The second round of the 2016 WEC season was held over the weekend, playing out on the fast, twisting elevation changes of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. The 6-hour endurance race saw carnage across the field, with numerous technical problems plaguing each of the hybrid LMP1 competitors, only a third of which managed to finish. In the end, it was the No. 8 Audi R18 e-tron quattro driven by Lucas di Grassi, Loic Duval, and Oliver Jarvis that clinched the win, handing the Four Rings its 106th LMP victory since the 2000 season.
However, the road to victory wasn’t exactly smooth, as each of the top three manufacturers swapped the lead position throughout the race. First in front was Porsche, headed by the No. 1 919 Hybrid driven by defending World Champions Mark Webber, Brendon Hartley, and Timo Bernhard. Unfortunately, multiple tire punctures and gearbox issues ended up sidelining the No. 1 Porsche for the majority of the race, while the No. 2 car experienced issues with its hybrid system, resulting in a loss of power.
Toyota took advantage of Porsche’s problems, with the No. 5 TS050 sliding its way to the front, holding the position for much of the race. However, engine issues eventually forced the No. 5 Toyota to run solely on electric power, while the No. 6 Toyota was forced to retire outright, also due to engine problems.
That handed Audi the lead, but the R18s had problems of their own. The No. 7 car was the hardest hit of the two, falling out of the running after damaging its underfloor on a curb, subsequently pitting for repairs that cost nearly 15 minutes. Overheating issues and a drive-through penalty later compounded the lengthy stop.
Comparatively speaking, the No. 8 car got away clean, finishing two laps ahead at the checkered despite requiring a new rear deck during the race’s singular safety car period.
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