Page 6 of 32 FirstFirst 123456789101112131415161718192031 ... LastLast
Results 151 to 180 of 943

Thread: 2013 WEC, IMSA&ELMS News

  1. #151
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Audi R18 #2 ‏@AudiR18_2
    McNish on Penalty: "I was on edge of the grass, got tapped in the rear." Track is starting to rubber in, lots of concrete sections."
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  2. #152
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Audi R18 #2 ‏@AudiR18_2
    McNish: "The Car is great, the penalty hurt us but we will get it back.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  3. #153
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Audi Sport ‏@Audi__Sport
    Lap 105: No.2 pit stop from P1, diesel, tires, McNish out, di Grassi in
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  4. #154
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Viper leading GTE, brilliant move into turn 3.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  5. #155
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    ALMS Racing ‏@almsnotes
    #41 Greaves Zytek-Nissan assessed 20-second stop and hold for pit supervisor working on car during pits.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  6. #156
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Audi Motorsport Blog ‏@Audi_MS_Blog
    #Sebring12 overall standing: #1 @Audi__Sport 1st, #2 Audi 2nd, #12 @RebellionRacing 3rd, #6 @MuscleMilkRace 4th, #13 @RebellionRacing 5th
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  7. #157
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Audi Motorsport Blog ‏@Audi_MS_Blog
    Last time for #Audi in LMP1 at Sebring, next year the #Audi R8 GRAND-AM will debut there part of the GT class.

    Shame the LPM1s will not there next year.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  8. #158
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Audi R18 #2 ‏@AudiR18_2
    lap 112 - #1 Jarvis P1 #2 di Grassi P2 1:00.627 behind
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  9. #159
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    824
    Quote Originally Posted by Rob View Post
    Great stream! Grazie Amico!
    Dr Ferdinand Porsche:" Nuvolari is the greatest driver of the past, the present, and the future".
    Enzo Ferrari once drove with him and recalled even on bends "he never took his foot from the accelerator".

  10. #160
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Quote Originally Posted by Massimo View Post
    Great stream! Grazie Amico!
    Nessun problema amico.

    Great race.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  11. #161
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    824
    Man that's great racing!
    Dr Ferdinand Porsche:" Nuvolari is the greatest driver of the past, the present, and the future".
    Enzo Ferrari once drove with him and recalled even on bends "he never took his foot from the accelerator".

  12. #162
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    824
    Bruni all over Joey Hand
    Dr Ferdinand Porsche:" Nuvolari is the greatest driver of the past, the present, and the future".
    Enzo Ferrari once drove with him and recalled even on bends "he never took his foot from the accelerator".

  13. #163
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Just switched back on, had family round. Risi back where they belong and taking fight to Vettes and BMWs. Love it.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  14. #164
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    NO FAIRY TALE FINISH AT SEBRING BUT PLENTY OF POSITIVES
    Mar 17
    Until an hour before the end of the 61st Twelve Hours of Sebring, it looked as though Risi Competizione would pull off a fairy tale finish by clinching victory in the GT category. As it was, the Houston-based team’s No.62 Ferrari 458 Italia crossed the finish line in second place, just 2.7 seconds behind the class winning No.4 Corvette.

    The Houston-based team, which has an illustrious history in the ALMS, was warmly welcomed back to competition by the paddock at large after a year away. With its talented driver line up of Gianmaria Bruni, Olivier Beretta and Matteo Malucelli, Risi showed its intent to claim victory from the outset of this weekend’s race meeting. Never out of contention during practice sessions and throughout the once-round-the-clock event, the drivers, team and its F458 performed flawlessly but were ultimately beaten to the checkered flag by the superior speed of the Corvette.

    Faultless and speedy pit work, no penalties, and a sensible strategy by both drivers and engineers put the Ferrari at the head of the field for several periods, the longest of which was for 92 laps in the final quarter of the race. Having pulled out a lead of 65 seconds, confidence was quietly building in the Risi pits until Bruni, who was due to take the finish at the end of a double stint, reported that he was experiencing back pain which led to a lack of feeling is his right leg.

    The change of plan saw ALMS newcomer Malucelli back in the cockpit for the final hour and, despite calm and controlled driving, he was being hunted down relentlessly by a menacing competitor who appeared to have an advantage over its rivals at each refuelling stop. The 28-year-old Italian was put under intense pressure lap after lap and, with just seven laps to the finish, was passed by the Corvette. The first two GT cars were the only ones to finish on the same lap and the gap of just 2.7 seconds after 12 hours of hard racing is demonstration of great competition to come for the remainder of the 2013 season.

    The disappointment at not winning was huge for all concerned, but there was some reward as the result for Sebring offered double points, which is vital for the season ahead, and the Risi team was awarded the Michelin Green X Challenge trophy for the GT category.

    Matteo Malucelli: “It was quite hard, I just pushed and tried to do my best but sometimes it’s not enough. We finished second and the result is good points for the championship, a good start for me and Olivier; I’m sure we will win in the next few races. When I was passed by Milner, I don’t know if I made a mistake or if there was some gravel on the track but honestly they were too fast for me to stay in front.”

