Mike Conway is leading the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo at the 2 hour mark, with the #7 Toyota driver javing controlled the race from pole since the start.
Toyota started 1-2 with Conway’s teammate Hartley, in the sister #8 machine, acting as the Briton’s rear gunner against the onslaught of Porsches and Ferraris, as well as the lone Cadillac.
However, so far, it’s been Toyota’s and Conway’s race to lose, despite the fact Conway received a penalty for a full course yellow infringement, which was called in the first hour for debris recovery. Otherwise the race has been green since.
Hartley ran second for much of the race but lost this just before the end of the second hour, to #5 Porsche’s Fred Makowiecki. Makowiecki is just under 10 seconds off Conway, who briefly lost the lead when he took his drivethrough penalty but regained it from Hartley shorter after.
With Hartley third before his pitstop, with Ryo Hirakawa replacing him, Antonio Giovinazzi is fourth in the #51 Ferrari. The Italian has been climbing through the field and fighting with the Porsches, but so far hasn’t had the pace to fight with Toyota, almost 40 seconds off the lead.
Fifth is the solitary #2 Cadillac of Earl Bamber, with the sister #50 Ferrari of Nicklas Nielsen in sixth. Peugeot’s Nico Muller, in the #93 car, is seventh in an encouraging race so far for Peugeot.
However, with the pitstop cycle taking place as of writing this post, this order could change.
In LMGT3, #92 Manthey Purerxcing Porsche 911 GT3 R’s Joel Sturm kleads, almost 5 seconds ahead of Rahel Frey in the #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2. Third is the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 of Daniel Mancinelli.
