2012 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps

Last updated
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps Spa-Francorchamps of Belgium.svg
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

The 2012 WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps was a six-hour automobile endurance race for two or three driver teams in Le Mans Prototype (LMP) and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance (LMGTE) cars held at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Francorchamps, Stavelot, Wallonia, Belgium on 5 May 2012 before 31,000 people. It was the second round of eight in the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship, featuring the Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance Professional (LMGTE Pro), and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance Amateur (LMGTE Am) classes.

Contents

Rinaldo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish shared the pole position in a hybrid Audi R18 e-tron quattro after McNish was fastest overall in qualifying. Kristensen led the first two laps before being passed on the third by the sister team of Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer. The trio led the race until they were passed by a non-hybrid Audi R18 ultra shared by Romain Dumas, Loïc Duval and Marc Gené, which they maintained for the final 96 laps to win outright and move Dumas and Duval to the lead of the World Endurance Drivers' Championship and keep Audi atop the LMP1 Manufacturers' World Championship. Fässler, Lotterer, and Tréluyer finished 46.801 seconds behind in second place, and the second Audi R18 ultra, driven by Marco Bonanomi and Oliver Jarvis, finished one lap behind in third place.

The LMP2 category was won by Jota's Zytek Z11SN-Nissan car of Simon Dolan and Sam Hancock, who took the lead in the final three laps from the ADR-Delta team of Tor Graves, Robbie Kerr and John Martin, who made a late race pit stop for fuel and finished 6.378 seconds behind the Jota entry to take the lead of the Endurance Trophy For LMP2 Teams. Brendon Hartley, Warren Hughes and Jody Firth were third in class in a Murphy Prototypes Oreca 03-Nissan car. Porsche won the LMGTE Pro category with a Porsche 997 GT3-RSR shared by Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz, holding off a late race challenge from an AF Corse-fielded Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 of Gianmaria Bruni and Giancarlo Fisichella by 0.628 seconds to tie AF Corse on points in the Endurance Trophy For LMGTE Pro Teams. IMSA Performance Matmut's Porsche of Nicolas Armindo, Raymond Narac and Anthony Pons led all but four laps in LMGTE Am, while Team Felbermayr-Proton's Christian Ried, Gianluca Roda and Paolo Ruberti finished second to extend their lead in the Endurance Trophy For LMGTE Am Teams.

Background

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, where the race was held. Spa-Francorchamps overview.jpg
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, where the race was held.

The 2012 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps was confirmed as part of the FIA World Endurance Championship season at the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in New Delhi on 7 December 2011. It was the second of eight scheduled rounds of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship and the race's debut appearance in the series. [1] The event was held at the 7.004 km (4.352 mi) Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Francorchamps, Stavelot, Wallonia, Belgium on 5 May 2012. [2] [3]

Before the race, Audi Sport Team Joest drivers Rinaldo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish led the World Endurance Drivers' Championship with 25 points, seven ahead of their teammates Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Loïc Duval. Audi were unopposed in the LMP1 Manufacturers' World Championship with 25 points. [4] With 33 points each, Ferrari and Porsche led the LMGTE Manufacturers' World Cup. Pescarolo Team led Strakka Racing in the Endurance Trophy for LMP1 Teams by seven points. A similar gap separated Starworks Motorsport and OAK Racing in the Endurance Trophy For LMP2 Teams as well as between AF Corse and Team Felbermayr-Proton in the Endurance Trophy For LMGTE Pro Teams. Proton led Larbre Compétition by seven points in the Endurance Trophy For LMGTE Am Teams. [4]

Entry list

The event included 42 cars divided into the Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance Professional (LMGTE Pro), and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance Amateur (LMGTE Am) classes. There were 27 Le Mans Prototype (LMP) cars and 15 Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance (LMGTE) cars competing. [5] Following the cancellation of the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) event at Circuit Zolder due to a lack of entries, eight ELMS teams received one-off entries to the Spa-Francorchamps race in order to prepare for the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans. [N 1] [6] [7] [8] The WEC put all entries in the Formula One pitlane building rather than the former pit lane because Radical cars were there. [9]

The debut of the Toyota TS030 Hybrid was postponed to the 24 Hours of Le Mans following a major testing accident at the Circuit Paul Ricard. Toyota Hybrid le Mans prototype 01.JPG
The debut of the Toyota TS030 Hybrid was postponed to the 24 Hours of Le Mans following a major testing accident at the Circuit Paul Ricard.

Audi were the only LMP1 manufacturer. [10] It debuted two diesel-powered R18 Ultras (one by Audi Sport Team Joest and one by Audi Sport North America) and two Joest-entered hybrid R18 e-tron quattros. [11] Rebellion Racing introduced the 2012 bodywork for its two Lola B12/60-Toyotas at Spa, while Strakka Racing and JRM both had HPD ARX-03a-Honda cars. OAK Racing fielded a single OAK Pescarolo 01-Judd car, while the Pescarolo Team debuted the Judd-powered Dome S102.5. [10] [11] Toyota delayed the debut of its TS030 Hybrid car at Spa-Francorchamps following a heavy testing accident involving driver Nicolas Lapierre at Circuit Paul Ricard in France the previous month that required the car to be rebuilt. [12] Henri Pescarolo withdrew intentions to run his team's Pescarolo 03-Judd car at Spa because it was not ready for the race due to a production delay caused by late payment for car components delivered from England. [13]

LMP2 had 18 entries from five manufacturers due to the inclusion of six full-season ELMS teams. [10] [14] Oreca entered seven 03 vehicles in the class, with Signatech Nissan fielding two (expanding from one) and ADR-Delta, Race Performance, Boutsen Ginion Racing, Murphy Prototypes and Pecom Racing fielding one apiece. [14] Lola had five Lola B12/80 vehicles at Spa with two each for Gulf Racing Middle East and Lotus and one for Status GP. [10] [14] OAK Racing expanded to running two Morgan LMP2-Judds for the first time in the season. Zytek was represented by two Zytek Z11SN cars with one each for Jota and Greaves Motorsport. [14] Extrême Limite ARIC entered one Judd-powered Norma M200P and Starworks Motorsport fielded the lone HPD ARX-03b. [10] [14]

Spa's LMGTE field included 14 vehicles from four different car brands. [15] LMGTE Pro featured the same five cars from the season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring. [10] Ferrari had the most cars in the category, with three 458 Italias, two of which were run by AF Corse and one by Luxury Racing. Aston Martin Racing fielded a Aston Martin Vantage GTE, while Porsche had a single Porsche 997 GT3-RSR entered by Team-Felbermayr Proton. [15] LMGTE Am included nine cars because of two ELMS teams competing. [10] [15] There were four 2011 Ferrari 458 Italias in the class, one each from AF Corse, AF Corse-Waltrip, Luxury Racing and Krohn Racing. Porsche were represented by three one-year-old 997 GT3-RSRs, one each by JWA-Avila, Team-Felbermayr Proton and IMSA Performance Matmut. Larbre Compétition were the sole Chevrolet team, fielding two Chevrolet Corvette C6.Rs. [15]

Balance of performance changes

The Porsche 911 GT3-RSR had a 10 kg (22 lb) weight increase, while the Ferrari 458 Italia received a 15 kg (33 lb)} ballast addition to improve handling in the LMGTE Pro balance of performance changes. The Aston Martin Vantage GTE and all LMGTE Am vehicles received no performance updates. [16]

Practice

The first two 90 practice sessions took place on 3 May and the third one-hour session was held the following day. [17] The first session took place in overcast weather on a damp circuit. [18] Audi took the first four overall positions, with Benoît Tréluyer's No. 1 Audi e-tron quattro setting the fastest lap of 2:04.434 early in the session. Duval's No. 3 Audi R18 ultra was 0.044 seconds slower. [19] [20] Capello's No. 2 Audi e-tron quattro was third with Marco Bonanomi's No. 4 Audi R18 ultra fourth. [18] The fastest petrol-powered LMP1 car was Andrea Belicchi's No. 13 Rebellion Lola-Toyota in fifth. Soheil Ayari's No. 49 Pecom Oreca led LMP2 with a time of 2:10.646. [19] [20] Alexander Sims' Status GP Lola-Judd and Stéphane Sarrazin's Starworks HPD cars were second and third in class. [18] Gianmaria Bruni's No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari led the LMGTE Pro class with a 2:20.916 lap, beating Marc Lieb's No. 77 Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche by four-tenths of a second. [20] [18] Paolo Ruberti's No. 88 Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche paced LMGTE Am with a 2:23.135 lap. With 20 minutes remaining, Nick Leventis locked the No. 21 Strakka HPD car's brakes on oil through the La Source hairpin and crashed into the tyre barrier leaving the turn. The car received minor damage and was placed behind the tyre wall. [18] [19]

Alexander Sims (pictured in 2014) sustained a heavy accident in the second practice session that necessitated the Status GP car's withdrawal. Alexander sims brandshatch2014.JPG
Alexander Sims (pictured in 2014) sustained a heavy accident in the second practice session that necessitated the Status GP car's withdrawal.

