Huge Aston Martin-McLaren LMGT3 crash deemed racing incident after stewards probe

The huge crash involving Finn Gehrsitz's #58 McLaren GT3 car at the Fuji 6 Hours of the World Endurance Championship has been ruled a racing incident by the stewards. Neither Gehrsitz nor his Aston Martin teammate Mattia Drudi are predominantly responsible for the contact, the report states. During the race, with just under an hour left, the two drivers were battling for position when they made contact, sending Gehrsitz's car hard into the barriers.

Gehrsitz emerged uninjured, but the incident caused a safety car intervention, significantly altering the race dynamics. The stewards also noted that a third car exiting the pit lane contributed to the contact. During the hearing, both drivers explained that they were attempting to stay close to each other to gain speed, but acknowledged that neither was predominantly responsible for the crash.

Teammates of the drivers, such as Benjamin Goethe and Zach Robichon, agreed that while the contact was unfortunate, it was a case of not giving space and that the accident ultimately benefited Drudi's #27 Aston Martin. The McLarens lost out in the race, with Gehrsitz's team conceding the LMGT3 lead and struggling with the pace of double-stinted tyres.