Blancpain 6 Hours of Paul Ricard

[Alianora La Canta]

The gap ahead of Marco is nice and stable. There's 4 hours and 44 minutes to go, no need to hurry.

[Alianora La Canta]

Marco briefly went off on one of the corners - fortunately Paul Ricard is full of blue high-grip run-off, so he only lost about 1 second in the process.

[Alianora La Canta]

The #14 Jaguar is now leading the race, and the #88 Mercedes in second is in hot pursuit. However, Marco's now reeling them in, having regained the entire lost second in the course of one lap. Gap down to 2.2 seconds.

[Alianora La Canta]

The #7 Bentley has limped back into the garage, and is needing repair work. Meanwhile, the #67 Ferrari has parked with a loss of water. This brings the list of cars that are no longer in contention for a reasonable position up to 8th.

Full-course yellow!

[Alianora La Canta]

There's debris all over the track at the Turn 10 chicane, possibly from the #67 car.

[Alianora La Canta]

We have now established that the #67 can't have caused all the debris as a fair bit of it is after the place where it stopped (and is now in the process of being towed away). The #7 Aston Martin just about avoided going a lap down.

[Alianora La Canta]

Safety Car has been deployed... ...for some reason just behind Marco's car...

[Alianora La Canta]

Safety Car has finally found the leader and officially started a Safety Car period. Not sure why. Pit stops are happening for some, but Marco is still in 3rd.

[Alianora La Canta]

Safety car is in this lap. Forza Marco, Fisico, James e Kapersky Motorsport!

[Alianora La Canta]

Marco is up to 2nd after the #84 Mercedes pits 1 lap after the Safety Car ended.

[Alianora La Canta]

The gap between Marco and the #14 Emil Frey Jaguar he's chasing is currently 3 seconds. Meanwhile, the #26 car is visiting the garage.

[Alianora La Canta]

The #5 Audi (Fassler) is limping back to the pits after a wheel it had put on its car started to come off - and Marcel's driving way too fast, damaging the bodywork as the wheel works loose. It has now spun in the middle of the track!

Marco is serenely continuing in 2nd, still 3 seconds off the lead.

[Alianora La Canta]

Marco's pitted under the brief yellow flag.

[Alianora La Canta]

The #5 Audi has finally got back to the pits, and its manager has been told to talk to the stewards.

The #55 Kapersky is in 23rd at the moment, 1 minute and 21 seconds behind the leader.

[Alianora La Canta]

James Calado took over the #55 Kapersky on that last pit stop. It's also showing as a lap down - along with anyone not in the top 7. This is a serious worry.