Race start in 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
The 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps delivered an Ardennes rollercoaster ride for the McLaren LMGT3 duo on Saturday afternoon in front of 98 thousand spectators.
Starting from P16 (#59) and P14 (#95) on the grid after a challenging Qualifying session, James Cottingham and Darren Leung surged through the field with thrilling battles on track (watch here), clean delivery and slick execution by the team in the pits.
At the two-hour mark, Cottingham (#59) claimed his place in the top three after a phenomenal climb. Minutes later, the WEC Qatar podium placer took the lead, with Leung close behind in P4 (#95), wrapping up a sensational charge to the front for the two Brits, handing over to their Silver-graded counterparts Sebastien Baud (#59) and Sean Gelael (#95).
Gelael’s time in the #95 was brought to a dramatic halt in the third hour, when contact with another car - which subsequently served a penalty - sent the Indonesian driver thundering into the tyre wall at T7, instantly ending the race for Leung, Gelael, Marino Sato and the crew – thankfully, without major injury for Gelael.
Shortly after, Baud suffered contact in the #59 with another car - which also received a penalty - resulting in suspension damage and an emergency trip to the garage. The crew sent the McLaren back out after 11 minutes, valiantly completing the race - ultimately crossing the line P15, four laps behind the LMGT3 leaders.
#59 McLaren GT3 EVO
Quali P16 | Race P15 | Champ P6
#95 McLaren GT3 EVO
Quali P14 | Race DNF | Champ P13
#59 McLaren GT3 EVO crosses the line at Spa-Francorchamps
MANAGEMENT
Richard Dean, United Autosports CEO: “A really tough one to take. I want to congratulate James and Darren on their performances, thank all the drivers for their efforts and, of course, the team for never giving up.”
Ian James, Director of Motorsport, McLaren Automotive: “It really wasn’t our race. All the drivers did a brilliant job to climb up the order, with James even leading at one point, but there was a lot of contact, and we sadly came off worst. The team did really well to get the 59 back out so quickly but we’ll learn what we can and move forward. Le Mans is next, and it will be a big event for McLaren.”
Next up … it’s the big one – the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 14-15th June. This year marks the 30th anniversary of McLaren’s legendary 1995 victory on the manufacturer’s debut. Stay up to date with the team on social @unitedautosports.