Audi Takes First Through Fourth in 6 Hours of Spa

The 6 Hours of Spa was a race of domination. AudiAudiGermany, 1909 > present83 models
8213 photos
27 videos
took the first through fourth spots at the top of the grid, and NissanNissanJapan, 1932 > present159 models
6957 photos
12 videos
-powered cars won the top three spots in the LMP2 class. PorschePorscheGermany, 1931 > present43 models
4639 photos
29 videos
took wins in both the GTE-Pro and GTE-Am categories. 

The race started in wet conditions, but the track dried over the course of the race.

Surprisingly, the new R18 E-tron QuattroAudi R18 e-tron quattroGermany, 2012 > present8 photos
2 videos
was not the winning car. Instead the win came from the new, lighter R18 UltraAudi R18 ultraGermany, 2012 > present11 photos
2 videos
driven by Romain Dumas, Loic Duval and Marc Gene. The gap was minor though back to the R18 Quatrro driven by Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoit Tréluyer with 46.801 seconds separating them. The other R18 Ultra driven by Marco Bonanomi and Oliver Jarvis was in third place, and the final R18 Quattro driven by Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish was in fourth. The top petrol-powered cars were the two Lola-Toyotas, which were in fifth and sixth. 

The LMP2 class was lead by by the #38 Zytek-Nissan with the #25 Oreca-Nissan in second and #48 Oreca-Nissan in third. There were two major crashes bringing out the safety car one caused by a Norma-Judd crashing at Eau Rouge and the other caused by the collision of a Oreca-Nissan and a Ferrari F458 at La Source.

The Felbermayer-Proton Porsche 911 RSRPorsche 911 GT3 RSRGermany, 2011 > present10 photos
and Ferrari F458Ferrari 458 ItaliaItaly, 2009 > present676 photos
2 videos
in the GTE-Pro class spared up to the last lap. Porsche works driver Marc Lieb in the Porsche raced with Giancarlo Fisichella in a AF Corse Ferrari with the Porsche edging out the Ferrari by 0.628 seconds in the end. The Luxury Racing Ferrari F458 driven by Frédéric Makowiecki and Jaime Melo was in third a lap down from the leaders. The Aston Martin V8 VantageAston Martin Vantage GTEUnited Kingdom, 2012 > present4 photos
1 video
made it just 32 minutes into the race before retiring with a transmission failure. 

The IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 911 RSR won the GTE-Am class with the Felbermayer-Proton Porsche in second and AF Corse Ferrari in third. 

It was a great race, and it appears that the performance difference between the R18 Quattro and R18 Ultra is not at large as first thought. The Quattros were faster in the earlier portion of the race when the track was wet, but as the track dried, the Ultras increased their pace. You have to remember, the two cars are identical the the exception of the hybrid system on the Quattro. The Ultra is a much lighter car and was actually able to stay on the track a few laps longer during the first refueling than the hybrid Quattros. If Le Mans turns out to be a dry race, the hybrids might have their work cut out for them against the lighter R18 Ultra. 

Source: FIA WEC