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