Photo: FIAWEC.com
Porsche LMP team took a 1 – 2 at the fourth round of the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship after the #2 Porsche 919 Hybrid, piloted by Timo Bernhard, Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley took the chequered flag 1.606 seconds ahead of the #1 919 Hybrid with the driver line-up of Neel Jani, André Lotterer and Nick Tandy.
Taking the final podium position in the premier class was the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TS050 – Hybrid, driven by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez.
The win for the #2 entry gives Hartley, Bamber and Bernhard a 30-point lead in the 2017 LMP FIA World Endurance Drivers Championship, ahead of the crew of the #8 Toyota TS050-Hybrid, Buemi, Davidson and Nakajima, currently on 78 points.
Following their win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and at the Nürburgring, the drivers of the #38 Jackie Chan DC Racing ORECA 07, Ho-Pin Tung, Oliver Jarvis and Thomas Laurent, sit third in the overall Drivers Championship, ahead of Neel Jani, Nick Tandy and Andre Lotterer, the drivers of the #1 car.
Jackie Chan DC Racing again dominated the LMP2 field with a convincing victory for the ‘Mighty’ #38 ORECA 07, driven by Ho-Pin Tung, Oliver Jarvis and Thomas Laurent. Second in the LMP2 class was the #31 Vaillante Rebellion ORECA 07, piloted by Julien Canal, Bruno Senna and Filipe Albuquerque.
Third in class at the chequered flag was the #36 Signatech Alpine Matmut Alpine A470, driven by Nicolas Lapierre, Gustavo Menezes and Matt Rao.
The drivers of the #38 Jackie Chan DD Racing ORECA 07 now have a 46-point lead in the 2017 LMP2 FIA World Endurance Championship with Tung, Jarvis and Laurent on 116 points. Their closest rivals, Bruno Senna and Julien Canal, by contrast, are on 70 points.
The LMGTE Pro category was won by the #51 AFD Corse Ferrari F488 GTE with the piloting line-up of James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi. Second in the LM GTE Pro class was the #91 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR driven by Richard Lietz and Frédéric Makowiecki.
Third across the line in class was the sister Estre / Christensen #92 Porsche 911 RSR.
After the fourth round, Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell lead the GT FIA World Endurance Drivers Championship on 84 points, 10 points ahead of Pipo Derani on 74 points and 11 ahead of Makowiecki and Lietz on 73.
The #77 Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR (991) of Christian Ried, Matteo Cairoli and Marvin Dienst won the LM GTE Am category, 4.607 seconds ahead of the #54 Spirit of Race Ferrari F488 GTE driven by Thomas Flohr, Francesco Castellacci and Miguel Molina.
The race for the 2017 GT AM FIA World Endurance Championship Drivers Trophy could not be closer with six drivers all on 88 points. Ried, Dienst, Cairoli, Sawa, Griffin and Mok lead Lauda, Dalla Lana and Lamy by just two points.
Round Five of the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship, the 6 Hours of Mexico, takes place on September 2 and 3.