The second 90-minute practice session was delayed due to marshals replacing a barrier at Blanchimont corner damaged by a Radical car during the second Radical European Masters practice session and ended early to comply with mid-week noise rules. [21] André Lotterer's No. 1 Audi set the pace on new tyres with a 2:03.075 lap in the final third of practice. He was three-tenths of a second faster than McNish's sister No. 2 car, ahead of Oliver Jarvis' No. 4 entry and Duval. [22] Nick Heidfeld's No. 12 Rebellion car was the highest-placed petrol powered car in fifth. [22] [23] OAK led in LMP2 with a 2:10.058 lap from Olivier Pla's No. 24 Morgan car, [23] four-tenths of a second faster than Thomas Holzer's No. 31 Lotus Lola vehicle. [21] [22] Sims collided into the barriers in Radillion corner, on a hill above Eau Rouge turn, to stop practice with 20 minutes remaining. [21] [23] He was unhurt, [23] but the 6G hit forced the Status Lola to withdraw from the event due to a lack of spare parts. [24] Three different manufacturers had the first three fastest laps in LMGTE Pro. [23] Lieb led the category with a 2:19.668 lap ahead of Darren Turner's No. 97 Aston Martin and Luxury's No. 59 Ferrari. Nicolas Armindo's IMSA Porsche paced LMGTE Am at 2:21.872 from Jean-Philippe Belloc's No. 30 Luxury Ferrari and AF Corse-Waltrip's Ferrari. [21] [23]

During a simulated driver change, Gulf Racing Middle East owner Frédéric Fatien got his foot snagged on a wheel behind him, fell, and broken his lower leg in three places. [25] [26] He was hospitalised and withdrew from the race, leaving Jean-Denis Delétraz and Keiko Ihara to drive the No. 29 Lola car. [27] The final session was held in sunny weather with intermittent rain. [28] Marcel Fässler No. 1 Audi posted the quickest lap, 2:01.998, right before the session finished. [29] He was three-tenths of a second quicker than Bonanomi with Marc Gené's No. 3 Audi and McNish in second through fourth. [25] [29] Ayari lapped fastest in LMP2 at 2:09.170, with Pla second and James Rossiter's No. 32 Lotus Lola third. [28] Stefan Mücke's No. 97 Aston Martin led LMGTE Pro with a lap of 2:19.785, almost one second quicker than Frédéric Makowiecki's No. 59 Luxury Ferrari, and Giancarlo Fisichella's No. 51 AF Corse came third. Belloc's lap of 2:22.073 paced LMGTE Am. Anthony Pons' IMSA Porsche and the No. 58 Luxury Ferrari were second and third in class. [25] [28] When Rob Kauffman locked up at Les Combes corner and lost control of his AF Corse-Waltrip Ferrari, he hit the rear of Pons (who had passed him on the Kemmel straight) and rear-ended the barrier. [25] [26] Starworks ended practice early because driver Enzo Potolicchio lost control of the HPD LMP2 car and failed to restart. [28]

Qualifying

Allan McNish set the fastest overall qualifying lap time to put the No. 2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro on pole position. Allan McNish 2012 WEC Fuji.jpg
Allan McNish set the fastest overall qualifying lap time to put the No. 2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro on pole position.

Friday afternoon's qualifying session was split into two 20-minute groups. The first session was for all LMGTE cars, while the second was for all LMP entries. [17] The team with the quickest lap time in each of the four categories won one championship point for themselves and their drivers. [30] A threat of rain had passed, and there was a gentle breeze, with the temperature rising. [31] McNish qualified the No. 2 Audi fastest overall with a 2:01.967 lap, which he then improved to 2:01.579 to clinch pole position on the R18 e-tron quattro's debut. [32] [33] It was McNish's first pole position at Spa-Francorchamps. [31] Bonanomi's No. 4 Audi, the fastest non-hybrid Audi ultra car, joined McNish on the front row, and he held pole until McNish's first quick lap. [31] [34] Bonanomi was faster in the first sector but encountered traffic and failed to lap faster. Fässler was too slow on his warm-up lap, attempting to avoid traffic, and qualified the No. 1 Audi third. Duval's two quick laps were hampered by traffic, putting the No. 3 Audi fourth. [31] [35] The fastest petrol-powered car was Neel Jani's No. 12 Rebellion Lola-Toyota in fifth place, followed by Danny Watts' Strakka HPD in sixth. [32] [34]

John Martin drove the ADR-Delta Oreca Judd car to pole position for the first time in LMP2 with a lap of 2:09.302 after his team removed aerodynamics to allow him to go faster on the straights. [32] [36] Rossiter qualified the No. 32 Lotus Lola car second in class after slowing on his penultimate fast timed lap and being 0.041 seconds behind Martin. Sam Hancock qualified the Jota Zytek car third, with Pla's OAK Morgan LMP2 car fourth, ensuring that four manufacturers filled the first four starting positions in class. [31] [36] Renger van der Zande's No. 31 Lotus Lola-Judd took fifth. [31] [32] Ferrari dominated the LMGTE Pro category, with two of their three entries leading the class in a tightly contested duel involving all five cars. [32] Makowiecki's No. 59 Luxury car recorded the class' fastest lap of 2:19.770, with Fisichella's No. 51 AF Corse car trailing 0.373 seconds behind. [36] Mücke's No. 97 Aston Martin completed the class' top three. [31] Two ELMS entries took the first two places in LMGTE Am. [33] Armindo secured the class pole position with his first quick lap of 2:21.660 in the IMSA Porsche with three minutes remaining. He demoted Marco Cioci's No. 81 AF Corse Ferrari to second place, while Gunnar Jeannette's No. 58 Luxury Ferrari took third. [31] [32]

Qualifying result

Pole position winners in each class are marked in bold. [37]

