Spengler denies blame for “weird” Rolex 24 startline shunt
BMW’s Bruno Spengler has refuted the blame for the bizarre GT Le Mans crash before the startline of the 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona that forced the majority of the GT field to make a panicked avoidance.
Spengler’s BMW Team RLL M8 GTE slammed into the rear of Kevin Estre’s WeatherTech Racing Proton Comptition-run Porsche 911 RSR-19 as the field approached the starting stand as the green flag waved, causing Estre to spin into the Risi Competitzione Ferrari that started alongside him and then slide across the track, causing chaos behind him.
IMSA penalized Spengler for causing the crash, which led to a drive-through penalty, while the Porsche required lengthy repairs to both the front and rear end. Estre caused the race’s first yellow, when the rear diffuser of his car fell off at Turn 6.
“It was very difficult to understand what happened because it was green, everybody was going on the throttle flat-out, and the car in front of me didn’t go really,” Spengler told NBCSN. “I don’t know if he had an issue or what. I tried to avoid him, but as I tried I clipped the rear of his car slightly and it was enough to spin him around.
“I don’t know if he had an issue, why his car didn’t go at the green, he even tapped the brakes slightly, so he was off-sequence because everybody else was going except him, that’s why I hit him.
“I didn’t really understand why he’d be on the brakes as the green was coming, I tried to avoid, but it was impossible, there was nothing I could do to avoid a collision when all the other cars are going. Just one car didn’t go. It was a weird incident, and I feel the penalty was very harsh – because there was nothing I could have done to avoid it – but we’re back on the lead lap, so it could have been worse, let’s say.”
#79 WeatherTech Racing Porsche 911 RSR - 19, GTLM: Cooper MacNeil, Gianmaria Bruni, Richard Lietz, Kevin Estre
Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images
Estre – whose car lost multiple laps for repairs – had a different opinion of events, and disputed Spengler’s version of what happened.
He tweeted: “Can’t believe it! We’ve lost the race before it even started... I was waiting for the pole sitter to go on power there and the BMW just went full throttle without looking ahead! Unbelievable.”
Previous article
Rolex 24: Nasr leads at start, trouble strikes key runners
Next article
Rolex 24, H3: JDC-Miller Cadillac leads, Corvette heads GTLM
About this article
| Series | IMSA |
| Event | Daytona 24 |
| Author | Charles Bradley |
24 Hours of Daytona Video Recap
24 Hours of Daytona: Fourth Place for Ferrari
Watch the entire Rolex 24 in just over a minute
The GTE dilemma that IMSA has created for the WEC
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s decision to scrap its GT Le Mans class for 2022 raises the question of whether the FIA World Endurance Championship should phase out GTE cars. But it's a much harder decision than it appears on the surface.
Nine things to watch at the 2021 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona
After a 100-minute sprint race to whet the appetite, the 2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship gets underway properly this weekend. With plenty of significant changes during the winter, here are the key points you need to keep an eye on
Why Magnussen is relishing a fresh start in sportscars
Having gone over seven years without a race win through spells with McLaren, Renault and Haas, Kevin Magnussen's departure from Formula 1 for IMSA with big-hitters Chip Ganassi Racing could give him what he craves most - a chance of success
Oliver Gavin's Corvette Racing highlights
Oliver Gavin has stepped down from the full-time Corvette Racing line-up after a stellar career with the team spanning nearly 20 years. He looks back on a stint that encompassed, among other successes, five Le Mans 24 Hours victories.
How Tandy joined an exclusive club of endurance legends
Victory at last year's Spa 24 Hours meant Nick Tandy had completed the unofficial sextuple crown of the world's six biggest endurance races, becoming the first Briton to do so. Ahead of his fresh start with Corvette Racing, he explains how he did it…
The 12 greatest Sebring 12 Hours ranked
The 2020 edition of the Florida sportscar classic is finally taking place this weekend, eight months after its traditional date in March. That meant there was plenty of time for Motorsport.com to pour over its previous 67 races and select the best.
Tony Kanaan’s top 10 races – in his own words
The 2004 IndyCar champion and 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan probably hasn’t yet driven his final IndyCar race, but we still asked him for the 10 most significant races of his career. He explained his choices to David Malsher-Lopez.
Why the GTE ruleset looks to have run its course
The GTE ruleset has served sportscar racing in both Europe and the United States well over the past decade. But now there are clear signs that the end of its life is in sight as manufacturer support continues to fade.
