[FIA GT Race] 2017 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps

[Mitchi_S]

That Emil Frey Jaguar better turns his headlights on or he'll get a penalty ...

[tux]

Jamie green bins the #17

Whos the third guy on commentary?

[FIRE]

How did he do that? Or isn't that the wing more to the right?

[airbusA346]

FCY

[J Jay]

FCY for Jamie Green's stricken Audi at Bruxelles.

Let's see if everyone has learned from Ortelli's mistake.

[gert]

There's more parts missing than just the rear wing

[bentley speed 8]

Whatever has happened, he cannot get it restarted. FCY

[gert]

Originally Posted by FIRE

How did he do that? Or isn't that the wing more to the right?

Probably into the tire wall, ripped off the wing and spun back a bit?

--

Or hit in the back?

[gert]

Why safety car? Can't they really clear that car without it?

EDIT: it has been moved back, so why SC?

[J Jay]

Apparently there was a "broken radio" which meant that Oretlli "didn't hear" the order from the engineer to use the pits.

Still, after seeing the 10+ cars ahead all going to the pits surely you'd twig that they wouldn't pit in the middle of a SC?

[greeny12]

Why on earth did the Bentleys not make a pit stop under the first FCY???

Surely that's endurance racing 1.0 - everyone else did and now they are way down the field after Soucek pits immediately on green flag. Bananas!

[bentley speed 8]

I also don't think an SC is necessary. Interventions like this will just break the flow of the race.

Also, M-Sport is very famous for screwing up their own race through bad strategy or silly errors.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by gert

Why safety car? Can't they really clear that car without it?

EDIT: it has been moved back, so why SC?

I can imagine race control being very (too) cautious after what we've seen from Blancpain in previous races.

On the plus side, drivers are actually being properly called for track limits, so the knee-jerk reaction has its upsides.

[gert]

SC is fine (and necessary) when there is (lots of) stuff on the track. But now?
Not the first time in Blancpain...

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by bentley speed 8

I also don't think an SC is necessary. Interventions like this will just break the flow of the race.

Also, M-Sport is very famous for screwing up their own race through bad strategy or silly errors.

They are rally people.

[gert]

Originally Posted by J Jay

I can imagine race control being very (too) cautious after what we've seen from Blancpain in previous races.

True, but now all cars are together again. Which can create situations too...

[airbusA346]

#48 got a problem.

[tux]

The rear of the #117 Porsche seems really dirty for this early in the race, is it the first signs of a problem?

[Akrapovic]

Photo: Blancpain

Unlike the first hour, hours 2 and 3 were filled with incidents and Safety Cars. Alessandro Pier Guidi brought out the first Full Course Yellow with a huge accident at the top of Radillion. The Ferrari 488 spun on the apex of the right hander and went backwards into the tyres. The car was completely destroyed, but Pier Guidi stepped out of the car unharmed and was later discharged from the medical centre.*

The FCY threw the cat amongst the pigeons when it came to pit stop strategies. The #8 Bentley chose not to pit at the beginning of the yellow, instead leaving it to the end. The decision dropped the car out of the top 20. The leading #55 Ferrari and #63 Lamborghini pitted together, putting them back on the same strategy.

Jamie Green caused the second FCY as he made heavy contact with the barrier exiting Bruxelles and required assistance to be moved.*

On the move…

#63 Lamborghini cycled to the lead in the pit stops. Lamborghini veteran Mirko Bortolotti current leads James Calado in the #55 Kaspersky Ferrari.

#1 WRT audi has quietly inserted itself into third, and is holding onto the leaders, and #43 Strakka McLaren has broken into the top 10 in the FCY mess.

Bad times for…

#8 Bentley pit stop strategy has dropped the car outside of the top 20. It has the speed to make up the time, but it has lost significant track position.

#97 Aston Martin has dropped to 19th overall after switching to their Am driver. They still lead Pro-Am, but only by a handful of seconds over the chasing Mercedes.

#50 Ferrari and #17 Audi have retired due to their incidents.

#188 McLaren ground to a halt in the pit lane entry. It has rejoined, but laps down.

#14 Jaguar in the hands of Ortelli did not observe safety car procedure correctly. The Safety Car train was being signalled through the pit lane during the clean up of the #50 Ferrari. Ortelli did not get the message and stayed out, taking the lead. The car was black flagged, but allowed to rejoin 2 laps down after Ortelli was summoned for a discussion with the race stewards.*

Keep an eye out for…

Track limits, again. Several cars are on final warnings, and some have even served penalties already. Track limit penalties could be a major factor in the race.

Lamborghini versus Ferrari is heating up at the front. It has been clean but could become physical very quickly.

#8 Bentley is out of position outside the top 20. Watch it climb, the car has the speed to win if they can make up the positions.

#1 Audi is sitting quietly in third, not getting involved in the lead battle. It clearly has the speed to challenge the leaders, but is holding back for now.

Report: Dave Ellis / theRacingLine.net

[J Jay]

Calado jumps Caldarelli in the pits, but he's on colder tyres and the #63 is up to speed.

#2 still 3rd.

Edit - #114 Emil Frey Jag stopped om track

[tux]

Wish GRT didn't change the #63 livery, looks too much like the HB Racing car 😂

#117 has a 3 minute penalty for unsafe pit entry

[J Jay]

#117 3 minute stop-hold for unsafe pit entry.

Laurens Vanthoor's inability to keep it together at Spa strikes again.

[gert]

3 minute stop/go for the Porsche. That's a 2 lap penalty...

[Articus]

3 minute penalty for car #117. The Pro Porsche Vanthoor, Estre, Christensen

That is absolutely brutal.

[gert]

Originally Posted by J Jay

#117 3 minute stop-hold for unsafe pit entry.

Laurens Vanthoor's inability to keep it together at Spa strikes again.

Could have been everyone... Pit in infraction.