Final qualifying classification
PosClassTeamDriverLap TimeGrid
1LMP1#2 Audi Sport Team Joest Allan McNish 2:01.5791
2LMP1#4 Audi Sport Team North America Marco Bonanomi 2:02.0932
3LMP1#1 Audi Sport Team Joest Marcel Fässler 2:02.2323
4LMP1#3 Audi Sport Team Joest Loïc Duval 2:02.7054
5LMP1#12 Rebellion Racing Neel Jani 2:04.2345
6LMP1#21 Strakka Racing Danny Watts 2:04.6366
7LMP1#13 Rebellion Racing Andrea Belicchi 2:05.0787
8LMP1#22 JRM Karun Chandhok 2:06.9468
9LMP1#17 Pescarolo Team Sébastien Bourdais 2:06.9549
10LMP1#15 OAK Racing Guillaume Moreau 2:07.50410
11LMP2#25 ADR-Delta John Martin 2:09.30211
12LMP2#32 Lotus James Rossiter 2:09.34312
13LMP2#38 Jota Sam Hancock 2:09.63413
14LMP2#24 OAK Racing Olivier Pla 2:09.65614
15LMP2#31 Lotus Renger van der Zande 2:09.83315
16LMP2#49 Pecom Racing Soheil Ayari 2:09.96516
17LMP2#41 Greaves Motorsport Elton Julian 2:10.65617
18LMP2#35 OAK Racing Bas Leinders 2:10.87518
19LMP2#45 Boutsen Ginion Racing Jack Clarke 2:11.05219
20LMP2#44 Starworks Motorsport Enzo Potolicchio 2:11.18520
21LMP2#48 Murphy Prototypes Warren Hughes 2:11.26621
22LMP2#26 Signatech Nissan Pierre Ragues 2:11.52022
23LMP2#40 Race Performance Ralph Meichtry 2:11.66723
24LMP2#23 Signatech Nissan Olivier Lombard 2:12.07824
25LMP2#28 Gulf Racing Middle East Stefan Johansson 2:14.29725
26LMP2#29 Gulf Racing Middle East Jean-Denis Délétraz 2:15.53726
27LMP2#43 Extrime Limite ARIC Philippe Haezebrouck 2:17.81027
28GTE Pro#59 Luxury Racing Frédéric Makowiecki 2:19.77028
29GTE Pro#51 AF Corse Giancarlo Fisichella 2:20.14329
30GTE Pro#97 Aston Martin Racing Stefan Mücke 2:20.22730
31GTE Pro#77 Team Felbermayr-Proton Marc Lieb 2:20.25131
32GTE Pro#71 AF Corse Andrea Bertolini 2:20.88532
33GTE Am#67 IMSA Performance Matmut Nicolas Armindo 2:21.64033
34GTE Am#81 AF Corse Marco Cioci 2:21.97534
35GTE Am#58 Luxury Racing Gunnar Jeannette 2:22.06235
36GTE Am#50 Larbre Compétition Julien Canal 2:22.53436
37GTE Am#70 Larbre Compétition Jean-Philippe Belloc 2:22.54237
38GTE Am#61 AF Corse-Waltrip Rui Águas 2:23.11638
39GTE Am#55 JWA-Avila Markus Palttala 2:24.03539
40GTE Am#88 Team Felbermayr-Proton Christian Ried 2:25.35840
41GTE Am#57 Krohn Racing Tracy Krohn 2:26.76341
42LMP2#30 Status GP Did Not Participate [N 2] —

Warm-up

Overnight torrential rain eased to a drizzle by morning, by which time standing water was on the track and the second Radical European Masters support race removed much of it in time for the 20-minute morning warm-up session on 5 May but visibility-hindering spray remained an issue. [17] [38] Teams thus had to change the setup of the cars quickly. [39] Rain returned to the circuit midway through warm-up, catching some drivers off guard and causing damage to their vehicles. [40] Tréluyer's No. 1 Audi lapped in 2:22.121, followed by teammates Capello, Bonanomi and Duval. [40] [41] Warren Hughes' Murphy Oreca-Nissan led LMP2 with a time of 2:30.417, while Lieb's No. 77 Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche paced LMGTE Pro and Larbre's No. 50 Corvette led LMGTE Am. [38] [41] Brian Vickers lost control of the AF Corse-Waltrip Ferrari while braking on the wet track, damaging the car's rear-right corner on the barrier backwards at the Bus Stop chicane. [38] [40] [42] Vickers was unhurt but the car was withdrawn from the race because the chassis was bent and repairs could not completed before the start. [42]

Race

Start and early hours

Karun Chandhok (pictured in 2011) crashed the JRM HPD ARX-03a car during a reconnaissance lap and it required new front bodywork. Karun Chandhok 2011 Malaysia.jpg
Karun Chandhok (pictured in 2011) crashed the JRM HPD ARX-03a car during a reconnaissance lap and it required new front bodywork.

Conditions improved but the track remained wet and the air was cool under gloomy weather following the morning rain shower, which tapered off 30 minutes before the race start. [43] [44] The air temperature ranged from 8.1 to 8.8 °C (46.6 to 47.8 °F) and the track temperature was between 10 and 12.25 °C (50.00 and 54.05 °F). [45] An anticipated race-long downpour did not materialise. [46] 40 cars were due to take the start, but Karun Chandhok was unable to main tyre temperature in the JRM HPD car and hit the tyre barrier atop Eau Rouge corner on a reconnaissance lap going to the starting grid on the wet track. He returned the car to the pit lane, where it began after replacing the car's front bodywork, which had been pierced by a dive plane and parts of the right-rear suspension. Lotus' No. 31 LMP2 entry changed engines and began a lap down in the pit lane. [43] [47] Makowiecki spun the LMGTE Pro pole-sitting No. 59 Luxury Ferrari leaving La Source hairpin on the formation lap but was able to rejoin the field. [43] [48]

The race began before 31,000 spectators at 14:30 local time, [48] [49] with all cars on wet-compound tyres in heavy spray. [50] [51] With the circuit damp from the earlier rain showers, [51] the hybrid Audis had better grip than the diesel Audis, making them faster through their four-wheel drive hybrid system driving the front wheels at 120 km/h (75 mph) five times during a single lap as per WEC regulations. [52] [53] Kristensen maintained the race lead in the No. 2 Audi before teammate Lotterer in the No. 1 Audi overtook him on the third lap. [52] Cioci's No. 81 AF Corse Ferrari gained the LMGTE Am lead from Armindo's IMSA Porsche on the first lap but lost it to the latter on the second. [43] [54] Ayari moved the Pecom Oreca car to second in LMP2 before Bas Leinders' No. 35 OAK Oreca overtook him when Ayari went wide. Leinders' tyres provided him with decent grip and could attack while retaining tyre temperature, while Hancock's Jota car fell to fifth. [43] [55] Following an unsuccessful steering wheel change, [48] Turner on the softest wet tyres took the LMGTE Pro-leading No. 97 Aston Martin into the garage with a gear selection issue, forcing the car to retire because WEC regulations prohibited mid-race gearbox changes. [53] [56] As the circuit began to dry quickly and the spray began to reduce, [44] [43] Makowiecki, on intermediate tyres, [53] moved the No. 59 Luxury Ferrari past Lieb's No. 77 Felbermayr-Proton Porsche for the LMGTE Pro lead. During the pit stops for fuel and tyres, mechanics replaced Kristensen's bonnet to repair a malfunctioning left-front headlight caused by a wiring problem. [43] [48] This lost Kristensen almost a minute and demoted the No. 2 Audi to third place. [53] [57]

Following pit stops, Ayari took up the LMP2 lead when Gené in the non-hybrid No. 3 Audi began to gain on Lotterer and later Tréluyer in the race-leading No. 1 car by switching to slick tyres while his teammates stayed on intermediate tyres. [46] [58] This was because the hybrid Audis had more oversteer because their front tyre degradation was significantly higher on a dry track due to the different weight distribution to the non-hybrid Audis. [59] [60] The Murphy Oreca received a stop-and-go penalty for breaking the rule that LMP2 and LMGTE Am teams must start the race with the driver who qualified the car, despite getting written permission to start Jody Firth. [53] [58] Martin's ADR-Delta car spun around after colliding with Chandhok's HPD entry near the pit lane entry, but remained third in LMP2 after regaining control of the vehicle. When Ayari collided with IMSA's GTE Porsche and spun, he lost the class lead to Martin. [58] [61] He drove the Pecom Oreca into the pit lane for six minutes to replace the detached front bodywork. [61] [62] Fisichella's No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari led LMGTE Pro for four laps after Lieb's No. 77 Felbermayr-Proton Porsche made a routine pit stop before its own stop as Lieb began catching Fisichella quickly. [54] [58]

Late afternoon to finish

Luis Perez Companc (pictured in 2006) was involved in an accident with Tracy Krohn that prompted the first deployment of the safety cars in the fourth hour. Luis Perez Companc.jpg
Luis Pérez Companc (pictured in 2006) was involved in an accident with Tracy Krohn that prompted the first deployment of the safety cars in the fourth hour.

