Bol d’Or (3h): BMW battles Honda – and has an ace up its sleeve

After the first hour of the race, Steven Odendaal in the works BMW was leading by a good four seconds ahead of Sylvain Guintoli in the BMW from AutoRace Ube. The fastest driver of the second stint, however, was Corentin Perolari in the Honda from F.C.C. TSR. The Frenchman first overtook Guintoli and, shortly afterwards, Odendaal as well, taking the lead.

Perolari held onto the lead but was unable to shake off Odendaal. On the long Mistral straight, the BMW driver repeatedly settled into the slipstream of the Honda, but refrained from making any attacks. In third place, Guintoli maintained visual contact with the leading pair. YART followed in fourth place and was already more than 20 seconds behind the leaders.

Technical problem sets ERC Endurance far back

ERC Endurance played no part in the battle for the top positions at this stage. After strong practice sessions, a promising qualifying session and a good start, the German BMW team was set back significantly by a technical problem.

Loris Baz began the 24-hour race with a double stint. Team-mate Marcel Schrötter confirmed that the gearbox was once again causing problems. The number 6 car slipped out of the top 30 and was already four laps down.

Honda and BMW within striking distance

The lead changed hands once more following F.C.C. TSR’s second pit stop. Corentin Perolari made way for John McPhee on the Honda Fireblade, allowing the works BMW to regain the lead. Steven Odendaal completed his stint without incident and reported afterwards that he had been instructed by the team to save fuel. That is why the South African deliberately adopted a defensive approach in his duel with Perolari.

Topic of the week

Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring: track – hit or miss?

The people of Madrid had set their sights high for their city’s first Formula 1 World Championship race since 1981. But have the high expectations for the new Madring mixed-circuit track really been met?

Mathias Brunner

Read More

After 1 hour and 45 minutes, Markus Reiterberger was at the wheel of the leading works BMW. AutoRace Ube, on the other hand, lost some ground during the third stint. Stand-in driver Kenny Foray, who is standing in for Hannes Soomer at the Bol d’Or, was unable to quite keep up with the fast pace set by his team-mates and dropped back to fourth place.

After two hours, the order at the front was: BMW Endurance ahead of F.C.C. TSR, YART, AutoRace Ube, SERT and Tati. Team Bolliger Switzerland also put in a strong performance, holding their own in the top 10.

Former Grand Prix rider John McPhee took the lead after 2 hours and 10 minutes in the F.C.C. TSR Honda. Whilst lapping, the Scot surprised Markus Reiterberger, overtook him and was then able to pull slightly clear.

Setback for Tati-Honda

After 2 hours and 25 minutes, the Pirelli team – which had been the highest-placed up to that point – suffered a setback. The Tati-Honda suddenly lost speed and Isaac Viñales was eventually forced to push the Fireblade. The motorbike was unable to return to the pits under its own power and had to be brought back by a service vehicle.

After 2 hours and 27 minutes, the leading F.C.C. TSR Honda completed its next refuelling stop. John McPhee made way for Alan Techer, allowing Markus Reiterberger to retake the lead. The BMW rider stayed out on the track for significantly longer, once again highlighting the efficiency of the M1000RR. The BMW works team was able to complete two laps more per stint than F.C.C. TSR, and one lap more than both YART and SERT.

Michael van der Mark takes the lead

After 2 hours and 40 minutes, the leading works BMW finally pulled into the pits. Michael van der Mark, who had already completed the opening stint, took over the M1000RR from Markus Reiterberger. After the third pit stop, F.C.C. TSR led by 4.5 seconds ahead of the BMW works team. YART, in third place, was already more than 33 seconds behind the leader. YART’s gap narrowed as Marvin Fritz picked up the pace.

After 3:00 hours of racing, Michael van der Mark sorted out the order and overtook Alan Techer on the F.C.C. TSR Honda on the track. This meant the No. 37 BMW was now leading the race and also had the advantage of longer stints up its sleeve.