World Endurance Championship 2015: Audi squeeze out Porsche once again as Spa Six Hours goes down to final lap shootout

The Chequered Flag: Just like at the season opener in Silverstone, Audi were forced to utilise strategy to defeat Porsche by the slimmest of margins

Benoit Treluyer, Marcel Fassler and Andre Lotterer celebrate victory (Getty Images)

The track may have been different, but the result was nearly an exact replica as Audi’s Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fassler made it two from two with victory in the Spa Six Hours on Saturday evening in the second round of the World Endurance Championship.

Having beaten the No 18 Porsche 919 Hybrid of Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas and Neel Jani by just 4.610 seconds at the season opener at Silverstone last month, it was the No 7 Audi R18 e-tron that triumphed once more, this time by the slightly larger margin of 13.424 seconds.

The Porsche proved to be the faster of the LMP1 challengers around the Spa-Franchorchamps circuit, but just like at Silverstone, it was Audi’s race strategy and ability to double-sting their tyres that saw them move into the lead shortly after the four-hour mark.

Porsche would regain the lead an hour later after double-stinting themselves, but Audi would regain the advantage by repeating the strategy call for the short final stint and allow Treluyer to take the chequered flag by another slim margin, signalling the incredible competitiveness that the 2015 World Endurance Championship has already brought.

The No 7 Audi outfit have won both World Endurance Championship races this season (Getty Images)

With the No 18 Porsche of Brendon Hartley, Timo Bernhard and Mark Webber coming home in third, it meant Toyota continue to look off the pace heading towards the Le Mans 24 Hours. Despite starting on pole, the No 18 car finished over a lap down, with Hartley incurring a drive-through penalty for cutting the bus-stop chicane and a damper problem forcing them into pits unexpectedly.

Marco Bonanomi, Rene Rast and Filipe Albuquerque came home in fourth in the No 9 Audi ahead of the lead Toyota of Alex Wurz, Stephane Sarrazin and Mike Conway, while the additional No 19 Porsche of Nick Tandy, Nico Hulkenberg and Earl Bamber – that will also run in Le Mans – came home three laps down in sixth ahead of the remaining Audi of Lucas Di Grassi, Loïc Duval and Oliver Jarvis.

The No 18 Porsche started on pole but could only finish in third (Getty Images)

Reigning WEC champions Anthony Davidson and Sebastian Buemi were forced to drive as a pair due to Kazuki Nakajima’s injury in a practice crash, and finished in eighth having experienced throttle and electrical issues.

In LMP2, Harry Tincknell, Mitch Evans and Simon Dolan overcame a drive-through penalty to win comfortably in their Gibson-Nissan 015S, ahead of the G-Drive Racing Ligier-Nissan of Gustavo Yacaman, Luis Felipe Derani and Ricardo Gonzalez. Having missed the opening round in Silverstone after a late withdrawal, there was a rostrum finish for the Sard Morand Morgan Evo of Pierre Ragues, Zoel Amberg and Britain’s Oliver Webb.

Aston Martin took the spoils in GTE Pro with Alex MacDowall, Fernando Rees and Richie Stanaway fending off the two Porsche Team Manthey challengers, and also triumphed in GTE Am for the second straight race with Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy and Mathias Lauda clinching victory ahead of No 83 AF Corse Ferrari and the No 72 SMP Ferrari.

LORENZO ENJOYS THE HOME COMFORTS IN JEREZ AS KENT CONTINUES STORMING START

MotoGP saw its third different winner in four races in 2015 after Jorge Lorenzo led from start to finish to clinch the Spanish Grand Prix and kick-start his campaign.

With Marc Marquez suffering from a broken finger after a motocross accident – in which his friend ran over his hand – that required a titanium plate to be inserted into the injured finger, Lorenzo was able to pull away from the rest of the field and beat the two-time world champion by over five seconds.

Jorge Lorenzo on his way to victory at Jerez (Getty Images)

Valentino Rossi followed the Repsol Honda rider home to clinch third, thus becoming the first man to claim 200 podium finishes. Britain’s Cal Crutchlow continued his good form as he brought the LCR Honda home in fourth position, while Tech 3 Yamaha’s Bradley Smith was down in eighth.

Jonas Folger clinched his second Moto2 victory of the season after pulling away from Tito Rabat to win by nearly two seconds, but the drama was to be found in the Moto3 race which went down to the final corner.

Having won twice already this season, Britain’s Danny Kent went into the final lap at Jerez as part of a four-rider group battling for the win. When Fabio Quartararo lunged up the inside of Miguel Oliveira at the final corner, Kent seized his opportunity to force his Honda through the newly-made gap and power along the home straight to victory.

Oliveira was able to recover to take second ahead of his team-mate Brad Binder, while Quartararo’s error cost him dear as he trailed in fourth.

The win means Kent now leads the Moto3 standings with 91 points to his name, 31 clear of his nearest rival and team-mate Efren Vazquez.

EARNHARDT JR STROLLS TO TALLADEGA SUCCESS

Dale Earnhardt Jr saw an aggressive strategy carry him to Talladega victory as he won at the Alabama super speedway for the first time since 2004 to register his first victory of the Nascar season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr leads the field on the final lap at Talladega (Getty Images)

Just a few days after the birthday of his late father Dale Earnhardt, Jr thrilled the fans as the crowd favourite led a race-high 67 laps and held off any challenge in the closing laps. Despite becoming accustomed to three and four-wide racing at Tallageda, the chasing pack line-up in a single file formation, and were unable to chase down Earnhardt Jr as a result.

Earnhardt Jr celebrates victory at Talladega (Getty Images)

It capped a good day for Hendrick Motorsport with Jimmie Johnson coming home in second, and almost certainly puts Earnhardt Jr in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship come the end of the season