Spa 24 Hours start marred by shunts

The Spa 24 Hours has been interrupted by a run of four safety-car periods before the race reached the three-hour mark. The race was neutralized behind two safety cars in the second hour when Russian driver Vyacheslav Maleev crashed heavily at Eau Rouge in his SMP/Russian Bears Ferrari 458 Italia.

The event went green after three laps, only for Tim Mullen to crash the VonRyan Racing McLaren MP4-12C at the first left-hand kink at Blanchimont after his group was released one corner before at Stavelot.

The six-lap safety car period was immediately followed by another major incident when Karim Ojjeh crashed his Boutsen McLaren at Eau Rouge, causing the race to be put on hold for a third time in less than an hour.

This period lasted three laps before the green flag, which was followed by a multi-car accident at Eau Rouge. The incident involved Andrew Howard in the Beechdean AMR Aston Martin V12 Vantage, Andrew Danyliw in a AF Corse Ferrari, German driver Tim Muller in a Rinaldi Ferrari and Alex Demirdjian in the second of the Boutsen McLarens.

Maleev and Ojjeh were able to extricate themselves from their cars unaided. Mullen and Howard, who were both conscious after their accidents, were taken to the circuit medical centre and then onto hospital for tests.

The race was led two hours and 45 minutes into the race by the #3 WRT Audi R8 LMS driven by Frank Stippler from Rene Rast in the team's #1 car.

The #3 car moved into the lead when the leading runners made their stops during the second of the four safety cars.

The #1 Audi (pictured) made the early running in pole winner Laurens Vanthoor's hands.