Photo : Stephan Cooper - © ROLEX
At the end of the first hour of the 2012 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida it is the the three Audis that are leading the rest of the 61 car field with Alan McNish in the nr2 Audi R18 TDI ahead of Timo Bernard in the nr3 Audi and Marcel Fassler in the nr1 car. The nr12 Rebellion Racing Lola-Toyota of Neel Jani is 4th, 14.2s behind Fassler. Vicente Potolicchio is the current LMP2 leader in 10th overall in the nr44 Starworks HPD-Honda, 10s ahead of Elton Julian in the nr41 Greaves Zytek-Nissan.
The GTE Pro leader is Jaime Melo in the nr59 Luxury Racing Ferrari in 22nd overall, 8.5s ahead of Olivier Beretta in the nr71 AF Corse Ferrari. In GTE Am Niclas Jonsson is leading the class in the nr57 Krohn Racing Ferrari in 36th overall.
Before the start a collision between the nr58 Luxury Racing Ferrari and nr45 Flying Lizards Porsche (ALMS entrant) put the Ferrari on the grass and the Porsche in the pits.
The nr22 JRM HPD-Honda had a problem on the formation lap with the safety car switch on steering wheel and David Brabham started the race from the pitlane after a new steering wheel was fitted. at the end of the first hour Brabham was up to 8th.
McNish in the nr2 Audi got the jump on the pole sitting nr1 Audi of Andre Lotterer to head into the lead. The nr51 AF Corse Ferrari of Toni Vilander was storming away from his GTE rivals but a problem on lap 5 and the Finn heading into the pits and behind the wall.
The nr29 Gulf Racing Middle East Lola-Nissan was a non starter after the drivers failed to make the minimum required times in practice (FIA Stewards Decision Nr5)
The nr61 AF Corse Waltrip Ferrari hit trouble at the same time and was slow on track, stopping occasionally as Rui Aguas tried to get back to the pits. A Safety Car was deployed as one of the ALMS Porsches pulled off with an engine fire, bunching the field.
The race went green again on lap 12 after the nr2 Audi had chosen to pit for tyres and fuel, with McNish continuing with the driving duties. The Scot fought his way back to the front of the field as the first hour closed.
Events of first hour from FIAWEC tweet feed:
10.29 "Gentlemen start your engines" - cars are leaving the grid!
10.30 Race start!
10.32 #45 Flying Lizard in contact before the start.
10.33 It's all go, white flags, yellow flags and slippery surface flags for the #45 car, McNish has passed # 1 and is heading off.
10.36 Significant damage to # 45 car which was hit by #58 car, team of # 45 say will try to get back out and make 70% of race.
10.39 # 155 BMW given stop/go penalty for passing under yellows
10.42 GT leader # 51 has pitted and gone straight behind the wall!
10.43 The # 61 AF Corse-Waltrip car stopped at the side of the track, trying to limp back with alternator problem.
10.44 Full course caution for # 61 car
10.45 # 155 has taken its stop/go penalty (before yellow)
10.45 # 61 AF Corse-Waltrip car stopped at turn 11, got going again then stopped again
10.46 Car # 17 Porsche stopped at side of the track with smoke billowing from the rear, on approach to hairpin
10.53 # 2 McNish Audi pits, driver stays in, tyres changed and car fuelled.
10.55 Pit lane is very busy as cars stop under the full course caution.
10.56 Pit lane is open for GT cars next lap around.
10.57 # 2 McNish car is the only LPM1 car to have stopped a split in strategy from Audi?
11.00 Green flag!
11.03 # 28 Gulf Racing Middle East car in the barrier, has got back on track but how much damage?
11.04 Car #01 spins and continues.
11.05 Race Control say no further action in respect of accident between # 45 and # 58 before the start.
11.10 # 2 McNish Audi now up to position 10, still the only LMP1 car to have stopped so far.
11.11 The overall leader # 1 Fassler is now passing the GT leaders on lap 17 # 61 AF Corse slow again having rejoined.
11.15 #2 McNish Audi up to P.6 and sets fastest race lap 1.47.885 almost 3/4 of a second quicker than anyone else.
11.17 #13 Rebellion Racing car in the pits being worked on,looks to be serious and down to 47th
11.18 the leading GT cars are now lapping the GT Am cars on lap 21
11.20 #1 Audi is in for a pit stop
11.22 The #3 Audi has also stopped so all three of the Audis have completed their stops. New leader #6 Muscle Milk car
11.26 Former leader #6 Muscle Milk car pits for fuel, but waves away the tyres.
11.26 #2 McNish Audi goes back into the lead following the #6 pit stop
11.27 #13 Rebellion Racing LMP2 car has been out on track but is now back in the pits.
11.28 #2 McNish Audi has nearly 40 second lead, gained by stopping under the full course caution rather than under green flag.
11.29 #45 Flying Lizard squeezes out just before an hour of racing has elapsed, that was a key move, is it actually fixed?
Photo: SEBRING (FLORIDA, UNITED STATES), SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, 12 HOURS OF SEBRING, SATURDAY 17 MARCH 2012, RACE. #2 Audi with Allan McNish at the wheel, took an early pit stop during the safety car period.
