BMW Triumphs in Hypercar Class
The BMW M Team WRT entry, driven by Kevin Magnussen, secured a victory at the 6 Hours of São Paulo. The team initially ran confidently in second place after Magnussen made a decisive move on the #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R of Earl Bamber. Despite an early complaint about a lack of power, Magnussen regained pace, positioning the BMW to eventually take the lead.
The race saw several lead changes and incidents. The #35 Alpine A424, piloted by Ferdinand Habsburg, briefly led after electing to short-stint for track position. However, it slipped down the order following a driver change to António Félix da Costa during its second stop.
Initial leader Will Stevens in the #12 Jota Porsche 963 experienced a significant delay during his first pit-stop due to a stuck front-right wheel nut, costing his team approximately 15 seconds and eight places. Stevens then mounted a recovery drive, overtaking several competitors including the #8 Toyota of Brendon Hartley and the #51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P of Antonio Giovinazzi.
The #83 AF Corse Ferrari, with Yifei Ye at the wheel, recovered to third despite a five-second stop-and-go penalty for a starting infringement. The #51 Ferrari of Giovinazzi, after navigating multiple contacts, was under investigation for an incident with the #61 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG LMGT3.
The #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R also fought back into the top six after losing time during its first pit stop. The #17 Genesis Magma Racing GMR-001 ran seventh after a clash with the #8 Toyota, which required repairs after contact with both the #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie and the #19 Genesis.
LMGT3 Class Action
In the LMGT3 class, the Proton Competition pair of Ford Mustangs initially dominated the opening hours, running in first and second positions. Stefano Gattuso in the #88 car took the lead from Petru Umbrărescu in the #87 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus. Eric Powell in the sister #77 Mustang followed, placing both Fords at the front for the initial 80 minutes of the race.
Following the first scheduled pit stops, the Akkodis ASP Team Lexus regained the lead through short-fuelling, with Umbrărescu heading the #34 Racing Team Turkey by TF Corvette. A contentious moment occurred between the two Mustangs when Gattuso and Powell made contact, forcing Powell wide and costing him momentum. However, the Proton pair later reclaimed the top two positions, although the net lead was held by the Racing Team Turkey by TF Corvette, driven by Salih Yoluç and Peter Dempsey.
Brazilian driver Augusto Farfus, competing in the LMGT3 division with the #32 WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO, aimed for a strong result on home soil. His car featured a special livery adorned with the Brazilian flag. Farfus, who had previously finished tenth and twelfth in the past two years, expressed his determination to win the race and maximise championship opportunities.
Local Drivers Compete at Home
São Paulo native Pipo Derani, driving the #17 Genesis GMR-001 for Genesis Magma Racing, competed in his home round of the FIA World Endurance Championship after an 11-year wait. Derani, who attended the 2014 event, had not previously raced in the series on home ground due to Interlagos not being a permanent fixture on the WEC calendar. He expressed happiness about racing at Interlagos alongside teammates Andre Lotterer and Mathys Jaubert, and noted the passion of the Brazilian fans.
The Genesis team achieved a milestone by topping a practice session for the first time, with Mathieu Jaminet setting the pace in the sister #19 car during FP2. Derani acknowledged the team’s unexpected competitiveness in the car’s debut campaign. However, qualifying proved challenging for Derani, as two of his flying laps were deleted due to the car’s powertrain exceeding the prescribed limit, resulting in a twelfth-place start. Jaminet secured a sixth-place start, later receiving a one-place grid penalty for impeding.
Derani highlighted the car’s strong race pace despite his qualifying difficulties. He hoped to secure points for both Genesis cars to give local fans something to celebrate. The race experienced a brief Full Course Yellow after 70 minutes due to debris on the track.
Source: fiawec.com