AUTO – LMP2: 8th Lilou Wadoux in 6 hours from Fuji

For the first time in Asia, Lilo Wadox finished eighth in the LMP2 at 6 Hours of Fuji, with his Richard Mille Racing team. At the end of a clear race dominated by Toyota in front of its fans.

under the sun and with Close to 29 degrees At the foot of Mount Fuji, Lilo and Dox was erected driving to leave, for the first time this season. And a trusted guide from his team. I started from 10th in LMP2 after qualifying, in a Richard Mille Racing car that showed good disposition during free practice. Smooth departure for Picardie. After 20 minutes, the young Samaritan woman maintained her posture. Then he nibbled on #1 in place, 9 in LMP2 and 14 overall.

The two topped the group and the Hypercars Toyota at homeJapan’s Kobayashi is ahead of Switzerland’s Buemi. As for the feel of the season in hypercar, Alps #36, In The Hands Of Brazilian Andre Negrao, a driver seen at Lilo Wadaux’s debut at the European Cup in the Alps Elf just two years ago in Nogaro (Gerse), she was only fourth, about 15sec, in other words, a chasm! It was overtaken by one of two Peugeots, number 94 of Britain’s James Rossiter.

during this time, Lilo and Dox retained their rank His best lap was at one minute 34 seconds 261, when the Belgian WRT team’s No. 31 raced for the LMP2 lead, with Indonesia’s Sean Gelael, before refueling for the first time, about forty minutes later. Amiens kept the wheel and resumed its position in traffic, in 10th and then again 9th in its class. But Attitudes seemed stable after the first hour.

The first 53 laps with Lilo and Doo

We were close to an hour and a half into the race, and thanks to the stops made by their competitors, Lilo and Edox temporarily found themselves VI LMP2. After making 53 laps, I handed over the wheel to Paul lobe chatin After his first two spells were carried out correctly. Then Monza’s successor Sebastien Ogier paid a fine in July The battle for eighth place With Mexican Esteban Gutierrez, at the wheel since the start of #34 Inter Europol. Paul Loeb Schaten who set the fastest lap, at 1 minute 33 seconds 294, At a speed of about 300 km/h !

He even bit off a new spot, finding himself momentarily seventh in LMP2, ahead of Sébastien Bourdais and No. 10 of Vector Sport. Now, two hours into the race, the eyes of her Richard Mille Racing team car are at United Autosports USA #22 for another Mexican car, Filipe Albuquerque. While the hierarchy was reflected in the lead among Toyota hypercars, No. 8 led by New Zealander Brendon Hartley was ahead of No. 7 in the hands of Argentine Jose Maria Lopez.

Smoke in Peugeot, fight for seventh place …

From the supercar class where Peugeot #94 gave off alarming smoke after two and a half hours of racing, it was back in the pits. This played a part in Nicolas Lapierre’s game, finding himself in the Alps in third but a good distance from two Toyotas. As for the Richard Mille Racing team, he wanted to be Strict equality of treatment for its pilots : Just before halfway through, Paul Loeb Schaten, after 53 laps as Lilo and Du, retired to let Charles Millesi To sit in the tub.

The LMP2 winner entered the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans immediately, coming into the middle of the road, with a best lap of 1min 33sec 630 and eighth place in the LMP2. Charles Millesi even followed 22nd, led by Briton Philip Hanson this time. Recruit Lilo Wadox He also improved his best lap by a few tenths of a secondto get closer to those made by Paul-Loup Chatin.

two hours of arrival, Crash of the lion company ! An hour and a half into the #94, another Peugeot, #93 who in turn smokes and rushes to the pits. Departure The field is open to Toyotas, quietly before the Alps. As for Richard Mille’s race #1 car, Charles Melici completed lap 42, taking advantage of Peugeot’s second stop to finish 11th overall, still 8th and more than ever in the fight for 7th place in the LMP2.

Head to head to fight!

There was just over an hour and a half into the race, just before 8:30 a.m. – French time – 3:30 p.m. in Japan – Charles Millesi was on lap 53 when Pierre-Loup Châtin trailed him at the red Oreca steering wheel of the Richard Mille team, who was determined to Justice among its pilots…while waiting for the end of the race, which may have been entrusted to Lilo and Edox, his male teammates managed to win the No. 1 spot. A remarkable feat in an almost very clean event, overtaken in dribbling and scrapes.

but this 7th place He won after a difficult battle will turn into short term : #22 of United Autosports immediately resumed his good work, even Paul-Loup Chatin spinning while trying to shut the door to Filipe Albuquerque. we were out for nice cold sweat In the ring! But fortunately, the hole drilled in the chasers, for about a minute in Vector Sport from Sébastien Bourdais, was enough for the French team not to lose eighth place.

We found it in the last hour of the race Unstoppable Toyota Cars No. 8 and No. 7 in the first two places of the supercar, ahead of the No. 36 Alpine and then in the hands of Mathieu Växvier. While the LMP2 class was now led by the #38 Jota for the Gonzalez-Felix da Costa-Stevens trio, Prima Orlin of Switzerland’s Louis Deletraz and WRT of Dutchman Robin Frijns.

If Paul-Loup Chatin seemed to have recovered from his little squirm, the Beauceron driver lost an extra spot, half an hour into the goal. He found himself in ninth place, Overtaken by the voracious Sebastien Pordes, is driving Vector Sport in UK No. 10. Would Lilo and Doo take the wheel again? No, probably not… Paul-Loup Chatin, who was continuing the Manu Manu performance with the former F1 driver, finished eighth for 7 minutes of the square flag. He would have driven more than three hours, and the two Samarins and Charles Millesi shared the remaining time equally.

In the Hypercar, Toyota’s #8 won at Hirakawa, Hartley and Buemi, as did the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Japanese company thus expected a doubling in the country, ahead of Alpine 3rd.

While waiting for the season’s final meeting, on November 12 in Bahrain, the LMP2 title was almost awarded to Jota #38. But he had to refuel for Avoid running out of fuel With… four minutes to go, I left first place for the wire in WRT #31 for Frijns, Gelael and Vanthoor, maintaining a semblance of suspense at the helm of the LMP2s.

The full arrangement.

Vincent Delorme
Image credit: DR (Richard Mille Racing Team)

Lilou Wadoux était la seule femme en course, catégories Hypercar et LMP2 confondues. On trouvait sinon pour ces 6 Heures de Fuji un équipage 100% féminin, qui a pris la méritoire 2ème place en LMGTE Am, formé d'une Belge, d'une Suissesse et d'une Danoise, au volant de la Ferrari #85 du team italien Iron Dames. Et c'est tout ! La mixité du sport auto est encore un voeu pieux... 
V.D.