Porsche takes easy win over Audi at Nurburgring

Winning #1 Porsche

The 6 Hours of Nurburgring lived up to all expectations and 58,000 enthusiastic fans enjoyed a great weekend of exciting and sometimes dramatic WEC track action. Before the end of the event, the circuit and organizers confirmed that a date for the German round of the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship has been set for 14-16 July*.

Timo Bernhard took the No. 1 Porsche 919 Hybrid to its first win of the season, bouncing back from a slow puncture early in the race that initially put them off-strategy, but capitalized on contact and a penalty for the championship-leading No. 2 car in the closing stages.

Neel Jani was forced to relinquish his lead with with less than 90 minutes to go to serve a drive-through penalty for a collision with the No. 88 Abu Dhabi Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR, which brought out a Full Course Yellow and damaged the nose of the 919 Hybrid.

The incident ultimately dropped the Swiss driver to third, and then faded to fourth after a fierce duel with Andre Lotterer in the No. 7 Audi R18, which led to the Porsche’s rear legality panel getting damaged and an additional stop for repairs.

The battle between Lotterer and Jani, which saw the two LMP1 hybrids make contact several times, gave clear sailing up front to Bernhard, who cruised to a 53.787-second win over the No. 8 Audi of Loic Duval.

It marked Porsche’s third win in four WEC races this season, but the first of the year for defending World Champions Bernhard, Mark Webber and Brendon Hartley.

LMP1 Privateer honors, meanwhile, went to the No. 13 Rebellion R-One AER of Alexandre Imperatori, Matheo Tuscher and Dominik Kraihamer, after the sister No. 12 car hit engine trouble and the ByKolles CLM P1/01 AER caught fire again.

The key highlights of the 6 Hours of Nurburgring are as follows:

• [adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]No.1 Porsche 919 Hybrid wins sensational 6 Hours of Nurburgring to take first win of the season for Webber/Bernhard and Hartley.
• Reigning champions win after fighting back from first hour puncture.
• No.8 Audi R18 of Duval/Jarvis and Di Grassi take second to reduce points gap in championship.
• Race swings on Full Course Yellow benefiting Porsche after Audi lead mid-portion of race.
• Lotterer and Fassler claim third place after brave race long fight in No.7 Audi Sport Team Joest R18.
• Point’s leading trio of Jani/Dumas and Lieb denied another win after collision with LMGTE Am car in penultimate hour. Jani brings No.2 Porsche 919 Hybrid home fourth.
• Privateer LMP1 class sees No.13 Rebellion drivers Kraihamer/Tuscher and Imperatori take third victory of the season after race of attrition.
• Signatech Alpine stretches title advantage as Lapierre/Menezes and Richelmi take third straight win.
• G-Drive Racing lead early stages but retire with gearbox problem.
• RGR Sports take second podium of the season as Senna/Gonzalez and Albuquerque finish runner-up despite late race trip across gravel.
• No.31 Extreme Speed Motorsport Ligier-Nissan of Derani/Cumming and Dalziel take third podium of year.
• First victory of the season for Gianmaria Bruni and James Calado in No.51 AF Corse Ferrari 488GTE. British driver celebrates first ever WEC win.
• AF Corse 1-2 as No.71 car of Sam Bird and Davide Rigon claim second.
• Aston Martin lead large portions of race but No.95 car of Marco Sorenson and Nicki Thiim have to settle for third place.
• Mathias Lauda/Paul Dalla Lana and Pedro Lamy take second win of the 2016 season after heading home KCMG Porsche 911 RSR.
• No.83 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia of Perrodo/Collard and Aguas recover from early race spin.

*Subject to confirmation by the FIA World Motorsport Council

Results