Le Mans Winners Face Setback in 6 Hours of Sao Paulo
The Ferrari 499P team, which won the prestigious Le Mans race, faced a disappointing outcome in the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, a key event in the World Endurance Championship. The team’s chances of becoming world endurance champions were significantly impacted by their poor performance in Brazil.
Disaster from the Start
The disaster began from the first hour of the race, with Molina, Fuoco, and Nielsen struggling to find their rhythm. Nielsen’s decision to take the first corner on the outside led to him losing several positions, including being passed by the #51 car. By the first stop, Nielsen had failed to recover and was relegated to eighth place, a significant drop from their starting position of sixth.
Toyota Counters with Victory
Toyota’s #8 car, driven by Buemi, Hartley, and Hirakawa, dominated the race, flying to victory in Brazil. The team’s GR010 car proved to be the fastest and most reliable, allowing them to stay out of trouble and secure the win.
Ferrari’s Title Hopes in Jeopardy
Ferrari’s #7 car, driven by Kobayashi, De Vries, and Conway, seemed poised to take the win, but a technical problem in the third hour took them out of the fight, dealing a significant blow to their title hopes.
Riberas Shines in LMGT3
In the LMGT3 category, Aston Martin’s Alex Riberas, Ian James, and Daniel Mancinelli recovered from a mistake in qualifying to finish second, their best position of the year.
Classification
The 6 Hours of Sao Paulo classification saw Hartley, Buemi, and Hirakawa (Toyota) take the top spot, followed by Estre, Lotterer, and Vanthoor (Porsche). The World Endurance Championship classification sees Lotterer, Estre, and Vanthoor (Porsche) in the lead, followed by Molina, Nielsen, and Fuoco (Ferrari).
Next Event
The next event in the World Endurance Championship will be held at the Circuit of the Americas on September 1st.
