SportsCars

Porsche takes easy win over Audi at Nurburgring

Winning #1 Porsche
Winning #1 Porsche

The 6 Hours of Nurburgring lived up to all expectations and 58,000 enthusiastic fans enjoyed a great weekend of exciting and sometimes dramatic WEC track action. Before the end of the event, the circuit and organizers confirmed that a date for the German round of the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship has been set for 14-16 July*.

Timo Bernhard took the No. 1 Porsche 919 Hybrid to its first win of the season, bouncing back from a slow puncture early in the race that initially put them off-strategy, but capitalized on contact and a penalty for the championship-leading No. 2 car in the closing stages.

Neel Jani was forced to relinquish his lead with with less than 90 minutes to go to serve a drive-through penalty for a collision with the No. 88 Abu Dhabi Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR, which brought out a Full Course Yellow and damaged the nose of the 919 Hybrid.

The incident ultimately dropped the Swiss driver to third, and then faded to fourth after a fierce duel with Andre Lotterer in the No. 7 Audi R18, which led to the Porsche’s rear legality panel getting damaged and an additional stop for repairs.

The battle between Lotterer and Jani, which saw the two LMP1 hybrids make contact several times, gave clear sailing up front to Bernhard, who cruised to a 53.787-second win over the No. 8 Audi of Loic Duval.

It marked Porsche’s third win in four WEC races this season, but the first of the year for defending World Champions Bernhard, Mark Webber and Brendon Hartley.

LMP1 Privateer honors, meanwhile, went to the No. 13 Rebellion R-One AER of Alexandre Imperatori, Matheo Tuscher and Dominik Kraihamer, after the sister No. 12 car hit engine trouble and the ByKolles CLM P1/01 AER caught fire again.

The key highlights of the 6 Hours of Nurburgring are as follows:

  • [adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]No.1 Porsche 919 Hybrid wins sensational 6 Hours of Nurburgring to take first win of the season for Webber/Bernhard and Hartley.
  • Reigning champions win after fighting back from first hour puncture.
  • No.8 Audi R18 of Duval/Jarvis and Di Grassi take second to reduce points gap in championship.
  • Race swings on Full Course Yellow benefiting Porsche after Audi lead mid-portion of race.
  • Lotterer and Fassler claim third place after brave race long fight in No.7 Audi Sport Team Joest R18.
  • Point’s leading trio of Jani/Dumas and Lieb denied another win after collision with LMGTE Am car in penultimate hour. Jani brings No.2 Porsche 919 Hybrid home fourth.
  • Privateer LMP1 class sees No.13 Rebellion drivers Kraihamer/Tuscher and Imperatori take third victory of the season after race of attrition.
  • Signatech Alpine stretches title advantage as Lapierre/Menezes and Richelmi take third straight win.
  • G-Drive Racing lead early stages but retire with gearbox problem.
  • RGR Sports take second podium of the season as Senna/Gonzalez and Albuquerque finish runner-up despite late race trip across gravel.
  • No.31 Extreme Speed Motorsport Ligier-Nissan of Derani/Cumming and Dalziel take third podium of year.
  • First victory of the season for Gianmaria Bruni and James Calado in No.51 AF Corse Ferrari 488GTE. British driver celebrates first ever WEC win.
  • AF Corse 1-2 as No.71 car of Sam Bird and Davide Rigon claim second.
  • Aston Martin lead large portions of race but No.95 car of Marco Sorenson and Nicki Thiim have to settle for third place.
  • Mathias Lauda/Paul Dalla Lana and Pedro Lamy take second win of the 2016 season after heading home KCMG Porsche 911 RSR.
  • No.83 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia of Perrodo/Collard and Aguas recover from early race spin.

