The #26 Marc VDS BMW continued to slip down the standings as the ninth hour of the race began, their sister car looking more and more likely to be their only chance of victory.
“It’s a problem with the throttle valve, it’s wont open completely. We don’t know where the problem stems from either,” said a concerned Bas Leinders.
VDS mechanics worked quickly to resolve the issue, and the car did eventually get back out after losing over half an hour and six laps. It rejoined down in 30th place.
The #30 RJN Nissan was spotted going around the circuit with significant front-end damage, further problems for the factory Nissan squad, as the #80 was still recovering from earlier issues down in 26th overall.
Jorg Bergmeister stepped out of the #8 Haribo Porsche after his night stint and commented on the conditions here at the ‘Ring. “I had a few scary moment while overtaking, otherwise the stint was okay. However there are so many campfires affecting the visibility out there. We will be switching to the softer tyres from now on.”
Further issues with cars struggling through the night came as Sunday beckoned on the circuit. The #235 BMW Motorsport M235i – with the head-turning blue-and-red livery – was reported as stopped at Pflanzgarten. A real shame for the team that was running 64th at the time.
A brief moment of drama for the lead #4 Audi also occurred around the same time, as it came in for a stop and the mechanics had a good look at the front splitter. It cost them time, and allowed the #1 Black Falcon Mercedes into the lead for a lap before it made its seventh stop.
As the 10th hour started, the #14 Black Falcon Mercedes managed to make its way up to sixth, getting by the #44 Falken Porsche. It immediately pulled away, creating a 7.6-second gap after just one lap.
Nissan then revealed that the return of the #30 RJN Nissan GT-R to the race is unlikely, although Kazuki Hoshino who was driving at the time of the incident, is thankfully okay.
After already seeing the #19 Schubert BMW retire and the #26 VDS Z4 have mechanical troubles, it would get worse for BMW as the #25 VDS entry stopped on track at the Döttinger Höhe after contact with the #51 Lexus. It rapidly tumbled down the order before being announced as a retirement at the end of the 10th hour.
SK