Duval took over the No. 3 Audi from Gené and drew in on Tréluyer's No. 1 car, passing him for the lead at La Source hairpin. Simon Dolan used the Jota Zytek car's fuel efficiency to pass the Orecas and take the LMP2 lead. [58] Kevin Weeda lost control of the No. 32 Lotus after exiting the pit lane on cold tyres and crashed outside the La Source hairpin exit barriers. [58] [63] McNish ran wide into the gravel trap at Stavelot corner due to a tyre he disliked, but he rejoined the track without causing significant damage to the No. 2 Audi. [53] [58] [63] At the La Source hairpin in the race's fourth hour, Luis Pérez Companc's No. 49 Pecom Oreca rear-ended Tracy Krohn's Krohn Ferrari. [64] [65] The race was slowed by two safety cars for nine minutes, and no on-track overtaking was permitted. The safety cars had closed the field, and some cars made pit stops, while others were held at the exit of the pit lane waiting to be released. The No. 31 Lotus struck the turn nine tyre barrier after the safety cars were withdrawn. [64] [66] Philippe Haezebrouck lost control of the Extreme Limite Aric Norma car at high speed after leaving the pit lane on cold tyres and following two laps at race speed. He struck the tyre barrier atop the hill at Raidillon corner with the car's rear. Haezebrouck was unhurt and was taken to the medical centre as the safety cars were deployed for the second time to repair the wall and remove the wrecked car. [64] [66] [67]

After the safety cars were recalled, Hancock's LMP2-leading Jota Zytek was given a 30-second stop-and-go penalty for speeding in the pit lane and lost the category lead to Tor Graves' ADR-Delta Oreca entry. In the duel for third overall, Bonanomi's No. 4 Audi was a second behind McNish's sister No. 2 car, as Hughes endured two slow laps trying to conserve fuel, which prevented him from generating tyre temperature in the Murphy Oreca. The top four LMP2 cars were separated by 55 seconds, with Hancock gaining on class leader Graves and Hughes closing in on third-placed Leinders. [64] [68] Both safety car periods separated the race-leading No. 3 Audi from the No. 1 car, allowing Dumas to extend his lead over Fässler. [52] Late in the fourth hour, Bonamoni passed Capello for third place as the No. 2 Audi appeared to suffer more with understeer than the sister No. 1 car due to a setup adjustment that resulted in tyres that wore out faster. [46] [53] [69] Jordan Tresson activated the reserve fuel pump while deactivating the Signatech Nissan traction control system at Stavelot corner, damaging the car's left-front corner at the Bus Stop chicane. [64] [70] After becoming briefly partially stopped in the small pit lane entry due to a lack of steering lock, [68] [71] he was pulled into the pit lane by marshals for 48 minutes of substantial repairs in the pit lane. [55] [70] Robbie Kerr was faster than Hughes' Murphy Oreca and drove the ADR-Delta car into second in LMP2 as Hancock reclaimed the class lead. [64]

Fisichella led ten laps in LMGTE Pro before being replaced by Richard Lietz at the No. 77 Felbermayr-Proton car's final pit stop, before Lietz passed the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari to retake the class lead. [54] [64] Van Der Zande retired after crashing the No. 31 Lotus Lola into the barriers in the final hour. Dolan had relieved Hancock and began gaining on Kerr's LMP2 leading ADR-Delta car by three or four seconds per lap since Kerr was on worn tyres that had not been replaced during his most recent pit stop. Kerr was able to stabilise the gap to Dolan while Brendon Hartley in the Murphy Oreca was faster and gaining on Dolan. [72] Fässler drove wide in Les Combes corner, struck a kerb, and a puncture necessitated an unscheuled pit stop for a new set of tyres as a precaution, although the No. 1 Audi remained second overall. Capello's sister No. 2 Audi earned a stop-and-go penalty for restarting the engine before his team finished working on it, demoting him to fourth. [57] [72] Kerr's ADR-Delta car led LMP2 until a final pit stop for fuel with five minutes to go, giving the class lead to Dolan's Jota Zytek entry (which lacked radio communication for his final stint) who held it to the finish. [53] [72] [73]

Dumas's, Duval's and Gené's non-hybrid No. 3 Audi ultra held the race lead for the final 98 laps, winning by 46.801 seconds over Audi's highest-placed hybrid, the No. 1 car. [54] [73] Audi's No. 4 ultra finished third, a lap behind in Bonanomi and Jarvis' first podium with Audi, and the No. 2 e-tron quattro finished fourth. [53] Jota won their first international LMP2 race, with Dolan claiming his first global victory and Hancock his first since the 2004 Le Mans Endurance Series. [74] Kerr's ADR-Delta vehicle finished second, 6.378 seconds behind Jota, earning the team and its drivers the most WEC points since Jota was an ELMS guest entrant. [71] [73] Murphy Prototypes completed the class podium through Hughes and Hartley's consistent pace, becoming the first Irish team to do so since Tony Brennan at the 1976 6 Hours of Silverstone. [46] [75] Porsche took their maiden WEC victory, [74] with Lieb's No. 77 Felbermayr-Proton car held off Bruni's No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari (whose improved fuel mileage allowed it to make one less pit stop in their four-stop plan) in the final hour to win LMGTE Pro by 0.628 seconds. [53] [73] The German manufacturer also won in LMGTE Am, with the IMSA Performance Matmut team leading all but four laps and finishing 58.781 seconds clear of Felbermayr-Proton's No. 88 car. [71] [73]

Post-race

Audi did not expect the ultra cars to be faster than the e-tron quattros in dry weather, according to Duval, and he was surprised by them. [53] [46] Gené stated that winning on his Audi debut was "very unexpected" because he was not expected to be at Spa-Francorchamps and his car was slower in qualifying. [76] Dumas added that low fuel consumption allowed him to build their advantage, and the good tyre wear meant he did not change his car's tyres at the last pit stop. [57] Despite his disappointment at not winning the race, Lotterer praised the start of the e-tron quattro project. [77] Tréluyer said excess oversteer, driver errors, a lack of front tyre heating causing a lack of frontal grip prevented him from attacking Duval. [73] Fässler claimed that he finished second to gain vital championship points. [57] Bonanomi termed it a "great race" and Jarvis said his team's main goal was to avoid mistakes and cover as much distance as possible. [57]

Joest Racing technical director Ralf Jüttner said the difference between the hybrid and non-hybrid Audis surprised both Audi and Joest Racing. [53] Dolan commented on his LMP2 victory: To win a World Championship race is a dream come true, Spa has always been a good track for us, really. It's even better now." [73] Hancock said a negative setup adjustment he made to the Jota Zytek after free practice made the car quite difficult to control in wet weather but it improved once the circuit dried and Jota switched to slick tyres. [46] Kerr noted that he made a late race fuel stop was because "There's a championship at stake here." [53] Lieb remarked that his team would not have had a chance to win in LMGTE Pro if the event had been held in fully dry conditions, but commended the Porsche's performance on a drying course. [53] Lietz said that he was uncomfortable during his final one-and-a-half stints since his crew had to double stint the tyres and refuel in order to stay ahead of AF Corse. [46] Armindo revealed that the objective of his crew was to complete the race and that if he raced too fast for an extended length of time on the wet track, tyre grip would decrease. [78]

The final result put Dumas and Duval two points ahead of Capello, Kristensen, and McNish in the World Endurance Drivers' Championship. Audi remained unopposed in the LMP1 Manufacturers' World Championship while Porsche led Ferrari by one point in the LMGTE Manufacturers' World Cup. Both Rebellion and ADR-Delta took the lead of the Endurance Trophy for LMP1 and LMP2 Teams, respectively. [79] [80] With six races remaining in the season, Team Felbermayr-Proton was tied for the Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Pro Teams lead with AF Corse, but the squad maintained their lead in the Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Am Teams. [79] [80]

