6H Shanghai after 4 Hours: Alonso leads with Aston Martin heading GTE Pro
Photo: WEC/Adrenal Media
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6H Shanghai after 4 Hours: Alonso leads with Aston Martin heading GTE Pro

Alonso takes lead for Toyota as green flag racing returns at Shanghai; No.97 Aston Martin leads LMGTE Pro

The headlines after 4 hours…

•    Fernando Alonso leads during fourth hour as rain eases to ensure safe track for green flag racing in Shanghai
•    No.8 Toyota holds lead by 6.6s after Safety Car is removed just prior to end of fourth hour
•    No.7 sister TS050 HYBRID driven by Kamui Kobayashi places third after Japanese ace initially surged to second overtaking first Bruno Senna’s                     Rebellion and then Jenson Button’s SMP Racing BR1-AER
•    Kobayashi then drops back behind No.11 SMP car now with Mikhail Aleshin at wheel after last round of pit-stops
•    André Lotterer is fourth in No.1 Rebellion Racing R13-Gibson
•    ByKolles suffers fire and retires from fourth position after 3hrs 35mins and triggers Safety Car after dropping oil
•    DragonSpeed drop down order after James Allen spins into turn one gravel pit
•    LMGTE Pro sees Aston Martin take the lead after first scheduled stops
•    Nicki Thiim takes over cockpit of No.95 Aston Martin from Marco Sorensen and opens gap to No.91 Porsche driven by Richard Lietz
•    Third in class is the No.51 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE EVO of James Calado
•    Weiron Tan’s No.37 Jackie Chan DC Racing LMP2 earlier brought out the fourth safety car after spinning at turn one 
•    Sister car driven by Stéphane Richelmi leads much of fourth hour but TDS Racing takes turn at the front after pit stops as Richelmi hands over to Ho-Pin       Tung
•    Tung though re-takes lead just before fifth approaches to head François Perrodo by 8 seconds
•   Third in class sits Signatech Alpine Matmut with Pierre Thiriet aboard
•    Clearwater Racing pushes to the front in LMGTE Am as Matt Griffin opens up gap ahead of Dempsey Proton Racing Porsche driven by WEC rookie             Riccardo Pera
•   Third is MR Racing Ferrari driven by Eddie Cheever III