Stewards clear Aston Martin’s Mattia Drudi and McLaren’s Finn Gehrsitz after LMGT3 collision at Fuji

The World Endurance Championship’s Fuji 6 Hours saw a dramatic LMGT3 clash that has been classified as a racing incident. The collision between Aston Martin factory driver Mattia Drudi and McLaren driver Finn Gehrsitz left the #58 McLaren heavily damaged, but both drivers emerged unharmed and were exonerated after a stewards’ hearing.

With less than an hour remaining of the race, Drudi and Gehrsitz were battling for position when their cars made contact. The impact sent Gehrsitz’s Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 into the barriers, prompting a safety‑car period that reshaped the field.

After the race both drivers were called to the stewards’ office. The official report highlighted a third car exiting the pit lane as an additional factor in the incident. All parties agreed that neither driver bore predominant blame.

“During the hearing, the driver of Car 58 explained that he intended to remain close to Car 27 to benefit from the side draft and gain additional speed,” the official document read.

“Both drivers explained that, given the high speed at which they were travelling, the proximity of the cars and the presence of another car exiting the pit lane, they attempted to maintain a straight trajectory.”

“Finally, both drivers considered the incident to be a racing incident, with neither driver considering the other to be predominantly responsible for the contact.”

“Having considered the matter extensively, the Stewards determined that no significant or abrupt steering movement was evident from either car.”

“They were also unable to establish that either driver was predominantly responsible for the contact. The Stewards therefore determined that the incident was a racing incident and decided that no further action was necessary.”

With the drivers unable to speak to the press due to their hearing, Motorsport.com spoke to their teammates. Benjamin Goethe, sharing the #58 McLaren with Gehrsitz and Anthony West, and Zach Robichon, co‑driving Drudi’s #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin, both described the outcome as unfortunate but understandable.

“Honestly, it looks like it was close racing and it’s really unfortunate what happened to the other car,” Robichon told Motorsport.com. “I’m glad he’s okay and I think it was a case of nobody giving space. I think that’s all there was to it.”

The incident proved advantageous for the #27 Aston Martin. Drudi advanced through the pit‑stop cycle under safety‑car conditions, eventually climbing through the field to secure second place at the finish.

“What a crazy end to the race. I think Mattia just did a fantastic job of keeping it clean. You say so often that if you don’t make mistakes you’ll find yourself in a good position, and that is exactly what happened,” Robichon added. “I think everybody was super aggressive after the restart and we just kind of picked up the pieces when others were fighting. We put the car in the right spot, didn’t take any unnecessary risks, and look what happened. It just goes to show if you’re smart, you can come out near the top.”

Both McLarens lose out

Goethe echoed Robichon’s sentiments, noting that the contact could have been a minor tap under different circumstances. “From what I saw on the onboard camera, it looks like they both moved slightly towards each other. I think the reason they were getting so close to each other was that Finn was trying to get a side draft,” he explained.

“Normally, this contact would just be a little door‑to‑door contact which doesn’t result in a crash. It’s just a little tap and you get on with the race. I think, in this case, unfortunately, the wheels made contact, which led to the car being lifted and shooting off to the left, which is quite rare. I think it’s very unfortunate and I don’t think it was anyone’s fault in particular, just a racing incident and very unlucky.”

“I spoke to Finn briefly before he went to the stewards’ office. He’s obviously quite disappointed as it ended our race, but the important thing was to see that he was able to walk, able to stand up, and able to communicate without bad injuries, which is always good,” Goethe added.

The mishap also dealt a blow to Garage 59’s second entry. The #10 McLaren driven by Antares Au, Tom Fleming and Marvin Kirchhofer lost the LMGT3 lead during the final pit stop when Kirchhofer was overtaken by both Corvettes despite electing not to change tyres.

This strategic decision left the German driver slipping further down the order after the restart, as several cars on fresh Goodyear compounds passed him.

“Not changing tyres was the right move at the time to keep track position, not knowing how long the safety car would be out,” Goethe said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t really work out. They struggled a bit on pace with the double‑stinted tyres, so sometimes it works out for you, sometimes it doesn’t. I think this race especially didn’t work out for both cars, so it’s really unfortunate.”

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