Race result

Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance (112 laps) marked as Not Classified (NC). [53] [81] [82]

Final race classification
PosClassNo.TeamDriversChassisTyreLapsTime/Retired
Engine
1LMP13 Flag of Germany.svg Audi Sport Team Joest Flag of France.svg Romain Dumas
Flag of France.svg Loïc Duval
Flag of Spain.svg Marc Gené 		Audi R18 ultra M 1606:00'22.708
Audi TDI 3.7 L Turbo V6
(Diesel)
2LMP11 Flag of Germany.svg Audi Sport Team Joest Flag of Germany.svg André Lotterer
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marcel Fässler
Flag of France.svg Benoît Tréluyer 		Audi R18 e-tron quattro M 160+46.801
Audi TDI 3.7 L Turbo V6
(Hybrid Diesel)
3LMP14 Flag of Germany.svg Audi Sport North America Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Jarvis
Flag of Italy.svg Marco Bonanomi 		Audi R18 ultra M 159+1 Lap
Audi TDI 3.7 L Turbo V6
(Diesel)
4LMP12 Flag of Germany.svg Audi Sport Team Joest Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Allan McNish
Flag of Denmark.svg Tom Kristensen
Flag of Italy.svg Rinaldo Capello 		Audi R18 e-tron quattro M 159+1 Lap
Audi TDI 3.7 L Turbo V6
(Hybrid Diesel)
5LMP112 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Rebellion Racing Flag of France.svg Nicolas Prost
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Neel Jani
Flag of Germany.svg Nick Heidfeld 		Lola B12/60 M 156+4 Laps
Toyota RV8KLM 3.4 L V8
6LMP113 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Rebellion Racing Flag of Italy.svg Andrea Belicchi
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Harold Primat 		Lola B12/60 M 155+5 Laps
Toyota RV8KLM 3.4 L V8
7LMP121 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Strakka Racing Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nick Leventis
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jonny Kane
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Danny Watts 		HPD ARX-03a M 154+6 Laps
Honda LM-V8 3.4 L V8
8LMP238 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jota Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Sam Hancock
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Simon Dolan 		Zytek Z11SN D 151+9 Laps
Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8
9LMP225 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg ADR-Delta Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Martin
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Robbie Kerr
Flag of Thailand.svg Tor Graves 		Oreca 03 D 151+9 Laps
Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8
10LMP248 Flag of Ireland.svg Murphy Prototypes Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Warren Hughes
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jody Firth
Flag of New Zealand.svg Brendon Hartley 		Oreca 03 D 151+9 Laps
Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8
11LMP235 Flag of France.svg OAK Racing Flag of Denmark.svg David Heinemeier Hansson
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Bas Leinders 		Morgan LMP2 D 150+10 Laps
Judd HK 3.6 L V8
12LMP122 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg JRM Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter Dumbreck
Flag of Australia (converted).svg David Brabham
Flag of India.svg Karun Chandhok 		HPD ARX-03a M 150+10 Laps
Honda LM-V8 3.4 L V8
13LMP245 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Boutsen Ginion Racing Flag of France.svg Bastien Brière
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jack Clarke
Flag of Germany.svg Jens Petersen 		Oreca 03 D 149+11 Laps
Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8
14LMP228 Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg Gulf Racing Middle East Flag of France.svg Fabien Giroix
Flag of France.svg Maxime Jousse
Flag of Sweden.svg Stefan Johansson 		Lola B12/80 D 148+12 Laps
Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8
15LMP117 Flag of France.svg Pescarolo Team Flag of France.svg Nicolas Minassian
Flag of France.svg Sébastien Bourdais 		Dome S102.5 M 147+13 Laps
Judd DB 3.4 L V8
16LMP241 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Greaves Motorsport Flag of Germany.svg Christian Zugel
Flag of Mexico.svg Ricardo González
Flag of Ecuador.svg Elton Julian 		Zytek Z11SN D 147+13 Laps
Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8
17LMP224 Flag of France.svg OAK Racing Flag of France.svg Jacques Nicolet
Flag of France.svg Olivier Pla
Flag of France.svg Matthieu Lahaye 		Morgan LMP2 D 144+16 Laps
Judd HK 3.6 L V8
18LMGTE
Pro		77 Flag of Germany.svg Team Felbermayr-Proton Flag of Germany.svg Marc Lieb
Flag of Austria.svg Richard Lietz 		Porsche 997 GT3-RSR M 144+16 Laps
Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6
19LMGTE
Pro		51 Flag of Italy.svg AF Corse Flag of Italy.svg Giancarlo Fisichella
Flag of Italy.svg Gianmaria Bruni 		Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 M 144+16 Laps
Ferrari 4.5 L V8
20LMGTE
Pro		59 Flag of France.svg Luxury Racing Flag of France.svg Frédéric Makowiecki
Flag of Brazil.svg Jaime Melo 		Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 M 143+17 Laps
Ferrari 4.5 L V8
21LMGTE
Pro		71 Flag of Italy.svg AF Corse Flag of Italy.svg Andrea Bertolini
Flag of Monaco.svg Olivier Beretta 		Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 M 141+19 Laps
Ferrari 4.5 L V8
22LMGTE
Am		67 Flag of France.svg IMSA Performance Matmut Flag of France.svg Anthony Pons
Flag of France.svg Nicolas Armindo
Flag of France.svg Raymond Narac 		Porsche 997 GT3-RSR M 139+21 Laps
Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6
23LMP229 Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg Gulf Racing Middle East [N 3] Flag of Japan.svg Keiko Ihara
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Jean-Denis Délétraz 		Lola B12/80 D 139+21 Laps
Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8
24LMGTE
Am		88 Flag of Germany.svg Team Felbermayr-Proton Flag of Germany.svg Christian Ried
Flag of Italy.svg Gianluca Roda
Flag of Italy.svg Paolo Ruberti 		Porsche 997 GT3-RSR M 139+21 Laps
Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6
25LMP249 Flag of Argentina.svg Pecom Racing Flag of Argentina.svg Luís Pérez Companc
Flag of France.svg Soheil Ayari
Flag of Germany.svg Pierre Kaffer 		Oreca 03 D 139+21 Laps
Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8
26LMGTE
Am		81 Flag of Italy.svg AF Corse Flag of Italy.svg Piergiuseppe Perazzini
Flag of Italy.svg Marco Cioci
Flag of Ireland.svg Matt Griffin 		Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 M 138+22 Laps
Ferrari 4.5 L V8
27LMGTE
Am		50 Flag of France.svg Larbre Compétition Flag of France.svg Patrick Bornhauser
Flag of France.svg Julien Canal
Flag of Brazil.svg Fernando Rees 		Chevrolet Corvette C6.R M 137+23 Laps
Corvette 5.5 L V8
28LMGTE
Am		58 Flag of France.svg Luxury Racing Flag of Germany.svg Pierre Ehret
Flag of the United States.svg Frankie Montecalvo
Flag of the United States.svg Gunnar Jeannette 		Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 M 137+23 Laps
Ferrari 4.5 L V8
29LMP232 Flag of Germany.svg Lotus Flag of Italy.svg Luca Moro
Flag of the United States.svg Kevin Weeda
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg James Rossiter 		Lola B12/80 D 137+23 Laps
Lotus 3.6 L V8
30LMP226 Flag of France.svg Signatech-Nissan Flag of France.svg Pierre Ragues
Flag of France.svg Nelson Panciatici
Flag of Russia.svg Roman Rusinov 		Oreca 03 D 136+24 Laps
Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8
31LMGTE
Am		55 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg JWA-Avila Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Paul Daniels
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Joël Camathias
Flag of Finland.svg Markus Palttala 		Porsche 997 GT3-RSR P 134+26 Laps
Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6
32LMGTE
Am		57 Flag of the United States.svg Krohn Racing Flag of the United States.svg Tracy Krohn
Flag of Sweden.svg Niclas Jönsson
Flag of Italy.svg Michele Rugolo 		Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 D 129+31 Laps
Ferrari 4.5 L V8
33LMP223 Flag of France.svg Signatech-Nissan Flag of France.svg Franck Mailleux
Flag of France.svg Jordan Tresson
Flag of France.svg Olivier Lombard 		Oreca 03 D 128+32 Laps
Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8
34LMP244 Flag of the United States.svg Starworks Motorsport Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ryan Dalziel
Flag of Venezuela.svg Enzo Potolicchio
Flag of France.svg Stéphane Sarrazin 		HPD ARX-03b D 123+37 Laps
Honda HR28TT 2.8 L Turbo V6
DNFLMP115 Flag of France.svg OAK Racing Flag of France.svg Guillaume Moreau
Flag of Austria.svg Dominik Kraihamer
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Bertrand Baguette 		OAK Pescarolo 01 D 151Suspension
Judd DB 3.4 L V8
DNFLMP231 Flag of Germany.svg Lotus Flag of Germany.svg Thomas Holzer
Flag of Germany.svg Mirco Schultis
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Renger van der Zande 		Lola B12/80 D 124Accident
Lotus 3.6 L V8
DNFLMP243 Flag of France.svg Extrême Limite ARIC Flag of France.svg Philippe Haezebrouck
Flag of France.svg Philippe Thirion 		Norma M200P D 83Accident
Judd HK 3.6 L V8
DNFLMP240 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Race Performance Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Michel Frey
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Jonathan Hirschi
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Ralph Meichtry 		Oreca 03 D 45Gearbox
Judd HK 3.6 L V8
DNFLMGTE
Am		70 Flag of France.svg Larbre Compétition Flag of France.svg Christophe Bourret
Flag of France.svg Jean-Philippe Belloc 		Chevrolet Corvette C6.R M 39Engine
Corvette 5.5 L V8
DNFLMGTE
Pro		97 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Aston Martin Racing Flag of Germany.svg Stefan Mücke
Flag of Mexico.svg Adrián Fernández
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Darren Turner 		Aston Martin Vantage GTE M 11Gearbox
Aston Martin 4.5 L V8
DNSLMGTE
Am		61 Flag of Italy.svg AF Corse-Waltrip Flag of the United States.svg Robert Kauffman
Flag of the United States.svg Brian Vickers
Flag of Portugal.svg Rui Águas 		Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 M –Did not start
(Accident) [N 4]
Ferrari 4.5 L V8
DNSLMP230 Flag of Ireland.svg Status GP Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alexander Sims
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Yelmer Buurman
Flag of France.svg Romain Iannetta 		Lola B12/80 D –Did not start
(Accident) [N 2]
Judd HK 3.6 L V8
Tyre manufacturers
Key
SymbolTyre manufacturer
D Dunlop
M Michelin
P Pirelli

