Hour 1: Toyota Out In Front on Home Soil
The nr7 Toyota TS030, with Alex Wurz at the wheel, took control of the race during the first hour of the 6 Hours of Fuji. The run to the first corner was nail biting as the nr1 Audi of Andre Lotterer was alongside the lead car but on the outside and as they turned right the nr2 Audi of Allan McNish nipped through on the inside to take second place from his teammate as Lotterer’s e-tron quattro ran wide.
Wurz built up a healthy gap as the two Audis fought for track position and Lottere regained the lost place by the time the clock had counted down the first 30 minutes of the race.
The nr13 Rebellion Racing Lola-Toyota of Andrea Belicchi took the lead in the LMP1 privateers battle ahead of the nr22 JRM HPD of Peter Dumbreck. However it wasn’t long before Neel Jani in the nr12 Rebellion Lola made up lost ground and retook the lead of the class.
The LMP2 order was also mixed up at the start with the nr32 Lotus of Tonio Liuzzi taking the lead on the opening lap ahead of the nr25 ADR-Delta Oreca of John Martin, with pole sitter Stephane Sarrazin dropping back to 3rd in the nr44 Starworks Motorsports HPD. Battle ensued and the ADR-Delta Oreca moved into the class lead after Martin passed Liuzzi on lap 7 and the Lotus lost another place at the next corner as Sarrazin also took advantage of the situation.
In the GTE Pro class the nr51 AF Corse Ferrari of Gianmaria Bruni got ahead of the pole position holding nr77 Felbermayr-Proton Porsche of Marc Lieb at the start. These two cars were involved in a close fight for the lead of the class for most of the first 60-minutes of the race and this continued as the second hour began.
The GTE Am battle was just as interesting in the first 30-minutes, with the nr70 Larbre Competition Corvette of Jean-Philippe Belloc maintaining his pole position into the first corner, just ahead of the nr88 Felbermayr-Proton Porsche of Paolo Ruberti. However Ruberti’s challenge for the lead was interrupted when his start was judged to be too good and he was awarded a stop-go penalty.
Track Data
Air t° :15.8°C
Track t° :16.7°C
Wind :NW at 3.2 kph
Humidity :66%
Michelin Green X Challenge Top 3 at the end of Hour 1
2-1-21
RACE FACTS – HOUR 1
10:45:18 : Mild and sunny weather on the grid at the 6 Hours of Fuji as the minutes count down to the start of the race.
10:57:50 : Formation lap now under way - start in 3 minutes time
11:01:27 : Green flag - Race start- Toyota #7 holds position - McNish steals 2nd place in the #2 Audi
11:05:21 : Rebellion - Lola Toyota #12 - Belicci - takes 4th place and top privateer LMP1
11:07:50 : Vitantonio LIUZZI in Lotus LMP2 #32 leads class
11:08:44 : Several cars under investigation for jumped start
11:10:41 : Neel Jani in Rebellion #12 passes Belicci in Rebellion #13 to take 4th place
11:12:35 : Big battle in LMP2 - Contact between #25 ADR Delta and #32 Lotus no damage seen
11:15:01 : John Martin in ADR-Delta #25 takes class lead in LMP2
11:20:29 : Bruni in AF Corse Ferrari #51 leads LM GTE Pro from Felbermayr Proton Porsche #77
11:22:42 : Jean-Philippe Belloc in #70 Larbre Corvette leads LM GTE Am from Felbermayr Proton Porsche #88
11:24:48 : Top three in LMP1 still remain close, McNish in #2 Audi falls to 3rd as he is passed by Lotterer in #1 Audi
11:26:52 : Contact reported between McNish in Audi #2 and #88 Porsche
11:30:55 : Black and white warning flag for Allan McNish for contact with #88 Porsche
11:31:34 : Stop and go penalty for #88 Porsche for jumped start
11:34:21 : Cars #13 #55 and #71 - No further action on jumped start
11:35:56 : #88 Porsche comes into pitlane to perform stop and go penalty
11:39:29 : Close battle still on track at the top of LMP2 between John Martin on leading ADR Delta #25 and Starworks #44 - Sarrazin less than a second behind.
11:43:49 : Neel Jani in Rebellion Lola Toyota #12 is stretching out nearly a minute of lead on the chasing pack of LMP1 privateers after 43 minutes of racing
11:48:33 : lap 31 pit stop for Alex Wurz in #7 Toyota - Fuel only
11:51:33 : Flurry of pit stops for prototypes - Audis #1 and #2 yet to stop - Audi #1 inherits lead after stop for #7 Toyota
11:53:28 : Pit stops for both Audis, Tom Kristensen takes over from McNish in #2, Lotterer stays in #1 - Both take fuel and tyres
11:54:32 : Spin reported for #25 ADR Delta - rejoins
11:56:57 : With 55 minutes into race, all prototypes have now pitted - Toyota #7 leads LMP1 and ADR Delta leads LMP2
12:00:32 : Pit stops begin for the GTE field begin soon as we approach the end of the first hour.
