2023 WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Fracorchamps - LMGTE -AM

 

Aston Martin and Ferrari during qualifying.

This post covers the LM GTE Class at the 2023 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. This was the third round of the 2023 World Endurance Championship following Sebring and Portimaõ.   The next stop is Le Mans so an important race in terms of preparation for the 24 hours.  I always like seeing the GT class and now the GTE Pro class has disappeared we are left just with the GTE AM competitors, but they are still worth watching.  There were GT cars from four manufacturers competing and three of them remained on the lead lap for the GTs (140 laps) and all of them was represented in the top four positions in the class.  Big congratulations to 22 year old French driver Lilou Wadoux who became the first woman to be a class winner in the WEC since it started in 2012.

GTAM cars late in the race with the leading Ferrari ahead of the field.

All of the LM GTE AM cars that were at Spa-Francorchamps for the 2023 WEC 6 hours and many of the drivers are shown below:

The GTAM winning Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE EVO driven by Louis Perez Companc, Lilou Wadoux and Alessio Rovera during the race at Radillion.

The winning drivers. during the pit walk.  By finishing first Lilou Wadoux (centre) became the first woman to win her class in a WEC event. Louis to the left and Alessio to the right of her.

The sole Corvette at Eau Rouge early in the race.

Three abreast down the Kemmel straight with the Corvette closest to the camera.

Second in GT AM was this Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R driven by Ben Keating, Nicolas Varrone and Nick Catsburg.

The Corvette Racing team signing autographs during the pit walk, Bean Keating is on the left. 

The GT AM Aston Martin which took pole for the class in qualifying.

This Ort by TF Aston Martin Vantage AMR finished third driven by Ahmad Al Harthy, Michael Dinan and Charles Eastwood.

The drivers of the third placed Aston Martin.

The fourth placed GT AM Porsche in Raidillion..

The fourth placed Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR - 19 driven by Ryan Hardwick, Zacharie Robichon and Harry Tincknell going along the Kemmel Straight.

The Iron Dames Porsche closely followed by an Aston Martni,

Fifth place went to the Iron Dames Porsche 911 GTR - 19 driven by Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey.

The Iron Dames on the pit walk.

AF Corse Ferrari leading the Iron Dames at Eau Rouge.

The sixth placed AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE EVO driven by Diego Alessi, Simon Mann and Ulysse De Pauw.

The No.21 Ferrari drivers.  Left to Right seated, Alessi, Mann, De Pauw.

The seventh placed Northwest AMR Aston Martin Vantage AMR of Ian James, Daniel Mancinelli and Alex Riberas.

The No.98 AMR drivers.  Left to Right - Mancinelli, Riberas, James.

The No.98 Aston leads the No.57 Ferrari.

The Kessel Racing Ferrari.

This Kessel Racing Ferrari 488 GTE EVO driven by Takeshi Kimura, Scott Huffaker and Daniel Serra finished in eighth place.

The Kessel drivers.

The Dempsey-Proton Porsche leading a Ferrari through Eau Rouge.

The ninth placed Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR - 19 driven by Christian Ried, Mikkel Pedersen and Julien Andlauer.

Mikkel Pedersen.

The No.777 Aston leading a Ferrari.

The tenth placed D'Station Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR driven by Satoshi Hoshino, Casper 

Stevenson and Tomonobu Fujii.

The D'Station drivers.   Left to Right - Hoshino, Fujii, Stevenson.

The eleventh placed Iron Lynx Porsche 911 GTR - 19.

Iron Lynx Porsche exiting Radillion.

The Iron Lynx drivers -  Left to Right - Alessio Picariello, Matteo Cressoni and Claudio Schiavoni.

GR racing Porsche descending towards Eau Rouge.

The twelfth placer GR Racing Porsche 911 GTR-19 driven by Michael Wainwright, Riccardo Pera

and Benjamin Barker.

The AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE EVO was not classified after an accident in the race.

The No.54 AF Corse drivers - Left to Right - Thomas Flohr (Mr Vista Jet), Francisco Castellacci and Davide Rigon.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web à condition de créditer le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com, et de fournir un lien vers cette page.

After this qualifying accident in tricky condition, the No.56 Project 1-AO Porsche didn't start.

The No56 drivers during Friday's pit walk and thus before the accident.