BMW Triumphs in Brazilian Battle
The BMW M Team WRT entry, driven by Kevin Magnussen, secured victory at the 6 Hours of São Paulo. The team initially faced a challenge from the #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R of Earl Bamber, with Magnussen making a decisive move early in the race. Despite an initial complaint about a lack of power, the BMW regained pace and maintained a strong position throughout the event.
The race began on a damp track, leading to an incident for Mike Conway in the #7 Toyota TR010 Hybrid Hypercar, who made contact with the pit wall during a reconnaissance lap. This necessitated a front bodywork change for the vehicle. Will Stevens, in the #12 Jota Porsche, initially led the race, establishing an early five-second margin. However, a delayed pit-stop, caused by a stuck front-right wheel nut, cost Stevens approximately 15 seconds and eight positions.
Stevens then embarked on a recovery drive, overtaking several competitors, including the #8 Toyota driven by Brendon Hartley and the #51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P of Antonio Giovinazzi. At the two-hour mark, the #12 Porsche was running second behind the leading BMW. The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, piloted by Yifei Ye, was the highest-placed Ferrari, recovering to third after a five-second stop-and-go penalty for a starting infringement.
Local Drivers Compete on Home Soil
Brazilian driver Pipo Derani expressed his delight at competing in his home round of the FIA World Endurance Championship after an 11-year wait. Derani, from São Paulo, attended the 2014 event with aspirations of joining sports car racing. However, the Interlagos circuit had not been a consistent fixture on the WEC calendar, preventing him from racing on home ground in the category until now. He is driving the #17 Genesis GMR-001 alongside Andre Lotterer and Mathys Jaubert.
The Genesis Magma Racing squad achieved a milestone by topping a practice session for the first time, with Mathieu Jaminet setting the pace in the sister #19 car during FP2. Derani acknowledged the team’s surprise at their competitiveness in the car’s debut campaign. Despite this, qualifying proved challenging for Derani, as two of his flying laps were deleted due to the car’s powertrain exceeding the prescribed limit, leaving him in 12th place.
Another Brazilian driver, Augusto Farfus, lined up ninth in the LMGT3 division in the #32 WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO, which featured a special livery incorporating the Brazilian flag. Farfus, eager for a strong result at home, noted that previous years at Interlagos had not yielded the desired on-track outcomes. He emphasized the team’s significant effort for this year, including a test a month prior and participation in a local GT championship race to gain more mileage.
Race Incidents and LMGT3 Highlights
The #35 Alpine A424, piloted by Ferdinand Habsburg, briefly led the race after electing to short-stint for track position. However, it slipped down the order after Habsburg handed over to António Félix da Costa during the second pit stop. The #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R recovered into the top six after losing time during its first stop due to an out-of-position entry to the pits.
The #17 Genesis Magma Racing GMR-001 ran seventh after surviving contact with the #8 Toyota. The #8 Toyota itself was forced to pit for repairs following contact with the #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie of Marco Sørensen and later the #19 Genesis of Daniel Juncadella, with Hartley rejoining 13 laps down. A brief Full Course Yellow occurred after 70 minutes of racing due to debris on the track.
In the LMGT3 category, Proton Competition’s pair of Ford Mustangs initially dominated, running one-two after a strong start. Stefano Gattuso in the #88 car overtook Petru Umbrărescu in the #87 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus for the lead. Eric Powell in the sister #77 Mustang followed, positioning both Fords at the front for the initial 80 minutes. However, contact between Gattuso and Powell after 90 minutes led to Powell being forced wide. The Akkodis ASP Team Lexus later re-took the lead after short-fuelling, with Umbrărescu heading the #34 Racing Team Turkey by TF Corvette at the two-hour mark.
The Racing Team Turkey by TF Corvette moved to the front between pit-stops due to a double stint by Salih Yoluç, who then handed over to Peter Dempsey. Ian James in the #27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage completed several solid stints. Alexander West spun the #58 Garage 59 McLaren after his first pit-stop but managed to rejoin the race.
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Source: fiawec.com
