Pit Strategy Backfires at Spa Francorchamps in Belgium

After coming second in a storm that shortened the 6-hour opener at Sebring, the Corvette Racing Team arrived with high hopes at Spa, one of the legendary circuits in the world.

Again, under rainy skies, this time in Belgium, it was a move to complete an additional lap before pitting for fuel and tires that cost the # 64 C8.R a chance to lead the WEC GTE PRO class.   

By pitting a lap later, the more-experienced Nick Tandy who had qualified third, could have gained valuable track position on the field.

The gamble to complete that extra lap was inadvertently foiled, due to a heavy crash by a Prototype car that brought out the safety car, closing the pits which forced Tandy to make a five-second emergency stop for gas.

Regulations confined Tandy in the pits until the entire field passed by, losing more than a lap in terms of time.

Tandy & Tommy Milner salvaged fourth under ongoing disruptive conditions that required juggling dry and wet tires and driver changes over a mix of 11 full-course yellow or safety-car periods, plus three red-flag stoppages that reduced green-flag racing to under three hours.

The Toyota Gazoo # 7 Hybrid, to no surprise, took another WEC overall class win in stride.

The AF Corse # 51 488 Ferrari won the GTE PRO class in a heated battle with the Porsche Racing # 92 911 RSR and team Ferrari # 52.

 Photos by Richard Prince.

 The team activates the # 63 to complement the # 64 as it prepares for the 24 Hours at Le Mans on June 11-12.