*Subject to confirmation by the FIA World Motorsport Council

Results

Pos No. State Cat Team Driver at Finish Car T Laps Gap Pits
1 1 Run P1 Porsche Team BERNHARD Timo Porsche 919 Hybrid M 193 0.000s 6
2 8 Run P1 Audi Sport Team Joest DUVAL Loic Audi R18 M 193 53.787 6
3 7 Run P1 Audi Sport Team Joest LOTTERER Andre Audi R18 M 193 54.483 6
4 2 Run P1 Porsche Team JANI Neel Porsche 919 Hybrid M 192 1:37.324 8
5 5 Run P1 Toyota Gazoo Racing BUEMI Sebastien Toyota TS050 – Hybrid M 192 1 Lap 6
6 6 Run P1 Toyota Gazoo Racing SARRAZIN Stephane Toyota TS050 – Hybrid M 189 4 Laps 7
7 13 Run P1 Rebellion Racing IMPERATORI Alexandre Rebellion R-One – AER D 177 16 Laps 7
8 36 Run P2 Signatech Alpine LAPIERRE Nicolas Alpine A460 – Nissan D 177 30.491 6
9 43 Run P2 RGR Sport by Morand SENNA Bruno LIGIER JS P2 – Nissan D 177 46.508 7
10 31 Run P2 Extreme Speed Motorsports DALZIEL Ryan LIGIER JS P2 – Nissan M 175 18 Laps 7
11 42 Run P2 Strakka Racing KANE Jonny Gibson 015S – Nissan D 175 0.565 7
12 44 Run P2 Manor PIZZONIA Antonio Oreca 05 – Nissan D 175 19.157 7
13 37 Run P2 SMP Racing LADYGIN Kirill BR01 – Nissan D 174 19 Laps 7
14 35 Run P2 Baxi DC Racing Alpine TUNG Ho-Pin Alpine A460 – Nissan D 174 33.213 7
15 27 Run P2 SMP Racing MEDIANI Maurizio BR01 – Nissan D 173 20 Laps 6
16 30 Run P2 Extreme Speed Motorsports VAN OVERBEEK Johannes LIGIER JS P2 – Nissan M 171 22 Laps 6
17 12 Run P1 Rebellion Racing HEIDFELD Nick Rebellion R-One – AER D 170 23 Laps 10
18 51 Run Pro AF Corse BRUNI Gianmaria Ferrari 488 GTE M 169 24 Laps 5
19 71 Run Pro AF Corse BIRD Sam Ferrari 488 GTE M 168 25 Laps 5
20 95 Run Pro Aston Martin Racing THIIM Nicki Aston Martin Vantage V8 D 168 18.560 5
21 66 Run Pro Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK PLA Olivier Ford GT M 168 40.654 6
22 97 Run Pro Aston Martin Racing TURNER Darren Aston Martin Vantage V8 D 168 1:23.935 5
23 77 Run Pro Dempsey – Proton Racing LIETZ Richard Porsche 911 RSR (2016) M 167 26 Laps 6
24 98 Run Am Aston Martin Racing LAMY Pedro Aston Martin Vantage V8 D 165 28 Laps 5
25 78 Run Am KCMG HENZLER Wolf Porsche 911 RSR M 164 29 Laps 5
26 83 Run Am AF Corse PERRODO François Ferrari F458 Italia M 164 29.576 6
27 50 Run Am Larbre Competition RUBERTI Paolo Chevrolet Corvette C7-Z06 M 164 54.478 5
28 88 Run Am Abu Dhabi-Proton Racing LONG Patrick Porsche 911 RSR M 163 30 Laps 5
29 86 Run Am Gulf Racing CARROLL Adam Porsche 911 RSR M 162 31 Laps 5
30 67 Run Pro Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK TINCKNELL Harry Ford GT M 153 40 Laps 6
31 45 Pit P2 Manor BRADLEY Richard Oreca 05 – Nissan D 149 44 Laps 6
32 4 Run P1 Bykolles Racing Team WEBB Oliver CLM P1/01 – AER D 98 95 Laps 3
33 26 Pit P2 G-Drive Racing BRUNDLE Alex Oreca 05 – Nissan D 74 119 Laps 3