Jensen Grabs First-Hour Lead for Peugeot After Safety Car

Mikkel Jensen overtook Toyota driver Mike Conway shortly after a safety car period to put the No. 93 Peugeot 9X8 into an early lead at the 6 Hours of Monza.

The Danish driver started Sunday’s FIA World Endurance Championship round from fourth on the grid but ended the opening hour at the head of the field, with four seconds in hand to Ferrari AF Corse driver Miguel Molina and Conway running in third.

Jensen gained one position straight away when Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Sebastien Buemi tagged the Ferrari 499P of Antonio Giovinazzi into a spin at Turn 1.

Buemi lost a handful of positions as he recovered, while Giovinazzi dropped to the back of the 13-car Hypercar field.

Conway’s ability to draw clear of Molina and Jensen, who switched positions on the main straight, was hampered when the safety car came out after 15 minutes due to a heavy crash for the D’station Racing Aston Martin Vantage GTE at Ascari.

Satoshi Hoshino hit the barriers after a touch from Buemi, who was dealt a 60-second penalty on top of the one he had already been given for turning Giovinazzi around.

The strategies in Hypercar diverged during the 20-minute safety car as both Peugeots, as well as Conway, Molina, Penske Porsche driver Michael Christensen and Glickenhaus Racing’s Romain Dumas stayed out while the others came in for some fuel.

Conway therefore remained at the head of the field when the green flags waved, but shortly after the restart Jensen drew alongside on the main straight and squeezed past through the Rettifilio chicane.

Molina then made a similar move on the next lap, dropping the No. 7 Toyota to third.

Buemi, meanwhile, served his 60-second penalty at the 40-minute mark and emerged just ahead of Jensen, who managed to put the Swiss driver one lap down.

United Autosports ran first and second in LMP2 after one hour, with Josh Pierson in the No. 23 Oreca 07 Gibson leading teammate Frederick Lubin in the No. 22.

David Heinemeier Hansson made a strong start in the JOTA Oreca, but Giedo van der Garde moved the No. 23 United car ahead just before the safety car occurred.

Sarah Bovy led the early stages of the GTE-Am contest and elected not to pit when several of her rivals did during the safety car phase.

After one hour the Iron Dames Porsche driver was 14 seconds beyond Richard Mille AF Corse’s Luis Perez Companc, who also stayed out, while the highest-placed pitter was Corvette Racing’s Ben Keating in sixth.