The no22 United Autosports Oreca-Gibson took the chequered flag with Phil Hanson at the wheel to win the 4 Hours of Monza and the 2020 European Le Mans Series titles for himself, his teammate Filipe Albuquerque and for United Autosports.
The start of the 4 Hours of Monza saw a full complement of LMP2 cars after the Inter Europol Competition team received a replacement chassis for the one that was destroyed earlier in the week and after the mechanics pulled an all nightery, the no34 Ligier took its place at the back of the LMP2 field with Rene Binder at the wheel.
Overnight rain and colder temperatures had made the track surface a little tricky and the teams had to decide to fit slick or intermediate tyres.
Phil Hanson led the field into the first corner with the no26 G-Drive Racing Aurus of Roman Rusinov falling back from the front row on the run into T1. Rusinov was tapped into a spin by the no39 Graff Oreca and the Russian’s car ended up beached on the kerbs, with the rear wheels spinning uselessly in the air. Hanson also got onto the kerbs and ran wide into the gravel on the second part of the chicane. Luckily, he was able to keep the momentum and get through the gravel trap, but in the process, he had dropped down to 13th place.
With the no26 Aurus in a dangerous position the safety car was deployed, with the no30 Duqueine Team Oreca of Jonathan Hirschi in the lead and Nicolas Jamin in second in the no31 Panis Racing Oreca. As the safety car prepared to release the cars to racing speed Jamin ran into the back of the lead car, damaging the front light pod of the no31 Oreca.At the restart Jamin got ahead of Hirschi but had to pit at the end of the lap to repair the car.
Anders Fjordbach was making rapid progress up the field from 14th on the grid in the no20 High Class Racing Oreca. By lap 6 he passed Will Owen in the no32 United Autosports Oreca for 3rd and challenging the no37 Cool Racing Oreca of Antonin Borga for second place, which he duly did.Fjordbach then closed on Hirschi’s leading Duqueine Team Oreca, pushing the Swiss driver hard. Heading into Parabolica at the end of lap 7 saw the no30 Oreca run wide and drop to 5th while the no20 High Class Racing car took the lead.
