Hypercar Drama Unfolds at CoTA
Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX — The Hypercar battle intensified during Hour 21 of the ongoing race, following a Full-Course Yellow that significantly narrowed the gap among the leading competitors. As the #6 Porsche 963, now driven by Laurens Vanthoor, re-entered the track with a 2.9-second deficit to the #50 Ferrari, the lead trio came within 20 seconds of each other.
Vanthoor capitalized on a shorter pit stop during the FCY, prompting Ferrari to strategize with their two 499Ps. The #50, driven by Nielsen, was swapped into the lead position over the #51 of James Calado to maintain their advantage, setting the stage for a tense showdown.
As Hour 22 commenced, the duo aimed to fend off Vanthoor, who had closed to within two seconds, while keeping Robert Kubica’s #83 Ferrari at bay, just 11.5 seconds ahead.
In stark contrast, the #8 Toyota faced setbacks after a 17-minute suspension repair due to a wheel nut failure, relegating them to 19th and seven laps down, effectively ending their contention.
The LMP2 class also experienced turbulence as Job Van Uitert of IDEC Sport suffered a wheel-nut failure, resulting in retirement from a podium position. This incident allowed the AO by TF Pro/Am ORECA to claim third place. Furthermore, the #22 United ORECA, driven by Renger Van Der Zande, struggled with performance issues, dropping from fifth to ninth during the hour.
In the LMGT3 category, Richard Lietz maintained a slim lead in the #92 1st Phorm Porsche, followed closely by Simon Mann in the #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari and Rui Andrade’s TF Sport #81 Corvette in third.
As the race progresses, the question remains: Can Porsche contend with the Ferrari dominance, and will any surprises emerge in the final hours?