Championship standings after the race

Footnotes

  1. ↑ ELMS teams did not require any technical alterations to their cars since they were the same as the WEC's but were ineligible for ELMS championship points since Spa was a non-ELMS event. [6]
  2. 1 2 The No. 30 Status GP entry was withdrawn from the race following the second practice session. The car was damaged in a crash and not able to be repaired for the race due to a lack of spare parts. [24]
  3. ↑ Fabien Giroix was injured during a simulated driver change in the pit lane and was not replaced as a driver of the No. 29 Gulf Racing Middle East car. [25] [27]
  4. ↑ The No. 61 AF Corse-Waltrip Ferrari was withdrawn from the raced due to damage caused by a crash in the warm-up session that could not be repaired in time. [42]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> 79th 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race

The 79th 24 Hours of Le Mans was a 24-hour automobile endurance race for 56 teams of three drivers in Le Mans Prototype (LMP) and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance (LMGTE) cars, held before 249,500 spectators on 11 and 12 June 2011 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, near Le Mans, France. It was the third round of the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and the race's 79th edition as organised by the automotive group the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) since 1923. On 24 April, six weeks prior, a test day was held.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> 80th 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race

The 80th 24 Hours of Le Mans was a 24-hour automobile endurance race for teams of three drivers each entering Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars held from 16 to 17 June 2012 at the Circuit de la Sarthe close to Le Mans, France before 240,000 spectators. It was the 80th running of the event, as organised by the automotive group, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) since 1923. The race was the third round of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship, with 30 of the race's 56 entries contesting the championship. A test day was held two weeks prior to the race on 3 June.

The 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship was the inaugural running of the World Endurance Championship. It was co-organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The series replaced the former Intercontinental Le Mans Cup held by the ACO from 2010 to 2011. The series was open to Le Mans Prototypes and grand tourer-based racing cars meeting four ACO categories. Several championships, cups, and trophies were awarded in the series' four categories following an eight race season, with a World Championship available to the top scoring drivers and LMP1 category manufacturer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 12 Hours of Sebring</span> Sports car endurance race held at Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Florida, USA

The 60th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring was a 12-hour automobile endurance race for teams of three drivers each fielding sports prototype and grand touring cars held on March 17, 2012, at the Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida before more than 90,000 spectators. It was the 60th 12 Hours of Sebring and the first round of both the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the 2012 American Le Mans Series (ALMS). Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC), Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance (LMGTE), and Grand Touring Challenge (GTC) cars competed in the race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> 81st 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race

The 81st 24 Hours of Le Mans was a 24-hour automobile endurance racing event for teams of three drivers entering Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars held from 19 to 23 June 2013 at the Circuit de la Sarthe close to Le Mans, France. It was the 81st running of the event, as organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) since 1923. The race was the third and the premier round of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship, with 32 of the race's 56 entries contesting the championship. A test day was held two weeks prior to the race on 9 June. Approximately 245,000 spectators attended the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 6 Hours of Bahrain</span>

The 2012 6 Hours of Bahrain was an auto race held at Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain on Saturday 29 September 2012. It was the inaugural running of the 6 Hours of Bahrain and the sixth round of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> 82nd 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race

The 82nd 24 Hours of Le Mans was an 24-hour automobile endurance racing event for teams of three drivers entering Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars held from 11 to 15 June 2014 at the Circuit de la Sarthe close to Le Mans, France. It was the 82nd running of the event, as organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) since 1923. The race was the third round and the premier event of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship, with half of the race's fifty-five entries contesting the championship. Approximately 263,000 spectators attended the event, the largest crowd since 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 6 Hours of São Paulo</span>


The 2013 6 Hours of São Paulo was an endurance auto race held at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo, Brazil on 30 August – 1 September 2013. The race was the fourth round of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship and the second consecutive running of the 6 Hours of São Paulo. Audi continued their streak of four overall victories following an accident for the sole Toyota in LMP1, with André Lotterer, Marcel Fässler, and Benoît Tréluyer leading the Joest Racing duo to the checkered flag. G-Drive Racing earned their first victory in the LMP2 category ahead of OAK Racing, while AF Corse Ferrari led home Aston Martin Racing in the LMGTE Pro class by a gap of less than two seconds. Aston Martin however prevailed in LMGTE Am, ahead of the 8 Star Ferrari.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 FIA World Endurance Championship</span>

The 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship season was the third season of the FIA World Endurance Championship auto racing series, co-organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The series was open to Le Mans Prototypes and grand tourer-style racing cars from four ACO categories. World Championship titles were awarded for Le Mans Prototypes drivers and for LMP1 manufacturers, and several World Endurance Cups and Endurance Trophies were also awarded. The eight race series began in April at the Silverstone Circuit and concluded in November at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps</span>

The 2014 WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, formally known as the WEC 6 Heures de Spa-Francorchamps, was an endurance sports car racing event held at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa, Belgium on 2–3 May 2014. Spa-Francorchamps served as the second race of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship. Toyota's Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi, and Nicolas Lapierre led the field to the checkered flag for their second consecutive victory of the season, ahead of Audi and the sister Toyota. The LMP2 category also had its second consecutive winner with G-Drive Racing ahead of Jota Sport's guest entry in the series. AF Corse Ferrari held off Porsche Team Manthey in the LMGTE Pro class, while another AF Corse Ferrari won the LMGTE Am category ahead of two Aston Martins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> 83rd 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race

