WRT Got “Back in the Game” at Final Safety Car Period

Team WRT got its LMP2 class-winning Oreca 07 Gibson “back in the game” at the final safety car period of the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, according to Louis Deletraz.

Deletraz, Robert Kubica and Rui Andrade won a back-and-forth LMP2 battle in the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship season, beating the No. 23 United Autosports crew of Tom Blomqvist, Oliver Jarvis and Josh Pierson by six seconds.

Deletraz, who brought the No. 41 Oreca to the checkered flag, explained that safety car interventions played an important role in shaping a “crazy” race for the eventual winners.

WRT lost significant ground under a safety car with two and a half hours to go, when Jacques Villeneuve and Francesco Castellacci collided coming out of Stavelot.

The Belgian squad then returned to the mix an hour later by pitting shortly before another safety car in response to Antonio Fuoco crashing his Ferrari 499P on cold tires.

“Basically now in WEC and ELMS, they close the pits [completely] under FCY and the first three laps [under] safety car,” said Deletraz.

“Supposedly it really takes away the strategy. In the past, you could save fuel, get an FCY and win a lot which I think is fair. The issue which I think maybe should be revised is with the pit stops after three laps [under a safety car].

“Basically, we saved fuel, went longer than the others and the safety car came at the worst moment possible. We had no fuel, had to do an emergency [stop] and then box again.

“They restarted the race when we had to box, which means we lost 1 minute 20 [seconds] or 1 minute 10, something like this. Game over at this moment.”

However, WRT transformed its fortunes with the strategic call to pit as soon as they noticed Fuoco’s accident.

WRT and the No. 23 United Oreca both pitted on lap 105, just before the safety car.

This cycled them to the head of the field when their competitors pitted under green flag conditions, including JOTA and Inter Europol Competition which took emergency stops and therefore needed to come back in once the intervention period ended.

“Where we got the race back is on the next safety car,” Deletraz recalled.

“[The team] saw the crash, they called the car in before the safety car and we exactly reverted at 1 minute 10. We lost track position, but we were back in the game.”

After the last safety car, Kubica eked out an extra lap over Jarvis. He then handed over to Deletraz who reduced Blomqvist’s lead to 2.5 seconds before the pair simultaneously.

The positions switched as WRT had completed one lap fewer than United during its penultimate stint, facilitating a four-second saving and a crucial change for the lead.

“We knew we had less fuel than them to put in the car,” said Deletraz. “Plus I was saving because I was quicker but it was tough to pass here.

“Then they [the WRT engineers] told me he’s boxing so I was close, I boxed as well. And we knew we had three seconds in the pocket. That’s how it worked out.”

Deletraz added that he visited race control to discuss the impact of closing the pits for three laps under a safety car, which can result in significant time loss if a car needs to make an emergency stop for five seconds of fuel.

“Today we had everything and honestly if you asked me two hours [before the end] where we finished, I [would] think second last or something,” said Deletraz.

“We were so far back. Actually, I went up to the race direction to just ask what’s the view of this. Because I actually think the rule is done to try and stop avoiding splitting strategies, but there is still an opening apparently in it.

“Because if you have to do an emergency stop maybe… you should wait for the others to pit as well. At least give a chance to pit, like in IMSA maybe. To be thought about.”

The safety car also impacted the runner-up United car, which was strong in the early stages.

“I had a commanding lead which was neutralized due to a safety car, which compromised our race and put us on the back foot,” said Blomqvist.

“We lost time and track position because of it. But we chipped away throughout the race and the guys brought us back into contention.”

Davey Euwema contributed to this report