Audi Leading 6H COTA into Darkness

Photo: Audi

Audi Sport Team Joest’s Loic Duval is the current leader in the Six Hours of Circuit of The Americas as the race goes into darkness at the midway point.

Racing the No. 8 Audi R18, Duval is ahead of the No. 7 Audi driven by Marcel Fassler, while Mark Webber’s No. 1 Porsche 919 Hybrid is third.

The race went into its first full course yellow in the third hour, to retrieve the No. 37 BR Engineering BR01 Nissan of Kirill Ladygin which stopped on track at turn 6.

The two leading Audis took this opportunity to pit, and Duval came out of the pit lane only just ahead of Fassler.

A second full course yellow was called just minutes before the midway point, as Michael Wainwright beached his Gulf Racing Porsche 911 RSR at turn 1.

Gustavo Menezes is currently leading LMP2 for Signatech Alpine, while G-Drive Racing has made it up to second in class after starting from the back of the field.

The No. 95 Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE is still out front in GTE-Pro, with Marco Sorensen currently in the car. The pair of AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTEs are second and third.

Olivier Pla is 13 laps down in his No. 66 Ford GT, following a lengthy stop to repair a broken air con unit in the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing car earlier in the race.

Aston Martin Racing leads GTE-Am as well, and Mathias Lauda is behind the wheel of the No. 98 car. Lars Viljoen is second for Larbre Competition.

There was a small fuel fire for the Abu Dhabi Proton Racing Porsche, but it was swiftly extinguished and the car is still on track, fourth in class.

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.