With four hours of the 2016 Spa 24 Hours elapsed, the #99 ROWE BMW led on the timing screens, but the lead was changing every couple of laps due to the long safety-car period having put most of the leaders’ pit cycles out of sync.
Earlier, during second round of pitstops under the safety car, the leading Lamborghini was shuffled down the order, the timing screens announcing that the barrier repairs, and thus the safety car, would continue for a further 30 minutes.
That put the #6 Phoenix Audi (above) into the lead until Stippler pitted next time around, with the also still-to-pit #26 Sainteloc Audi taking a turn in the limelight in the hands of Guilvert. Vanthoor was running second, the first of the (second-time) stoppers in the train, with the Emil Frey Jaguars an impressive third and fourth overall: the #14 in the hands of Costa ahead of the #114 of Hirschi.
Guilvert’s pitstop came after lap 45, Vanthoor moved to the lead, the Jaguars were now second and third until Costa pitted, too, this time out of sequence but for a tyre change only, the team taking advantage of the continuing safety car (having stopped for fuel only last time in). This tactic was matched by the #114 next time around.
All of that Jaguar-related excitement elevated the #2 Audi (above) to second place (Leonard at the wheel), with Catsburg third in the #98 ROWE BMW and Lathouras up to fourth in the #50 AF Corse Ferrari.
Up to fifth place as 7pm approached was the Endurance Cup points-leading #58 Garage 59 McLaren, with Ledogar at the wheel. The hour passed with the Safety Car still circulating and barrier repairs still ongoing beyond the pre-announced further 30 minutes.
Vanthoor pitted from the lead and Catsburg went to the front, Muller climbing aboard the #28 after a full hour for Vanthoor behind the safety car, with Leonard and Lathouras following suit next time around. That elevated Ledogar to second, Jousse to third in the IMSA Performance Porsche and Minshaw to fourth in Barwell’s #666 Lamborghini.
By now meanwhile, the #10 Ombra Racing Lamborghini (above) had been in the garage for well over an hour. Bonanomi’s #25 Sainteloc Audi, meanwhile, having run third in Pro-Am, dropped right back after an electrical problem cost the car 25 minutes in the garage.
The race went back to green after around 75 minutes under FCY and safety car for the Porsche/Ferrari incident and the subsequent barrier repair.
The top three led the queue over the line, with the BMW having a clear power advantage as the BMW, McLaren and Porsche train got back to racing speed with now fourth-placed Duncan Cameron dropping back a little as the #8 Bentley got into the mix. Four of the top five immediately pitted under green, putting Maxime Soulet into the lead.
At this point, Bentley joined Audi, Ferrari, Lamborghini and BMW as having led the race, seven cars having held P1 at various times, with eight changes of lead. Jaguar and McLaren had run as high as second and Porsche as high as third. The recovering Mercedes-AMG GTs had, by this point, not featured in the leading group.
Soulet indeed now had a comfortable 15-second edge, with Fontana in the #59 McLaren up to second ahead of the #99 ROWE BMW of Eng and #6 Phoenix Audi of Winkelhock.
The #27 Sainteloc Audi (drive-through for FCY infringement), #63 GRT Lamborghini (above), #56 Black Falcon Mercedes and #00 Black Falcon Mercedes (stop-go for driver stint infringements) were the latest visitors to the naughty step as the race moved into the third hour.
Those who hung on beyond the end of the safety car were pitting by this point – Soulet from the lead and Eng from second, letting Winkelhock put the #6 Phoenix Audi back into the lead.
And then the rain arrived for the first time! Winkelhock pitted for fuel only and the #114 Jaguar, Hirschi still at the wheel, led the Spa 24 Hours from the #7 Bentley of Vincent Abril.
Next pit stops were a full service for the Jag, Klien taking the wheel as Nico Muller cycled around to the lead (not on a bike, but rather in the #28 Audi!) with the #11 Kessel Ferrari popping up in second and the #16 GRT Lamborghini third.
Lathouras, from third overall and after an excellent stint, blotted his copybook by putting the #50 Ferrari (above) into the gravel at T15, with the #55 AT Racing Ferrari spinning and recovering at the Bus Stop soon afterwards. The latter car was dealt a track-limits drive-through some minutes later.
The #8 Bentley got a drive-through that would drop the car out of the top group just as the leading Audi pitted, followed soon afterwards by the #2 car from third, Frijns replacing Leonard at the wheel.
That put the #98 BMW of Catsburg (above) back into the lead just ahead of Ledogar’s #58 McLaren and the #666 Barwell Lamborghini with Osborne by now at the wheel. Adam had the Oman Racing Team Aston fourth, its highest position of the race so far, which became third as Osborne pitted the Lamborghini.
At 10 minutes to the end of the fourth hour, Ledogar led and immediately began to pull away from the BMW before both pitted immediately, van Gisbergen getting aboard the 650S and Dussledorp into the M6.
All of that saw the Aston Martin added to a growing list of marques that had led this race. The #99 BMW was now in second, with the #7 Bentley third. At the end of the hour, the Aston pitted, putting the #99 BMW into the lead for the first time, this the 11th different leader.
