BMW Triumphs in Hypercar Class
The BMW M Team WRT entry, driven by Kevin Magnussen, secured a victory at the 6 Hours of São Paulo. The race began with a damp track, which led to an early incident for Mike Conway in the #7 Toyota TR010 Hybrid Hypercar, requiring a front bodywork change. Will Stevens initially led the race, establishing an early lead over Magnussen, who had overtaken the #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R of Earl Bamber from the front row.
Despite an initial complaint from Magnussen about a lack of power, the BMW regained pace and maintained a strong position. Stevens, however, faced a setback during his first pit stop when a front-right wheel nut issue caused a delay of approximately 15 seconds, dropping the American Hypercar several places. This incident necessitated a recovery drive from Stevens, who managed to overtake multiple competitors, including the #8 Toyota of Brendon Hartley and the #51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P of Antonio Giovinazzi.
The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by Yifei Ye, was the highest-placed Ferrari, recovering to third after receiving a five-second stop-and-go penalty for a starting infringement. Giovinazzi’s #51 Ferrari also experienced an eventful start, overcoming contact during the initial two hours of racing. The #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R also recovered into the top six after losing time during its first pit stop due to an out-of-position entry.
The #17 Genesis Magma Racing GMR-001 ran seventh, having survived contact with the #8 Toyota. The #8 Toyota later required repairs after further contact with the #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie of Marco Sørensen and the #19 Genesis of Daniel Juncadella, rejoining the race significantly behind the leader. A brief Full Course Yellow was issued after 70 minutes for debris on the track, but the race largely proceeded under green flag conditions.
LMGT3 Class Sees Proton Competition Lead
In the LMGT3 category, the Proton Competition pair of Ford Mustangs demonstrated strong performance in the opening hours, taking a one-two lead early in the race. 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, establishing the two Fords at the front for the initial 80 minutes.
Following the first scheduled pit stops, the Akkodis ASP Team Lexus regained the lead. However, the Proton Competition Mustangs later returned to the top two positions, although the net lead was held by the Racing Team Turkey by TF Corvette. This car moved to the front between pit stops, attributed to a strong double stint by Salih Yoluç.
At the start of the race, pole-sitter Gray Newell was overtaken by the pack, allowing Johannes Zelger of Iron Lynx and then Umbrărescu to take the lead before the Fords advanced. An incident occurred after 90 minutes when Gattuso and Powell made contact at the exit of the Senna S corner, affecting Powell’s momentum.
Brazilian Drivers Compete on Home Soil
Brazilian driver Pipo Derani, piloting the #17 Genesis GMR-001 alongside Andre Lotterer and Mathys Jaubert, expressed his satisfaction at competing in his home race at Interlagos for the FIA World Endurance Championship. Derani noted an 11-year wait to race on home soil in the category, having attended the 2014 edition with aspirations of joining sports car racing.
The Genesis team also 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 unexpected competitiveness in the car’s debut season. Qualifying proved challenging for Derani, as two of his flying laps were deleted due to the car’s powertrain exceeding the prescribed limit, resulting in a 12th place start.
Jaminet secured a spot in the final shoot-out, finishing sixth quickest, but received a one-place grid penalty for impeding. Derani expressed optimism about the car’s race pace despite the qualifying difficulties. 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 aimed for a strong result on home ground after previous finishes of tenth and 12th in the last two years.
The #54 VISTA AF Corse Ferrari of Thomas Flohr received a 10-second stop-go penalty for an incident where it tipped the sister Genesis off the track.
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Source: fiawec.com
As News-UK's Sports News Writer, Oscar Pennington reports on rugby union, golf and boxing for readers across the country. He built a reputation for sharp explainer pieces on regional sport. He holds a degree in Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Oscar lives in Nottingham, where he follows the pro golf tour and amateur boxing. “Context is what turns a result into a story.”
