24h Le Mans
If there is one class that is likely to go right down to the wire, it is LM GTE Pro as, mathematically, almost every contender is still in with a shout. A different winner in nearly every race so far has set up an exciting climax to the season.
The #71 Ferrari 488 fielded by AF Corse, and driven by Sam Bird and Davide Rigon, is the only entrant to notch two wins – back in the opening two rounds at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. However, their retirement at the 24 Hours of Le Mans subsequently cost AF Corse first place in the Teams standings. The #51 sister car, with Gianmaria Bruni and James Calado at the wheel, had the same misfortune in France before taking the honours in the fourth round at the Nürburgring.
AF Corse’s third and fourth places at Fuji have pushed Ferrari back to the top of the standings in the race for the FIA World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers, three points ahead of Aston Martin, whereas Ford’s one-two finish in Japan has helped make up some ground. It won’t be easy for the American carmaker as the gap still stands at 58.5 points with just 88 points still to play for. The fourth manufacturer, Porsche, is already out of the running as the marque is represented by just one car.
The same goes for the current titleholder, Richard Lietz, who can no longer make up the 59-point gap on the leaders. However, Lietz’s team Dempsey-Proton Racing, despite being bottom of the standings and 45 points off the lead, can still entertain a faint hope of upsetting the odds. The battle for the FIA Endurance Trophy for LM GTE Pro Teams is warming up nicely as the gap between the #95 Aston Martin Vantage, top with 119 points, and AF Corse’s #51 Ferrari in fifth place is just 24 points – less than a win!
The standings are just as tight for the FIA World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers, although the points total is slightly different as the LM GTE Pro and LM GTE Am driver rankings are combined whereas the Teams score points according to their ranking in their own class. For example, if an LM GTE Pro car finishes fourth, it will earn 12 points, but if an LM GTE Am rival finishes ahead of it, the drivers of that fourth-placed LM GTE Pro car will only receive ten points.
Aston Martin’s Nicki Thiim and Marco Sørensen (#95) still lead the standings with 119 points, ten points clear of Sam Bird and Davide Rigon and 15 points ahead of Darren Turner, who switched to the #97 Vantage mid-season.
The penultimate round – the 6 Hours of Shanghai – will be held on 6 November, ahead of the season finale in Bahrain on 19 November.
Full results of the 6 Hours of Fuji
Photo (credit: Gabi Tomescu – AdrenalMedia.com/FIA WEC): The Ford GTs at the start of the 6 Hours of Fuji.