The 83rd 24 Hours of Le Mans was a 24-hour automobile endurance event for teams of three drivers each entering Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars held from 10 to 14 June 2015 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, close to Le Mans, France. It was the 83rd running of the 24 Hour race organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest as well as the third round of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship. A test day was held two weeks prior to the race on 31 May. A record-breaking 263,500 people attended the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas</span> Sports car endurance race held at the Circuit of the Americas near Austin, Texas, USA

The 2014 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas was a six-hour endurance sports car racing event held for Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars at the Circuit of the Americas near Austin, Texas on 20 September 2014. It served as the fourth of eight rounds of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship and was the second time the race was held as part of the championship. A total of 50,334 spectators attended the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 FIA World Endurance Championship</span> Fourth season of the FIA World Endurance Championship

The 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship season was the fourth season of the FIA World Endurance Championship auto racing series, co-organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The series was open to Le Mans Prototypes and grand tourer-style racing cars meeting four ACO categories. World championship titles were awarded for Le Mans Prototypes drivers and for manufacturers in the LMP1 category, and several World Endurance Cups and Endurance Trophies were also awarded in all four categories. The season began at the Silverstone Circuit in April and ended at the Bahrain International Circuit in November after eight rounds, and included the 83rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 6 Hours of Silverstone</span> Sports car endurance race held in England

The 2015 6 Hours of Silverstone was a six-hour endurance sports car racing event held for Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars at the Silverstone Circuit near Silverstone, Northamptonshire, England on 12 April 2015 before a crowd of 45,000 spectators. The event served as the opening round of the 2015 World Endurance Championship; it was fourth running of the event as part of the championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps</span> 2015 edition of the endurance race held at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa, Belgium

The 2015 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, formally the WEC 6 Heures de Spa-Francorchamps, was a six-hour endurance sports car racing event held for Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars on 2 May at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium. Spa-Francorchamps hosted the second race of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship with 54,000 people attending the race weekend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 6 Hours of Nürburgring</span>

The 2015 6 Hours of Nürburgring was a six-hour endurance sports car racing event held for Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars at the Nürburgring, Nürburg, Germany on 28–30 August 2015. Nürburgring served as the fourth round of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship, and it marked the inaugural running of the event as part of the championship. A total of 62,000 people attended the race weekend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 6 Hours of Silverstone</span> 5th edition of sports car endurance race held at Silverstone Circuit

The 2016 6 Hours of Silverstone was a six-hour endurance sports car racing event held for Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, England on 15–17 April 2016. Silverstone served as the opening round of the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship, and was the fifth running of the event as part of the championship. A total of 52,000 people attended the race weekend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps</span> Motor race

The 2016 WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, formally the WEC 6 Heures de Spa-Francorchamps, was a six-hour endurance sports car racing event held for Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium on 5–7 May 2016. Spa-Francorchamps served as the second race of the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship, and was the fifth running of the event as part of the championship. A total of 56,000 people attended the race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 6 Hours of Nürburgring</span> Racing event held in 2016

The 2016 6 Hours of Nürburgring was a six-hour endurance sports car racing event held for Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars at the Nürburgring, Nürburg, Germany on 24 July 2016. The Nürburgring round served as the fourth race of the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship, and was the second running of the event as part of the championship. A total of 58,000 people spectated the event.

The 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship was the eleventh season of the FIA World Endurance Championship, an auto racing series organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The series was open to prototype and grand tourer-style racing cars divided into three categories. World Championship titles were awarded to the leading drivers in both the prototype and grand tourer divisions and to the leading manufacturer in prototype division.

