News – 14^th April 2001 
DONINGTON PARK PIT NOTES #03
European Le Mans Series – Round One 

RACE 

11:12 WET RACE DECLARED
11:30 Pit lane Open – Cars lining up on the grid
11:35 Audi tested full wets in this mornings warm up but have selected to run intermediates for the race.
11:40 Weather – Overcast with temperature at 9° Celsius.  At present it isn’t raining but showers are forecast during the race.  Track is damp in places from earlier rain.
11:54 Grid is cleared ready for the start.
11:59 2000 ALMS champion Allan McNish declares ‘Start Your Engines’ to get the opening round of the 2001 European Le Mans Series under way.  There will be two laps behind the pace car before the green lights.
12:06 Audi Pace car pulls into the pitlane,  Lights go green  Car#1 into lead with Car#07 passing car#02 on drop down the Craner Curves.
12:07 David Brabham started in car#50 and moves up into 5^th on the opening lap.
12:09 Car#01 leads by 0.811 seconds to Car #07 (Johannson) and Car#01
12:09 Car#42 BMW - JJ Lehto up to 19^th from 25^th on opening lap 
12:11 Car#42 BMW – Lehto up to 17^th.
12:12 Car#01 Audi R8 – Kristensen leads by 1.897 on lap 4 to Car#07
12:12 Car #01 Audi R8 – Starting to lap backmarkers on lap 5
12:14  BMW experiencing Communication problems with its drivers.
12:17 Car#08  got onto the grass on the exit of McLeans demolishing one of the distance markers.  Rejoined track quite quickly.
12:18 Cars#6, Car#50 and Car#72 intense battle between Beretta, Brabham and Boullion for 4^th place.
12:19 Car #01 – Audi R8 leading by 4.991 to car#07.  Car#07 under pressure from car#02
12:21 Car#5 Reynard – De Radigues leading LMP675 class, 8 seconds ahead of car#21
12:21 Car#43 BMW leading GT class 1.7 seconds ahead of car #23.
12:21 Car#42 BMW Lehto 3^rd in GT class, 5 seconds behind car#43
12:22 Car#42 Stop Go Penalty imposed
12:23 Car#23 gets past car #43 on lap 11 into the lead of GT class
12:23 Car#26 leading GTS class – 27 seconds ahead of car#41
12:24 Car#8 Spin by entrance to pits, rejoins
12:24 Car#43 BMW into pits and straight into the garage – adjustments to engine
12:24 Car # 42 BMW into pits to serve stop go penalty
12:26  Car#02 passes Car#07 to take 2^nd place after Car#07 attempted to lap car#26
12:28 Car#01 leads car#02 by 6.475 seconds on lap 15.
12:28 Car#02 has opened up a gap of 2.056 seconds to car#07
12:28 Car#6 opened up a gap of 4.8 seconds to Car#50
12:30 Car#5 into pits engine cover off
12:30 Car#8 into pits – refuelling
12:30 Running order – 1/2/7/6/50/72/3/51/8/21/26/41/5/23/22/42/52/60/63/52