Toyota TS030 Hybrid started from pole before pulling out a handsome lead over the two Audi e-tron quattros. By the midpoint, the Japanese hybrid enjoyed a cushion of more than a minute after a consistently quick double stint by Wurz who posted the fastest race lap on Lap 72.
After the car’s fourth pit stop, Lapierre was able to re-join without relinquishing the lead and its advantage ended up being sufficient for it to perform an additional refuelling stop compared with the diesel-electric Audis.
The German prototypes were unable to contest Toyota’s supremacy round the twisty, technical Chinese circuit and the TS030 Hybrid went on to claim its third win from six starts, and its second WEC victory in a row.
A podium finish enabled two-time Le Mans winners Tréluyer/Fassler/Lotterer to clinch the 2012 Drivers’ title, while Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen were the ‘greenest’ racers of the championship since they pocketed the MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge victory.
With the exception of four laps during which the N°22 JRM Racing HPD-ARX03a topped the order early on, the N°12 Rebellion Lola-Toyota (Prost/Jani) led the LMP1 ‘privateer’ class all the way… until seven minutes from the chequered flag when it was reported to have stopped on the track. Thankfully for Rebellion Racing, after a thrilling battle between David Brabham and Andrea Belicchi, the team’s other car had moved up to second place with half-an-hour remaining. Belicchi/Primat/Fu Cheng were consequently able to salvage the ‘privateers’ win in addition to finishing fourth overall. The Strakka Racing HPD-ARX03a prototype was slowed by a wheel and rear body change halfway into the race, and the N°15 Pescarolo-HPD was delayed by brake trouble.
The first lap saw Olivier Pla lead the LMP2 class in the N°24 OAK Racing Morgan-Nissan but a strong double stint by ADR-Delta’s Mathias Beche enabled the N°25 Oreca03-Nissan (Martin/Graves/Beche) to take control and shrug off pressure from Stéphane Sarrazin (HPD N°44) who lost ground with a slow puncture early in the race. The N°25 car was joined on the podium by the N°24 Morgan-Nissan of Nicolet/Pla/Lahaye, ahead of Pecom Racing’s N°49 Oreca03-Nissan.
After securing yet another pole position in LMGTE Pro, the N°97 Aston Martin Vantage was at last rewarded with a victory. The N°77 Porsche led early on but the British car moved ahead after 30 minutes’ racing. The two cars then traded first place as a function of their respective fuel stop strategies and were running within a second of each other with half-an-hour remaining. Darren Turner finally succeeded in passing the German car to collect Aston Martins first victory since its return to world class GT racing. The N°71 AF Corse Ferrari was third, but the similar N°51 car suffered an alternator belt problem.
In the LMGTE battle, Paolo Ruberti was fast during the early part of the race in the N°88 Porsche, but the N°50 Larbre Compétition Corvette (Lamy/Canal/Bornhauser) eased ahead shortly before the halfway point in the hands of Pedro Lamy. The French team defended its lead until the finish to claim the class’s 2012 FIA Endurance Trophy.
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