Race updates from the Six Hours of CoTA

Published Sep. 17, 2016 7:13 p.m. ET

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Hour 5:

Audi's chances of victory in the FIA WEC Six Hours of Circuit of The Americas have taken a significant blow, following an ill-timed Full Course Yellow and subsequent accident by the No. 7 car.

The No. 1 Porsche 919 Hybrid has taken over the lead, after pitting from the lead while under the race's third Full Course Yellow in the fourth hour in the hands of Timo Bernhard.

While having opened up a 20-second gap to the No. 7 Audi, Benoit Treluyer soon crashed the car, after contact with the No. 66 Ford GT of Olivier Pla in Turn 18.

The incident brought out another FCY and has given a clear advantage to Porsche with 90 minutes to go.

Mark Webber now holds a 15-second lead over the No. 6 Toyota TS050 Hybrid of Kamui Kobayashi, with Lucas Di Grassi in third in the No. 8 Audi, which lost 45 seconds in the fourth hour after the car encountered electrical issues.

Signatech Alpine continues to lead LMP2, with Aston Martin Racing out front in GTE-Pro and GTE-Am. 

Hour 3:

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.

Hour 1:

Audi Sport Team Joest leads the Six Hours of Circuit of The Americas after the first hour, with Andre Lotterer out front in his No. 7 Audi R18.

Marcel Fassler was the early leader and commanded the field until he pitted to Lotterer just before the hour-mark. Oliver Jarvis is second in the No. 8 car.

Anthony Davidson managed to exit the pit lane ahead of Brendon Hartley, but the Kiwi managed to pass the Toyota Gazoo Racing driver and re-take third in his No. 1 Porsche 919 Hybrid.

Stephane Richelmi is out front in LMP2 for Signatech Alpine, while Ricardo Gonzalez is second. Roberto Mehri had led the class from the start but his Manor car is fourth.

Despite starting from the back of the field, Alex Brundle managed to take the G-Drive Racing Oreca 05 Nissan as high as 13th overall before pitting.

Marco Sorensen has led all the way in GTE-Pro from pole in his No. 95 Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE, with Davide Rigon's AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE currently in second.

The GTE-Pro frontrunners are yet to make their first pit stop.

Meanwhile, Pedro Lamy is the leader in GTE-Am, putting Aston Martin Racing out front in both classes. Kevin Estre was the class leader for a while after the start.

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