Bell goes straight, missing him.

18:08- Yellow flag at turn 8. Tomas Enge has just posted a 2:42.067…is there a problem this late?

18:09- Marc Lieb and Robert Bell are fighting it out on the last lap.

18:10- A prototype gets in between, most likely ruining the chances for Marc Lieb.

18:11- Yellow flag at turn 19. The gap between Bell and Lieb, 0.078s!! Nic Minassian takes the chequered flag and wins the Spa 1000km for Peugeot.

18:12- Verstappen wins the LMP2 category as the finish straight is used as a parking place it seems. The Speedy Racing Team Sebah Lola and Team Modena Aston Martin are parked near the pit wall.

18:13- Team Oreca Matmut crosses the line and takes third place overall! What a result after the disastrous weekend at Monza.

Provisional overall and LMP1 top 3:
1 #7 Team Peugeot Total - Peugeot 908
2 #2 Audi Sport Team Joest - Audi R10
3 #6 Team Oreca Matmut - Courage-Oreca LC70

Provisional LMP2 top 3:
1 #34 Van Merksteijn - Porsche RS Spyder
2 #27 Horag Racing - Porsche RS Spyder
3 #31 Team Essex - Porsche RS Spyder

Provisional LM GT1 top 3:
1 #72 Luc Alphand Aventures - Corvette C6.R
2 #55 IPB Spartak Racing - Lamborghini Murcielago
3 #59 Team Modena - Aston Martin DBR9

Provisional LM GT2 top 3:
1 #96 Virgo Motorsport - Ferrari 430 GT
2 #77 Felbermayr-Proton - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR
3 #88 Felbermayr-Proton - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR