2012 WEC, ALMS&ELMS News

[Rob]

Welcome to the Future of Sports Car Racing!
GRAND-AM Road Racing, American Le Mans Series Announce Historic Merger

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 5, 2012) – The most significant development in the history of sports car racing in North America was announced today, with plans for a landmark merger of GRAND-AM Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) unveiled at Daytona International Speedway.

Under terms of the merger, the following entities will combine with GRAND-AM: the American Le Mans Series; the International Motor Sports Association, which sanctions ALMS events; the Road Atlanta race track facility in Braselton, Ga.; the Chateau Elan Hotel and Conference Center in Sebring, Fla.; and Sebring International Raceway, via a reassignment of the lease agreement with the Sebring Airport Authority to operate the raceway.

Both sanctioning bodies will continue to operate separate schedules in 2013 before racing under one banner in 2014 beginning with North America’s premier sports car race, the 52nd annual Rolex 24 At Daytona. A board of directors has been formed to operate the new combined organization with GRAND-AM founder Jim France as chairman and ALMS founder Don Panoz as vice chairman. Other members: NASCAR Vice Chair/Executive Vice President Lesa France Kennedy, GRAND-AM President/CEO Ed Bennett, ALMS President/CEO Scott Atherton and NASCAR Vice President/Deputy General Counsel Karen Leetzow.

“Today’s announcement will transform sports car racing on this continent, along with having world-wide industry implications,” said Bennett. “Aside from the organizations involved, everybody wins: drivers, teams, manufacturers, sponsors, tracks – and most all, the fans.

“This new approach is going to be revolutionary, as we take the best components from two premium brands, combine them and then benefit mutually from the considerable resources both sides will bring to our efforts. This is a bold move – and the right one – for the long-term, optimum growth of sports car racing.”

Added Atherton: “This merger will blend the best assets and attributes of each organization in terms of technical rules, officiating, marketing, communications, personnel, scheduling and broadcasting. The result will be one of the strongest, most competitive and powerful motorsports marketing platforms in the world.”

Post-merger branding still is being determined for the new organization and its principal series, as are specifics regarding the 2014 schedule. Also, the competitive class structure and technical rules beginning in 2014 have yet to be finalized.

The ALMS began operations in 1999, with GRAND-AM debuting in 2000. Both organizations were created in the aftermath of the late-’90s departure of the highly popular IMSA Camel GT circuit in North America. IMSA was founded in 1969 by John Bishop and then-NASCAR President Bill France Sr.

“This merger will strengthen professional sports car racing beyond what either of our organizations could have achieved separately,” said Panoz. “The American Le Mans Series was founded for the fans and I’m personally gratified that they will benefit greatly as we now work together with GRAND-AM to take this sport to the level at which it belongs in the North American and international motorsports landscapes.”

France said the merger was exciting both “on a professional and a personal level, with me being a long-time sports car fan. This merger was achieved through a true spirit of cooperation. Moving forward, that same spirit will drive our day-to-day efforts.”

Collectively, this merger involves a total of eight sports car series racing throughout North America. GRAND-AM sanctions and operates the Rolex Sports Car Series, the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and the TOTAL Performance Showcase. GRAND-AM also sanctions the Ferrari Challenge that is operated by Ferrari North America. IMSA is the sanctioning body for the ALMS, the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama Series, the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda Series and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin.

“This looks good from a business standpoint but it also ‘feels good’ from a historical standpoint,” Bennett said. “Both GRAND-AM and the ALMS have lineages tied to Daytona Beach, Daytona International Speedway and the France Family. This announcement is a proud moment for all involved, as we now look forward to a bright future for sports car racing.”

About American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is based on the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. It features multiple classes of purpose-built prototypes and production-based GT cars that race on the same track at the same time. The ALMS holds events annually throughout North America on premier urban street circuits and top permanent natural terrain road courses. The American Le Mans Series has a leadership role in motorsports for the furthering of alternative fuel technology and use. The ALMS was the first motorsports body in the world to embrace an entire suite of alternative energy sources – E10 and E85 cellulosic ethanols, isobutanol, clean diesel and hybrid technologies.

About Grand-Am Road Racing
GRAND-AM Road Racing operates and sanctions the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and the TOTAL Performance Showcase. GRAND-AM also sanctions the Ferrari Challenge in North America. Owned by NASCAR Holdings Inc., GRAND-AM is located in Daytona Beach, Florida. With a racing schedule led by the prestigious season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, GRAND-AM delivers professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International.

[Rob]

The Automobile Club de l'Ouest welcomes rapprochement between sets American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Road Racing, effective from 2014.

From the 2014 season, schedules Championships American Le Mans Series, IMSA and operated by the Grand-Am Road Racing, under the governance of NASCAR, will be merged, following the agreement between the promoters of these two competitions.

The Automobile Club de l'Ouest welcomes the merger will increase the already strong audience of endurance racing in North America through the ALMS and will increase its internationally. The quality of both organizations together is a sign of confidence in the ACO on sustainability values ​​and prestige of the Le Mans 24 Hours Overseas, indispensable for any endurance competition.
As the creator and organizer of the 24 Hours Le Mans since 1923 and sponsor of the World Championship Endurance FIA, ACO actively participate in development of this new championship.

Major player on the endurance North American continent, the ACO launched ALMS with his partner Don Panoz in 1999 following the creation of the Petit Le Mans race (held on the Circuit Road Atlanta, Georgia) in 1998 .

In 2013, the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am will continue to operate separately and in a manner identical to recent seasons. The details of this series unified under a single banner will be announced later by the promoters of this new competition. However, it will begin at the 52nd edition of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.

The Steering Committee will be chaired by the championship Jim France, founder of the Grand-Am as Chairman with Don Panoz, founder of ALMS as vice president. The other members are: Lesa France Kennedy (NASCAR Vice President), Ed Bennett (CEO Grand-Am), Scott Atherton (ALMS CEO) and Karen Leetzow (Vice-President and General Counsel NASCAR).

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest: " The merger of these two leagues, which was made ​​with the approval of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, was necessary for the endurance automobile continues its progression. From 2014, this discipline will be based on a calendar and expanded trays and high quality. And unified series will benefit all: competitors entered North America, drivers, spectators ... This merger demonstrates the correctness of view of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, one of the pillars of the building is the International Endurance. The base consists of three continental series: European Le Mans Series, Asian Le Mans Series and the North American merger in 2014, the foundation more solid and powerful capped by the Endurance World Championship by the FIA, the top the pyramid remained the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I am glad to meet soon the new management team of this series to begin concrete work with her ​​on her future. "

[Rob]

Le Mans organiser the ACO backs Grand-Am/ALMS merger
By Gary Watkins Wednesday, September 5th 2012, 17:38 GMT

The Automobile Club de l'Ouest believes that the merger between Grand-Am and the American Le Mans Series will make international sportscar racing stronger.

ACO president Pierre Fillon, whose organisation licenses the Le Mans name to the ALMS, said the move had "become necessary to enable endurance racing to continue to evolve".

He said the merger, which will come into force in 2014, "will reinforce the presence of endurance racing on the international scene".

A statement from the ACO read: "The ACO is delighted about this merger, which will increase the already large audience for endurance in North America and at the same time boost its international impact.

"The quality of the two organisations combined is a guarantee of confidence concerning the perpetuation of the values and prestige of the Le Mans 24 Hours on the American continent."

Fillon said he would be meeting the bosses of the new organisation, which include ALMS founder Don Panoz and series boss Scott Atherton, to start working with them on the new series.

The new championship, which has yet to be given a name, will retain a class for the Le Mans GTE class, it was confirmed at the official announcement of the merger.

However, Panoz, who is to be vice-chairman of the new organisation, as good as said that there would be no LMP1 class in the new series.

Panoz stated that he intended to find a way for successful teams in the new series to be able to win guaranteed starting spots for the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The first and second-placed teams in the ALMS LMP1, LMP2 and GT categories gain entries for Le Mans, along with the class winners at the Petit Le Mans enduro at Road Atlanta.

[Rob]

The FIA World Endurance Championship welcomes the announcement made yesterday that in 2014, the calendars of the American Le Mans Series and the Grand-Am Road Racing will merge.

Gerard Neveu, CEO of the FIA WEC said: “The news that endurance racing in North America will have one voice from 2014 is good news for our sport. The United States is a very important market and anything that strengthens the brand in that part of the world is good news for everyone involved. The FIA World Endurance Championship will continue to hold a race in North America and the merger between ALMS and Grand–Am will introduce more people to our global brand of racing. We’d like to congratulate Don Panoz and Scott Atherton from ALMS and Mr. France and Mr. Bennet from Grand-Am for reaching this historic agreement. I’d like to wish everyone involved good luck and offer our continued support.”



ACO Press Release
LE MANS – 5 September 2012

The ACO
is delighted about the merger between the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest is delighted about the joint venture between the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Road Racing in 2014.

In 2014, the calendars of the American Le Mans Series, organized by IMSA, and the Grand-Am Road Racing governed by NASCAR will merge following an agreement reached between the promoters of both competitions.

The Automobile Club is delighted about this merger, which will increase the already large audience for endurance in North America and at the same time boost its international impact. The quality of the two organizations combined is a guarantee of confidence concerning the perpetuation of the values and prestige of the Le Mans 24 Hours on the American continent, which are indispensable elements for endurance racing.

In its role as creator and organizer of the Le Mans 24 Hours since 1923 and promoter of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the ACO will play an active role in the development of this new championship.

The ACO has been a major player in endurance on the North-American continent and it launched the ALMS with its partner Don Panoz in 1999, after the creation of the Petit Le Mans race in 1998 on the Road Atlanta circuit in Georgia.

In 2013, the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am will continue to run separately like in previous seasons. The details of this unified series under the same banner will be announced later on by the promoters of this new championship. It will begin with the 52nd Rolex Daytona 24 Hours in 2014.

The steering committee of this new championship will be presided by Jim France, the founder of Grand-Am as Chairman with Don Panoz, the ALMS founder as vice chairman. The other members are Lesa France Kennedy (NASCAR Executive Vice President), Ed Bennet (CEO/President Grand Am), Scott Atherton (President/CEO ALMS) and Karen Leetzow (NASCAR Vice President and Deputy General Counsel).

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest: “The merger of these two championships, which was carried out with the approval of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, has become necessary to enable endurance racing to continue to evolve. In 2014, this branch of the sport will have a bigger calendar and high-quality fields. Everybody will benefit from this unified series: entrants in North America, drivers and fans. This joint venture proves that Automobile Club de l’Ouest’s assessment of the situation is the right one, and one of its major initiatives is to reinforce the presence of endurance racing on the international scene. The foundation consists of three continental series: the European Le Mans Series, the Asian Le Mans Series and this North-American merger in 2014, which will make the base even stronger together with the FIA World Endurance Championship, while the summit of this pyramid remains the Le Mans 24 Hours. I’m happy to meet up with the new team directing this new series in the near future, and to start working with them on this North-American Championship.”

[Rob]

Young British driver, Alex Brundle, who made a very positive mark on the FIA World Endurance Championship LMP2 class in the 6 Hours of Silverstone by qualifying in pole position, will be making his debut in the Championship's fifth round at Sao Paulo at the wheel of OAK Racing’s No.35 Morgan Nissan.

Brundle, 22, will be the silver grade driver in the line-up which includes team regulars Bertrand Baguette and Dominik Kraihamer. The French trio of Matthieu Lahaye-Olivier Pla-Jacques Nicolet continue their partnership in Brazil in the sister OAK Racing No.24 car and both crews share a common aim: to finish on the podium. This will be Brundle’s third FIA WEC round, having already contested the 24 Hours of Le Mans and last month’s 6 Hours of Silverstone and he will no doubt benefit from his father Martin’s considerable F1 experience at Interlagos.

Alex Brundle, No.35 Morgan Nissan: "I was delighted to receive the call from Sébastien Philippe of OAK Racing asking me to drive in Sao Paulo. The OAK cars have been fierce challengers in both the ELMS and WEC and my team-mates are very strong, so I am confident we will have a good package. I am looking forward to using this opportunity to continue to carve out a career in sports car racing and I would like to extend my thanks to OAK Racing for offering me the chance to do so."

Sébastien Philippe, OAK Racing Team Principal: "We will give our all in pursuit of a podium at Interlagos, having so narrowly missed out at Silverstone. The trip to Brazil is a first for us and I hope that the few hours of free practice will be sufficient to prepare the two cars and for the drivers to learn the circuit. Fortunately, Interlagos is not very long and the layout, particularly its tight corners, should be well suited to our cars. The Morgan 2012 LMP2s are generally comfortable with this type of track and we also benefit from good exit speed and excellent torque from our Nissan engines. These assets should play into our hands come the race."

[Rob]

OLD MEETS NEW AT INTERLAGOS

11/09/2012 - 19h16

The week of the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo got off to a great start when the cars from the FIA WEC were photographed on the grid with some cars celebrating the history of Endurance Racing. The manufacturers present for the Historic Tour of Sao Paulo included Mercedes, MG, Porsche, Corvette, Allard, Jaguar, Lotus and Ferrari. The Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing that was part of the Tour was once owned by Emerson Fittipaldi and has been completely restored by the current owner.

Emerson was on hand to welcome the cars before being photographed on the grid with the magnificent trophy that will be presented to the winners of the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo on Saturday afternoon.

After the photoshoot a press conference was held for national journalists to be told how the first 6 Hours of Sao Paulo will be a celebration of Endurance Racing in Brazil.

[Rob]

PODIUM AND POINTS ARE SIGNATECH'S SAO PAULO AIM
11/09/2012 - 16h10

The fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Silverstone was a race of mixed fortunes for the Signatech-Nissan team (see full story here).

The Philippe Sinault-run team had the joy of seeing the Franco-Russian trio of Nelson Panciatici-Pierre Ragues-Roman Rusinov in the No.26 Oreca 03-Nissan claim a well-deserved LMP2 podium place, adding to its excellent fourth place in the category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Conversely, there was disappointment for the team’s No.23 car which ended a very positive showing at Silverstone in the barriers some 90 minutes before the chequered flag.

As Team Manager, Philippe Sinault, notes: “Our Silverstone podium was a real reward for both the team and the drivers. We needed this breath of fresh air to finish the season and to aim for the overall podium. We are raring to go and ready for the final part of the Championship. Interlagos is a difficult track, and extremely physical for drivers who do not know it. We will have to work hard in practice, and think hard about our race strategy, but I am confident."

And so to Sao Paulo, taking the lessons learnt and experiences gained forward to what the team hopes will be more points and podium places. Despite the Interlagos track being known as difficult and technical, the No.23 crew of Franck Mailleux-Jordan Tresson-Olivier Lombard is hoping that the bad luck which has dogged their season to date will lift and they can match their team mates and claim a podium finish.

Philippe Sinault, Team Manager: “Silverstone proved to be quite difficult for the No. 23. I would like this ‘series’ of results to come to an end. We are still in a position to fight for the top three in the LMP2 category, and I intend on changing matters in Brazil in order to make up our delay. We have a good technical package, which we proved once again at Silverstone with Franck’s qualifying time, and especially with his first race stint.”

Jordan Tresson, No.23 Signatech-Nissan: “Silverstone was a round to forget, just like the start of this season. I know the Interlagos circuit virtually… it is renowned to be technical and very physical. It will be good to get there and to get driving. In the meantime, I will practice on the team’s simulator in order to memorise the track perfectly.”

Pierre Ragues, No.26 Signatech-Nissan: “I am much more serene before this fifth race than I was at the start of the season, as our podium finally proved we were competitive. We will have to work hard from the start as we don’t know the circuit.”

(from Signatech-Nissan team press release)

[Rob]

Fan of fast cars, Jamiroquai does not hesitate to show them in several of his videos. His collection of vehicles is quite impressive with Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Audi, etc. ... In the end, the singer of "Cosmic Girl" has engaged in many GT GT3. This is also driving a GT3 that has failed to find "Jay Kay" in July since the project was being set up for the 24 Hours of Spa. The deal is a bit complicated to implement in terms of timing, the case could not be done. Just hope that this is only a postponement ...

[Rob]

AN INTRODUCTION TO AF CORSE-WALTRIP'S BRAZILIAN LINE-UP

12/09/2012 - 18h37

Located on the outskirts of the huge city of Sao Paulo, the Autodromo José Carlos Pace 4.3 km long circuit is a physical challenge for prototype drivers, and their necks in particular, because it runs anti-clockwise unlike the majority of other tracks in the world. This isn’t such an issue for GT drivers in their closed cars, but the high altitude and low air density affects everyone and knowing how to deal with it is vital.

AF Corse-Waltrip plans to gain an advantage over their LMGTE Am rivals by fielding an all-Brazilian line up with a huge amount of local knowledge in their No.61 Ferrari 458 Italia. The ‘pro’ is former Arrows F1 and FIA GT1 driver, Enrique Bernoldi, the 33-year-old having raced at Interlagos in almost every category in which he’s competed. His time in the Sumo Power Nissan GT cars will be invaluable in helping him deal with the close attentions of his rivals and the traffic.

He will be joined by Chico Longo, an entrepreneur in the luxury car market and official importer of Ferrari and Maserati to Brazil. A multiple endurance Champion at Sao Paulo, Longo has competed in GT3, GT1 and International GT Open championships and is the current leader of the Brazilian Endurance Series in a Ferrari 458 GT3. He will be right at home at Interlagos!

The third link in the AF Corse-Waltrip chain is Xandy Negrão, a successful entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical industry. He has been four time vice-champion in the Brazilian Stock Car Championship (similar to NASCAR), and is also a double Brazilian GT3 Champion. Negrão and his son, Alexandre, are also two time winners in the Brazilian Endurance series with cars ranging from Audi to Lamborghini to Aston Martin. His versatility and experience will no doubt stand him in good stead for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 6 Hours of Sao Paulo.

[Rob]

Faced with two Audi factory and Toyota listed in factory teams, the Anglo-Swiss team aiming for a podium finish at the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, the fifth round of the World Endurance Championship FIA.

To 6 hours of Silverstone, Rebellion Racing has confirmed its leading position in the ranking of the best Private team with 37 points ahead of JRM and Strakka, which both use the prototype Honda HPD ARX 03a. The Anglo-Swiss team align themselves behind the wheel of his crew cut two Lola-Toyota: Nicolas Prost and Neel Jani on No. 12, and Andrea Belicchi Primat on No. 13.

Neel Jani (pilot Lola-Toyota # 12 Rebellion Racing LMP1): "I drove to Interlagos for the first time in 2006 with Toro Rosso during the free practice session of the Formula 1 Grand Prix, then GT1 championship in 2010. The circuit is good but difficult due to the altitude, which gives an additional advantage to diesel cars and hybrid, so we will be certainly a little further behind the factory cars. Our objective is to score maximum points in the standings "pilot" of the championship - we always aim to third place - and consolidate our leading position in the ranking of teams. The heat will undoubtedly be an asset for us because the car seems to work very well when it's hot! ".

Nicolas Prost (pilot Lola-Toyota # 12 Rebellion Racing LMP1): "I come to Brazil for the first time. Our goal is always the same: to be the first private team to finish the race. Once again, traffic will play a role. The circuit has good cornering sequences and a succession of ups and downs but it is not very large. It will be difficult to overcome. The temperature is hot, driving physics and circuit for testing tires. This can give an interesting race. I like circuits "old" as Interlagos and I think it should also very good for our car! '

Andrea Belicchi (pilot Lola-Toyota # 13 Rebellion Racing LMP1): "Interlagos is a really nice circuit. It is also one of the most physical of the season. I raced here in 2007 with the official team Spyker GT2 for Mil Milhas Brasil. I have fond memories of the circuit is very fun to drive. And I also very much appreciate the spirit of the Brazilians, always positive and enthusiastic ... a bit like the Italian public! '

Primat (pilot Lola-Toyota # 13 Rebellion Racing LMP1): "Interlagos is a circuit very nice, twisty and hilly, with a lot of pace. This makes a circuit very "physical", especially for long races like the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo where we have to make relay 35 turns. The fact that it turns on the left side we have to adapt the car to specific settings. And we'll also find the right balance between speed and downforce. But we can build on the basic settings Silverstone which were very good. And come running in Brazil is always something special! '

Bart Hayden (Rebellion Racing Team Manager): "I look forward to the Brazilian round of 2012 FIA WEC. We are firmly installed in the top of the rankings Trophy LM P1 teams at the World Championships and are determined to achieve another good result at Interlagos to finish once again at the head of private teams. Interlagos is a circuit that offers truly unique unusual challenges: a high altitude location, a twisty and hilly and a great testing ground for both the drivers and engineers. »

[Nova]

As always, thks Rob, great stuff.

[Rob]

WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK IN SÃO PAULO

13/09/2012 - 13h31

The 6 Hours of SãoPaulo, fifth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship will take place on Saturday, 15th September but the week’s work has already started for all those involved at the Autodromo José Carlos Pace, better known as Interlagos.

Administrative checks for the teams began from 0900 hours yesterday (all timings are local) and from 1400 hours for the drivers, whilst the cars started moving through Technical Scrutineering from 0930 hours.

Track action will start today, Thursday, at 1100 hours for a 90-minute free practice session, but that will be preceded by briefings for drivers at 0900 hours and team managers at 0930 hrs. These briefings are all the more important here as many drivers and teams don’t know the circuit.

After the lunch break, competitors will be back on track at 1530 hours for a second free practice session of one and a half hours before taking a well-earned break ahead of the third and final free practice which will run on Friday morning, 14th September, from 0945-1045 hours. During the morning break spectators will be able to freely observe the length and breadth of the pit lane during the pit-walk which is from 1100-1130 hours.

While all the classes are brought together during free practice, this isn’t the case for qualifying. In fact, the LMGTE Pro and Am class cars will lead the way from 1400-1420 hours, while the LMP1 and LMP2 cars will follow on from 1430-1450 hours.

The day will then be far from over for spectators as the first race of the Brazilian Porsche GT3 Cup will run from 1510-1545 hours, the second being timetabled for Saturday from 0925-1000 hours. Competitors from the DTCC (Driver Touring Car Cup), a one-make Audi A3 series, will follow from 1605-1630 hours for their second race of the day, the first being scheduled for 1145-1210 hours.

Saturday will be the big day for all competitors with warm up from 0800-0820 hours, followed by all the pre-grid activities. Spectators who missed the first pit-walk will be able to make up for that on Saturday morning from 1010-1050 hours, whilst the drivers will be available for photos and autographs from 1015-1045 hours.

Preparation time for the race follows, and the drivers will be on the grid for the 6 Hours of SãoPaulo which begins at 12 noon. It’s a race which should be just as exciting as the 6 Hours of Silverstone, which took place at the end of August, with battles in every category for which daggers will be drawn.

[Rob]

As always, thks Rob, great stuff.

Thats ok mate, looking forward to the 6 hrs Sao Paulo this weekend.

[Rob]

FREE PRACTICE 1: DRIVERS SET THEIR MARKS

13/09/2012 - 18h27

Following the drivers’ and team managers’ briefings this morning, competitors took to the track at 1100 hours for the first practice session for the 6 Hours of São Paulo. The huge storm clouds which shrouded the Brazilian economic capital didn’t break and, although the session was declared “wet” 20 minutes after the green flag, the drizzle quickly dried up.

The double-Le Mans-winning trio weren’t slow in putting down their marque and ended the session on top of the timesheet thanks to André Lotterer who posted a lap of 1:24.370. The No.1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro (hybrid) dominated the session ahead of its half-sister, the No.2 Audi R18 ultra (conventional engine). One-off entrant, Brazilian Lucas di Grassi, showed that Audi was right to put its faith in him by being very rapid straight away. Nicolas Lapierre and the No.7 Toyota TS030 HYBRID finished the session within a second of the two Audis.

Many drivers and teams were new to the track layout, and the first session was one of discovery for everyone in the FIA World Endurance Championship. All drivers marked out their reference points on this very particular track which, unlike most, runs anti-clockwise, something which is physically challenging for them, notably on their necks.

A second free practice session will begin at 1530 hours during which drivers and engineers will want to work on set up ready for Saturday’s race.



Pos N° Cat Driver Car T Laps Total Time Gap Gap Prev. Best lap Best time Best speed
1 1 LMP1 Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer, Benoit Tréluyer Audi R18 e-tron quattro M 51 - - 33 1:24.370 183.9
2 2 LMP1 Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish, Lucas Di Grassi Audi R18 ultra M 56 +0.468 +0.468 53 1:24.838 182.8
3 7 LMP1 Alexander Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre, Toyota TS030 - Hybrid M 41 +0.685 +0.217 32 1:25.055 182.4
4 21 LMP1 Nick Leventis, Danny Watts, Jonny Kane HPD ARX 03a - Honda M 36 +1.218 +0.533 16 1:25.588 181.2
5 12 LMP1 Nicolas Prost, Neel Jani, Lola B12/60 Coupé - Toyota M 45 +1.428 +0.210 43 1:25.798 180.8
6 22 LMP1 David Brabham, Karun Chandhok, Peter Dumbreck HPD ARX 03a - Honda M 40 +2.070 +0.642 13 1:26.440 179.5
7 13 LMP1 Andrea Belicchi, Harold Primat, Lola B12/60 Coupé - Toyota M 35 +2.481 +0.411 17 1:26.851 178.6
8 44 LMP2 Vicente Potolicchio, Ryan Dalziel, Stéphane Sarrazin HPD ARX 03b - Honda D 33 +3.932 +1.451 14 1:28.302 175.7
9 32 LMP2 Vitantonio Liuzzi, James Rossiter, Kevin Weeda Lola B12/80 Coupé - Lotus D 37 +4.581 +0.649 37 1:28.951 174.4
10 26 LMP2 Nelson Panciatici, Pierre Ragues, Roman Rusinov Oreca 03 - Nissan D 49 +4.664 +0.083 28 1:29.034 174.2
11 24 LMP2 Jacques Nicolet, Matthieu Lahaye, Olivier Pla Morgan - Nissan D 44 +4.730 +0.066 27 1:29.100 174.1
12 25 LMP2 John Martin, Jan Charouz, Tor Graves Oreca 03 - Nissan D 38 +4.792 +0.062 14 1:29.162 174.0
13 49 LMP2 Luis Perez Companc, Nicolas Minassian, Pierre Kaffer Oreca 03 - Nissan D 36 +4.874 +0.082 11 1:29.244 173.8
14 23 LMP2 Franck Mailleux, Olivier Lombard, Jordan Tresson Oreca 03 - Nissan D 50 +5.098 +0.224 27 1:29.468 173.4
15 35 LMP2 Bertrand Baguette, Dominik Kraihamer, Alex Brundle Morgan - Nissan D 43 +5.416 +0.318 6 1:29.786 172.8
16 41 LMP2 Christian Zugel, Roberto Gonzalez, Elton Julian Zytek Z11SN - Nissan D 46 +6.150 +0.734 24 1:30.520 171.4
17 31 LMP2 Thomas Holzer, Mirco Schultis, Luca Moro Lola B12/80 Coupé - Lotus D 44 +6.817 +0.667 43 1:31.187 170.1
18 29 LMP2 Fabien Giroix, Keiko Ihara, Jean-Denis Deletraz Lola B12/80 Coupé - Nissan D 44 +7.201 +0.384 44 1:31.571 169.4
19 51 LMGTE Pro Giancarlo Fisichella, Gianmaria Bruni, Ferrari F458 Italia M 50 +10.534 +3.333 15 1:34.904 163.5
20 77 LMGTE Pro Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Porsche 911 RSR (997) M 33 +10.840 +0.306 7 1:35.210 162.9
21 97 LMGTE Pro Stefan Mücke, Darren Turner, Aston Martin Vantage V8 M 37 +11.039 +0.199 10 1:35.409 162.6
22 71 LMGTE Pro Andrea Bertolini, Olivier Beretta, Ferrari F458 Italia M 44 +11.110 +0.071 20 1:35.480 162.5
23 61 LMGTE Am Francisco Longo, Alexandre Negrão, Enrique Bernoldi Ferrari F458 Italia M 41 +11.633 +0.523 11 1:36.003 161.6
24 50 LMGTE Am Patrick Bornhauser, Julien Canal, Fernando Rees Chevrolet Corvette C6-ZR1 M 36 +11.900 +0.267 19 1:36.270 161.1
25 57 LMGTE Am Tracy Krohn, Niclas Jönsson, Michele Rugolo Ferrari F458 Italia M 44 +12.235 +0.335 10 1:36.605 160.6
26 88 LMGTE Am Christian Ried, Gianluca Roda, Paolo Ruberti Porsche 911 RSR (997) M 44 +12.536 +0.301 24 1:36.906 160.1
27 55 LMGTE Am Joël Camathias, Markus Palttala, Paul Daniels Porsche 911 RSR (997) P 43 +14.263 +1.727 43 1:38.633 157.3
28 70 LMGTE Am Jean-Philippe Belloc, Christophe Bourret, Pascal Gibon Chevrolet Corvette C6-ZR1 M 40 +16.175 +1.912 37 1:40.545 154.3

[Rob]

FREE PRACTICE 2: TOYOTA TOPS TIME SHEETS

13/09/2012 - 22h14

The overcast weather in Sao Paulo threatened to distrupt the second Free Practice session of the first day of action in Brazil but despite a quick shower the track stayed dry for most of the 90-minute session.

The nr7 Toyota TS030 Hybrid topped the time sheets, finishing 0.438 seconds ahead of the nr2 Audi R18 Ultra and a further 0.190s ahead of the nr1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro.

The top LMP1 Private Team was the nr22 JRM HPD-Honda, 0.642s slower than the lead car.

In LMP2 the fastest car was the nr23 Signatech Nissan Oreca-Nissan, posting a time that was just 0.003s faster than the nr26 sister car.

In LMGTE Pro the nr77 Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche was the quickest GTE car for almost the whole session but was pushed off the top spot with five minutes to go in the 90-minute session by the nr97 Aston Martin Racing Vantage V8, which was 0.4 seconds faster as the chequered flag dropped.

In LMGTE Am it was the nr50 Larbre Competition Chevrolet Corvette that led the way for the whole of the Free Practice period and was 1.2 seconds faster than their nearest rival, the nr88 Felbermayr-Proton Porsche.

The third and final Free Practice session will take place tomorrow morning at 09:45 (local), with qualifying for the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo taking place tomorrow afternoon, starting at 14:00. The qualifying sessions can be viewed live on the championship website at www.fiawec.com



Pos N° Cat Driver Car T Laps Total Time Gap Gap Prev. Best lap Best time Best speed
1 7 LMP1 Alexander Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre, Toyota TS030 - Hybrid M 52 - - 51 1:23.272 186.3
2 2 LMP1 Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish, Lucas Di Grassi Audi R18 ultra M 58 +0.438 +0.438 28 1:23.710 185.3
3 1 LMP1 Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer, Benoit Tréluyer Audi R18 e-tron quattro M 57 +0.628 +0.190 27 1:23.900 184.9
4 22 LMP1 David Brabham, Karun Chandhok, Peter Dumbreck HPD ARX 03a - Honda M 43 +0.993 +0.365 37 1:24.265 184.1
5 21 LMP1 Nick Leventis, Danny Watts, Jonny Kane HPD ARX 03a - Honda M 40 +2.053 +1.060 8 1:25.325 181.8
6 12 LMP1 Nicolas Prost, Neel Jani, Lola B12/60 Coupé - Toyota M 43 +2.284 +0.231 3 1:25.556 181.3
7 13 LMP1 Andrea Belicchi, Harold Primat, Lola B12/60 Coupé - Toyota M 34 +2.980 +0.696 31 1:26.252 179.8
8 23 LMP2 Franck Mailleux, Olivier Lombard, Jordan Tresson Oreca 03 - Nissan D 48 +4.543 +1.563 25 1:27.815 176.6
9 26 LMP2 Nelson Panciatici, Pierre Ragues, Roman Rusinov Oreca 03 - Nissan D 54 +4.546 +0.003 28 1:27.818 176.6
10 44 LMP2 Vicente Potolicchio, Ryan Dalziel, Stéphane Sarrazin HPD ARX 03b - Honda D 43 +4.918 +0.372 27 1:28.190 175.9
11 24 LMP2 Jacques Nicolet, Matthieu Lahaye, Olivier Pla Morgan - Nissan D 45 +4.955 +0.037 15 1:28.227 175.8
12 35 LMP2 Bertrand Baguette, Dominik Kraihamer, Alex Brundle Morgan - Nissan D 50 +4.956 +0.001 11 1:28.228 175.8
13 32 LMP2 Vitantonio Liuzzi, James Rossiter, Kevin Weeda Lola B12/80 Coupé - Lotus D 48 +4.962 +0.006 48 1:28.234 175.8
14 25 LMP2 John Martin, Jan Charouz, Tor Graves Oreca 03 - Nissan D 44 +4.990 +0.028 44 1:28.262 175.8
15 49 LMP2 Luis Perez Companc, Nicolas Minassian, Pierre Kaffer Oreca 03 - Nissan D 46 +5.257 +0.267 12 1:28.529 175.2
16 41 LMP2 Christian Zugel, Roberto Gonzalez, Elton Julian Zytek Z11SN - Nissan D 48 +6.432 +1.175 37 1:29.704 172.9
17 31 LMP2 Thomas Holzer, Mirco Schultis, Luca Moro Lola B12/80 Coupé - Lotus D 42 +6.864 +0.432 6 1:30.136 172.1
18 29 LMP2 Fabien Giroix, Keiko Ihara, Jean-Denis Deletraz Lola B12/80 Coupé - Nissan D 42 +8.141 +1.277 3 1:31.413 169.7
19 97 LMGTE Pro Stefan Mücke, Darren Turner, Aston Martin Vantage V8 M 38 +10.729 +2.588 34 1:34.001 165.0
20 77 LMGTE Pro Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Porsche 911 RSR (997) M 39 +11.141 +0.412 10 1:34.413 164.3
21 50 LMGTE Am Patrick Bornhauser, Julien Canal, Fernando Rees Chevrolet Corvette C6-ZR1 M 46 +11.569 +0.428 11 1:34.841 163.6
22 51 LMGTE Pro Giancarlo Fisichella, Gianmaria Bruni, Ferrari F458 Italia M 52 +11.865 +0.296 49 1:35.137 163.1
23 71 LMGTE Pro Andrea Bertolini, Olivier Beretta, Ferrari F458 Italia M 45 +11.938 +0.073 18 1:35.210 162.9
24 88 LMGTE Am Christian Ried, Gianluca Roda, Paolo Ruberti Porsche 911 RSR (997) M 46 +12.744 +0.806 25 1:36.016 161.6
25 57 LMGTE Am Tracy Krohn, Niclas Jönsson, Michele Rugolo Ferrari F458 Italia M 43 +12.745 +0.001 15 1:36.017 161.6
26 61 LMGTE Am Francisco Longo, Alexandre Negrão, Enrique Bernoldi Ferrari F458 Italia M 42 +13.249 +0.504 42 1:36.521 160.7
27 70 LMGTE Am Jean-Philippe Belloc, Christophe Bourret, Pascal Gibon Chevrolet Corvette C6-ZR1 M 39 +13.685 +0.436 39 1:36.957 160.0
28 55 LMGTE Am Joël Camathias, Markus Palttala, Paul Daniels Porsche 911 RSR (997) P 44 +14.361 +0.676 43 1:37.633 158.9

[Rob]

SAO PAULO, Sept. 12 - "6 Hours of Sao Paulo," the fifth race of the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship (WEC). AF Corse addresses the second part of the championship with a major advantage against opponents. On the eve of the commitment Brazilian Amato Ferrari's team is firmly in the first position of the ranking Team GTE Pro with 118 points (55 ahead of Aston Martin Racing, currently second on the list).

Two Ferrari 458 Italy deployed GT2 AF Corse in the GTE Pro: on # 51, Giancarlo Fisichella and Gianmaria Bruni, on the # 71 Andrea Bertolini and Olivier Beretta.

In this pair, you add a third Ferrari 458 GT2 Italy, this time engaged in the GTE Am class with the colors AF Waltrip. On board the # 61, a trio made up of three Brazilian drivers: Francisco Longo, Alexandre Negrao, Enrique Bernoldi.

GTE in the Constructors, Ferrari is far in the lead with 197 points. Following Porsche 102.

The race starts at 12 noon Saturday, September 15 (local time)

[Rob]

qualifying for Sao Paulo 6hrs....
http://live.fiawec.com/

live commentry..
http://radiolemans.com/

[Rob]

LMP quali now.

Aston on pole, in GTE Pro, #77 Porsche 2nd, 3rd #51 AF Corse Ferrari. 4th #71 AF Corse Ferrari

[Tifoso]

SPEED?

[Rob]

Not sure Lou amico mio, will check for you

[Rob]

Just been checking Speed, couldnt find anything. So tweeted someone who works for radiolemans.com and hope may help...

Eve Hewitt ‏@radiolemans
@robertallum1 I don't think so. Maybe the highlights. I'll check. But I don't think it is geoblocked online

As soon as i hear back Lou i will let you know.

[Tifoso]

Just been checking Speed, couldnt find anything. So tweeted someone who works for radiolemans.com and hope may help...

Eve Hewitt ‏@radiolemans
@robertallum1 I don't think so. Maybe the highlights. I'll check. But I don't think it is geoblocked online

As soon as i hear back Lou i will let you know.

Grazie, fratello!

[Nova]

Ferrari 458 takes drivers..looking for Mftrs next!!!
Ferrari Drivers Segal, Assentato Take ’12 GT Laurels, Hope Manufacturer Trophy Also Coming
Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato clinched their second GRAND-AM Rolex GT championship with a second-place finish last weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The pair also shared the 2010 title.
Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato clinched their second GRAND-AM Rolex GT championship with a second-place finish last weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The pair also shared the 2010 title.

This year saw the duo debut the No. 69 AIM Autosport Team FXDD's Ferrari 458 Italia. They've won three races so far finishing on the podium eight times.

Segal and Assentato were able to figuratively pop the Champagne corks in California.

Ontario, Canada-based AIM Autosport will have to wait a couple of weeks to give Ferrari its third GRAND-AM championship. Proving the competitive balance in GT, four engine manufacturers - Ferrari, Chevrolet, Mazda and Porsche – remain mathematically eligible for the title.

Ferrari's path is the easiest, needing at least 30 minutes of racing and seventh-place finish should a Camaro win the Sept. 29 finale at Lime Rock Park.

"As of right now the championship is clinched, but it certainly hasn't hit me yet. It's certainly a tremendous accomplishment for our team AIM Autosport in their first year back in GT," said Segal, the 2007 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS class champion. "With Ferrari in its first year back, it's just a tremendous day."

Segal and Assentato won their previous GT title driving a Mazda RX-8.

[Rob]

For the first time this weekend the sun shone as the LMGTE competitors headed out for the 20 minute qualifying session. Darren Turner was the first on track in the No.97 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage V8 and used the clear air to set the benchmark time for the others to try and match. Turner’s time was soon beaten by Marc Lieb in the No.77 Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche but Turner regained the advantage with a 1m33.855 lap and took the LMGTE Pro pole position ahead of Lieb and Giancarlo Fisichella in the No.51 AF Corse Ferrari.

In the LMGTE Am class it was a good day for Brazil when Enrique Bernoldi scored a pole position on his FIA WEC debut in the No.61 AF Corse-Waltrip Ferrari with a lap of 1m34.781. It was a Ferrari class 1-2 with the No.57 Krohn Racing Ferrari 458 of Michele Rugolo finishing the 20-minute session 0.6 seconds behind Bernoldi, with the No.88 Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche of Paolo Ruberti in third.

TRACK DATA
Air t° :22.5°C
Track t° :31.7°C
Wind :SE at 11.3 kph
Humidity :72%

LMGTE QUALIFYING FACTS
18:58:03 There is sunshine on the Interlagos circuit for qualifying that starts in 3 minutes time.
19:01:04 GTE qualifying - green flag
19:07:21 First on track is #57 Ferrari followed by #97 Aston Martin
19:09:07 Darren Turner in #97 Aston Martin crosses the start-finish line on first flying lap of session
19:14:19 Marc Lieb sets fastest time in #77 Porsche but stolen back the next lap by Darren Turner in 1:33.855 in Aston Martin #97
19:16:40 Fastest in LMGTE Am currently #61 AF Corse - Waltrip Ferrari 1:34.860
19:18:27 Porsche #55 into tyres in turn 4 - yellow flag
19:20:40 Chequered flag

[Rob]

Alex Wurz timed his run to perfection and with just five minutes of the qualifying session remaining and secured the first pole position for the Toyota Racing TS030 – Hybrid with a 1m22.383 lap around the Interlagos track. The Austrian drivers time was 0.784 seconds faster than the time set by Lucas di Grassi in the nr2 Audi R18 Ultra and a further 0.185s ahead of the nr1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro.

The leading LMP1 Privateer was the nr12 Rebellion Racing Lola-Toyota of Neel Jani in 4th overall, with the nr21 Strakka Racing HPD-Honda of Danny Watts just 0.127s adrift in 5th overall.

There was a great battle for the LMP2 pole but Stephane Sarrazin in the nr44 Starworks Motorsports HPD-Honda took the top spot just ahead of John Martin in the nr25 ADR-Delta Oreca-Nissan and the nr26 Signatech Nissan Oreca-Nissan of Nelson Panciatici, with just 0.119 seconds splitting the three cars at the end of the 20-minute session.

Round 5 of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, will start at 12 noon tomorrow afternoon, with live coverage online at www.fiawec.com

LMP Qualifying Facts
Air t° :21.0°C
Track t° :30.6°C
Wind :S at 6.4 kph
Humidity :78%

Chequered flag - Toyota take pole
Alex Wurz in #7 Toyota improves on second flying lap - 7 tenths faster than Audi #2 1:22.363
Wurz on flying lap in #7 Toyota - Takes provisional pole
Rebellion #12 Lola Toyota now fastest LMP1 privateer - 5 minutes remaining
Activity in Toyota #7 pit indicates the car will be out soon
Leading LMP2 at present is Liuzzi #32 Lotus 1:27.770
Toyota #7 still yet to take the track in this session - 13 minutes remain
Danny Watts momentarily splits the two Audis on timing screen with Strakka #21
First flying lap for Di Grassi - 1:23.324 in #2 Audi
Green flag - #1 Audi and #2 Audi first on track for 20 minute session
Lucas Di Grassi is in the #2 Audi waiting for green flag.

[458 Italia]

Just tuned in to watch the 6 hours of Sao Paulo. Just an hour gone, Bruni leading in GTE Pro.

[458 Italia]

McNish leading in the number 2 Audi, but he's yet to stop.

[458 Italia]

Ferrari 1 and 4 in GTE Pro

[458 Italia]

To Kritsensen in the #2 Audi closes to quickly on the #61 (I think) Ferrari and has slight damage. Looks like the Ferrai is fine though.

[458 Italia]

It's getting really close between Fisi and turner in the aston martin.