Spa-Francorchamps 07 May 2022
Miguel Molina’s daring strategy in the 488 GTE gave it the lead at the midway point of the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The Spaniard’s car held a one-lap advantage over its pursuers.
Debris. After starting on a dry track and emerging from the initial Safety Car phase, the race progressed with no significant dramas, at least not until an accident involving an LMP2 class prototype which brought out the red flag to clear the track of debris. At the restart behind the Safety Car, rain began to fall and gradually increased in intensity. Before it reached level three, the number 52 488 GTE, again with Molina at the wheel, opted for rain tyres while the other cars, including twin car number 51, stuck with slicks. However, the rain made grip increasingly problematic for the drivers, causing the race director to bring out the red flag for the second time.
Gamble. Before the break, all the cars apart from the number 52 made their stops, allowing Molina to take a one-lap lead at the restart. Pier Guidi, in third, managed to narrow the gap to Christensen’s Porsche to just under four seconds, but before the end of the third hour, there was another Full Course Yellow after several cars veered off track. In the LMGTE Am class, despite a spin when the rain was at its worst, Francesco Castellacci was the best of the Ferrari drivers in third, followed by Christoph Ulrich in fourth. The other 488 GTEs were further back, with Matteo Cressoni ninth, Christina Nielsen twelfth and Pierre Ragues thirteenth. These last two Ferraris suffered a few collisions and spins, which dropped them to the back of the pack.