References

  1. ↑ "FIA World Council Announces Revised WEC Calendar – Seven Of Eight Rounds Confirmed". DailySportsCar. 7 December 2011. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  2. ↑ "6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps Race Report" (Press release). Honda News. 6 May 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  3. ↑ "Circuit National de Francorchamps, WEC". Motorsport Magazin (in German). Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Season 2012 results". FIA World Endurance Championship. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  5. ↑ Foubert, Claude (11 April 2012). "6H Spa: 42 Voitures Au Départ!" [6H Spa: 42 Cars at the Start!] (in French). Endurance-Info. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Six ELMS Teams at Spa". European Le Mans Series. 13 April 2012. Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  7. ↑ Mercier, Laurent (1 April 2012). "Zolder annulé ! Des réflexions en cours pour le futur de la série" [Zolder Cancelled! Ongoing Reflections for the Future of the Series] (in French). Endurance-Info. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "Changes To The Spa Entry Likely Status And Murphy In?". DailySportsCar. 21 April 2012. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  9. ↑ "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa – A Chat With The Bosses". DailySportsCar. 9 May 2012. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dagys, John (1 May 2012). "WEC Spa Preview". Speed. pp. 1, 2. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  11. 1 2 "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – Race Preview – Part One LMP1". DailySportsCar. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  12. ↑ Watkins, Gary (10 April 2012). "Crash in testing to delay Toyota TS030 Hybrid Le Mans race debut". Autoweek . Archived from the original on 24 July 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
    Foubert, Claude (11 April 2012). "Toyota Forfait Aux 6 Heures De Spa!" [Toyota Forfeits the 6 Hours of Spa!] (in French). Endurance-Info. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "Pescarolo To Delay Launch Of Its 2012 LMP1 Race Car Until Le Mans". Autoweek . 25 April 2012. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
    Dagys, John (April 23, 2012). "Le Mans: Pescarolo 03 Debut Delayed Until LM24". Speed. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – Race Preview – Part Two LMP2". DailySportsCar. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – Race Preview – Part Three GTE". DailySportsCar. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  16. ↑ Mercier, Laurent (25 April 2012). "La Balance De Performance Réajustée En GTE-Pro" [The Scale of Performance Readjusted in GTE-Pro] (in French). Endurance-Info. Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  17. 1 2 3 "FIA WEC, Spa-Francorchamps – Schedule". DailySportsCar. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 Potts, Marcus (3 May 2012). "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – First Free Practice Report". DailySportsCar. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  19. 1 2 3 Strang, Simon (3 May 2012). "Audi's new hybrid Le Mans car leads first World Endurance Championship practice at Spa". Autosport . Archived from the original on 23 October 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  20. 1 2 3 Dagys, John (3 May 2012). "Le Mans: Treluyer Quickest In Opening Practice At Spa". Speed. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Potts, Marcus (3 May 2012). "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – Second Free Practice Report". DailySportsCar. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  22. 1 2 3 Strang, Simon (3 May 2012). "Andre Lotterer keeps Audi's new e-tron R18 on top in second World Endurance Championship practice at Spa". Autosport . Archived from the original on 23 October 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dagys, John (3 May 2012). "Le Mans: Audi Quickest, Status GP Crashes In P2". Speed. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  24. 1 2 Watkins, Gary (4 May 2012). "Status pulls out of Spa World Endurance Championship round after Alexander Sims' heavy practice crash at Eau Rouge". Autosport . Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – Third Free Practice Report". DailySportsCar. 4 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  26. 1 2 "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – Friday Notes From The Paddock". DailySportsCar. 4 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  27. 1 2 Mercier, Laurent (4 May 2012). "Spa: Frédéric Fatien (Gulf Racing Middle East) Forfait" [Spa: Frédéric Fatien (Gulf Racing Middle East) Forfeited] (in French). Endurance-Info. Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  28. 1 2 3 4 Dagys, John (4 May 2012). "Le Mans: Fassler Quickest In Practice 3 At Spa". Speed. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  29. 1 2 "#1 Audi hybrid fastest again in final World Endurance Championship practice at Spa". Autosport . 4 May 2012. Archived from the original on 20 May 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  30. ↑ "2012 Sporting Regulations". FIA World Endurance Championship. Archived from the original on 7 May 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – Qualifying". DailySportsCar. 4 May 2012. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dagys, John (4 May 2012). "Le Mans: McNish On Spa WEC Pole". Speed. pp. 1, 2. Archived from the original on 7 May 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  33. 1 2 Errity, Stephen (4 May 2012). "McNish takes debut pole for Audi R18 hybrid at Spa circuit". Motorsport.com . Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  34. 1 2 Watkins, Gary (4 May 2012). "Allan McNish gives hybrid Audi e-tron first pole in qualifying for Spa World Endurance Championship round". Autosport . Archived from the original on 20 May 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  35. ↑ Moser, Stefan (4 May 2012). "Audi R18 e-tron quattro on pole at premiere". Audi MediaCenter. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  36. 1 2 3 Mercier, Laurent (4 May 2012). "Spa: Audi, ADR-Delta, Luxury Et IMSA En Pole!" [Spa: Audi, ADR-Delta, Luxury and IMSA on Pole!] (in French). Endurance-Info. Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  37. ↑ "FIA WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps Race Starting Grid" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 2012-05-05. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-05-07. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  38. 1 2 3 Potts, Marcus (5 May 2012). "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – Warm-up". DailySportsCar. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  39. ↑ Hergault, Julien (5 May 2012). "Rain arrives at Spa". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  40. 1 2 3 Dagys, John (5 May 2012). "Le Mans: Audi Leads Wet Spa Warmup". Speed. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  41. 1 2 Wittemeier, Roman (5 May 2012). "Warmup im Regen: Vorsichtige Runden in Spa" [Warmup in the rain: Careful laps in Spa]. Motorsport-Total.com (in German). Archived from the original on 17 May 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  42. 1 2 3 Strang, Simon (8 May 2012). "AF Corse Ferrari of Brian Vickers withdrawn from Spa six hours after warm-up shunt". Autosport . Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  43. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – Race Start and First Hour". DailySportsCar. 5 May 2012. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  44. 1 2 Richards, Giles (6 May 2012). "Audi make a clean sweep of the top four places in the WEC at Spa". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  45. ↑ "6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps – FIA WEC – Race – Weather Report" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 5 May 2012. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  46. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Errity, Stephen (5 May 2012). "Diesel beats hybrid as Audi sweeps Spa". Motorsport.com . Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  47. ↑ Strang, Simon (5 May 2012). "Karun Chandhok crashes JRM HPD before Spa World Endurance Championship start". Autosport . Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  48. 1 2 3 4 Carter, Jeff (5 May 2012). "Hour 1: Nr 1 Audi Leads as Makowiecki Goes from Zero to Hero in GTE". FIA World Endurance Championship. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  49. ↑ Davies, Dave (9 May 2012). "Spa spectators undaunted by bad weather". FIA World Endurance Championship. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  50. ↑ Mercier, Laurent (5 May 2012). "Spa, H+2: Audi R18 E-tron Quattro Contre R18 Ultra!" [Spa, H+2: Audi R18 E-tron Quattro Versus R18 Ultra!] (in French). Endurance-Info. Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  51. 1 2 Wittemeier, Roman (5 May 2012). "Startphase in Spa: Hybrid-Audis setzen sich ab" [Starting phase in Spa: hybrid Audis set themselves apart]. Motorsport-Total.com (in German). Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  52. 1 2 3 Smith, Damien (July 2012). "Spa 6 Hours". Motor Sport . 88 (7): 24–25. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  53. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Watkins, Gary (10 May 2012). "Report – Spa 6 Hours" (PDF). Autosport . 208 (6): 44–47. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023– via Porsche Cars History.
  54. 1 2 3 4 "FIA WEC – 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps – Race – Leader Sequence" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 5 May 2012. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  55. 1 2 Mercier, Laurent (9 May 2012). "Spa : Analyse d'une catégorie LMP2 toujours aussi indécise !" [Spa: Analysis of an LMP2 category still undecided!] (in French). Endurance-Info. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  56. ↑ "Aston Martin looks forward after Spa retirement". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 5 May 2012. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  57. 1 2 3 4 5 Moser, Stefan (5 May 2012). "Audi 1–2–3–4 victory at Spa on premiere". Audi MediaCenter. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  58. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Potts, Marcus. "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – Hours 2 and 3". DailySportsCar. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  59. ↑ Wittemeier, Roman (5 May 2012). "Halbzeit in Spa: Duval führt das Rennen an" [Halftime in Spa: Duval leads the race]. Motorsport-Total (in German). Archived from the original on 9 May 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  60. ↑ Lüttgens, Markus (9 May 2012). "Treluyer: "Es gibt noch Raum für Verbesserungen"" [Treluyer: "There is still room for improvement"]. Motorsport-Total (in German). Archived from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  61. 1 2 Carter, Jeff (5 May 2012). "Hour 2: Hybrid Audi Still Leads as Diesel Power Closes Gap on Drying Track". FIA World Endurance Championship. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  62. ↑ "Oreca 6 Hours of Spa race report". Oreca. 6 May 2007. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023– via Motorsport.com.
  63. 1 2 Carter, Jeff (5 May 2012). "Hour 3: Audi 1–2–3–4 as Diesel Leads Hybrid". FIA World Endurance Championship. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  64. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Potts, Marcus (5 May 2012). "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – Hours 4 and 5". DailySportsCar. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  65. ↑ Mercier, Laurent (5 May 2012). "Spa, H+4 : Une Audi R18 ultra aux commandes !" [Spa, H+4: An Audi R18 ultra at the controls!] (in French). Endurance-Info. Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  66. 1 2 Carter, Jeff (5 May 2012). "Hour 4: Double Safety Car Period Slows Things Down". FIA World Endurance Championship. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  67. ↑ Richard, Xavier (5 May 2012). "Succès Ultra classique pour Audi" [Ultra classic success for Audi] (in French). France Info. Archived from the original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  68. 1 2 Carter, Jeff (5 May 2012). "Hour 5: Audi Continue to Dominate, While Rebellion Lead Petrol LMP1 Battle". FIA World Endurance Championship. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  69. ↑ Mercier, Laurent (7 May 2012). "Spa : Analyse d'une catégorie LMP1 à deux vitesses !" [Spa: Analysis of a two-speed LMP1 category!] (in French). Endurance-Info. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  70. 1 2 "Nissan Power Rules While GT Academy Winner Rues" (Press release). Nissan News. 7 May 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  71. 1 2 3 Broomhead, James (6 May 2012). "Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps: Race Report". The Checkered Flag. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  72. 1 2 3 Potts, Marcus (5 May 2012). "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – Final Hour". DailySportsCar. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  73. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dagys, John (5 May 2012). "Le Mans: Audi Sweeps Six Hours Of Spa". Speed. pp. 1, 2. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  74. 1 2 "FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps – By The Numbers". DailySportsCar. May 2012. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  75. ↑ "Irish Eyes Smiling". DailySportsCar. 6 May 2012. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  76. ↑ Strang, Simon (6 May 2012). "Audi's Marc Gene says decisive early switch to slicks part of pre-race plan". Autosport . Archived from the original on 9 May 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  77. ↑ Strang, Simon (6 May 2012). "Andre Lotterer proud of Audi hybrid's debut despite not winning Spa World Endurance Championship round". Autosport . Archived from the original on 9 May 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  78. ↑ "Reactions of class winners at Spa". FIA World Endurance Championship. 7 May 2012. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  79. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "FIA WEC – Points Standings After Spa". DailySportsCar. 7 May 2012. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  80. 1 2 Davies, Dave (7 May 2012). "WEC points ranking after 2 rounds". DailySportsCar. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  81. ↑ "Spa 6 Hours 2012". Racing Sports Cars. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  82. ↑ "FIA WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps Race Final Classification" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 6 May 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
FIA World Endurance Championship
Previous race:
12 Hours of Sebring 		2012 season Next race:
24 Hours of Le Mans
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.