    Gianmaria Bruni: “I think today our rivals were very fast. It’s happened to me in the past with Ferrari – sometimes you’re so fast and you win and sometimes you’re fast and you don’t. I think Corvette here was more prepared than us, but it’s a great result for Risi and Ferrari. This team hasn’t raced for one year and they just finished second behind the 2012 Champions. I think there’s great potential during the season for Matteo and Olivier to just get better and better!”

    Olivier Beretta: “I think for the whole group and for the Risi team it’s a good first result. I’m really happy to race with them. We’ve shown up and been competitive all week, including during the race. We led for many laps and I’m happy. First would have been better than second but everyone did a good job and I’m looking forward to the season.”

    The next stop for the 2013 American Le Mans Series is the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday, April 20th in Long Beach, California.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  15. #165
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334

    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  16. #166
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Audi Sweeps at Sebring with Hybrid Power

    Corvette wins for first time in 12 Hours since 2009
    SEBRING, Fla. - Audi Sport extended its remarkable run at Sebring International Raceway on Saturday. Marcel Fassler, Benoit Treluyer and Oliver Jarvis won the 61st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida in their No. 1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro – the first hybrid car to win at Sebring and in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

    Treluyer drove a storming final two stints. He took fuel with 20 minutes left but maintained his lead over teammate Tom Kristensen in the No. 2 Audi. Kristensen, Allan McNish and Lucas di Grassi placed second.

    Rebellion Racing’s No. 12 Lola-Toyota placed third overall. Neel Jani, Nick Heidfeld and Nico Prost teamed together.

    Tommy Milner passed Matteo Malucelli for the GT lead and eventual class win as Corvette Racing won at Sebring for the first time since 2009. Milner, who drove the No. 4 Corvette C6 ZR1 with Oliver Gavin and Richard Westbrook, overtook Malucelli – who went off twice in the span of a lap – in Risi Competizione’s Ferrari F458 Italia with 13 minutes remaining.

    Level 5 Motorsports went 1-2 in P2 with Marino Franchitti, Ryan Briscoe and team owner Scott Tucker winning in the No. 551 Honda Performance Development ARX-03b. Tucker tied a Sebring record with his fourth consecutive class win.

    Franchitti crossed the line just seconds ahead of Ryan Hunter-Reay in the No 552 Level 5 entry. Hunter-Reay drove with Tucker and Simon Pagenaud. The Greaves Motorsport trio of Tom-Kimber Smith, Christian Zugel and Eric Lux placed third.

    David Ostella made a winning pass of his own to give PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports its first Sebring victory in Prototype Challenge presented by Continental Tire. Driving the No. 52 ORECA FLM09, he passed BAR1 Motorsports’ Kyle Marcelli with 28 minutes left.

    Ostella drove with David Chang and Mike Guasch. The car dropped to the rear of the field after an early-race off and contact with a P1 car in the race’s seventh hour.

    Alex Job Racing won for the second straight year in GT Challenge. The No. 22 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of Jeroen Bleekemolen, Cooper MacNeil and Dion von Moltke won after dominating the race early, then taking the lead late from the No. 66 TRG Porsche that had to pit for a splash of fuel and brake adjustment.

    Spencer Pumpelly, Brian Wong and Nelson Canache placed second for Flying Lizard Motorsports in the No. 45 Porsche. Sean Edwards, Henrique Cisneros and Marco Seefried were third for NGT Motorsport in the No. 30 Porsche.

    American Le Mans Series Presented by Tequila Patrón
    Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring
    Saturday
    At Sebring International Raceway
    Sebring, Fla.
    Lap Length 3.74 miles
    1 (1) Benoit Treluyer/Oliver Jarvis/Marcel Fassler, Audi R18 e-tron quattro 364 laps
    2 (2) Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish/Lucas di Grassi, Audi R18 e-tron quattro, 364
    3 (3) Nick Heidfeld/Neel Jani/Nicolas Prost, Lola B12/60 Toyota, 359
    4 (4) Klaus Graf/Lucas Luhr/Romain Dumas, HPD ARX-03c, 358
    5 (5) Andrea Belicchi/Mathias Beche/Congfu Cheng, Lola B12/60-Toyota, 354
    6 (7) Scott Tucker/Marino Franchitti/Ryan Briscoe, HPD ARX-03b, 346
    7 (8) Ryan Hunter-Reay/Simon Pagenaud/Scott Tucker, HPD ARX-03b, 345
    8 (9) Tom Kimber-Smith/Christian Zugel/Eric Lux, Zytek Z11SN-Nissan, 342
    9 (16) David Ostella/David Cheng/Mike Guasch, ORECA FLM09, 336
    10 (17) Kyle Marcelli, Chris Cumming, Stefan Johansson, ORECA FLM09, 336
    11 (18) Tristan Nunez, Charlie Shears, David Heinemeier-Hansson, ORECA FLM09, 335.
    12 (13) Bruno Junqueira/Alex Popow/Duncan Ende, ORECA FLM09, 335
    13 (11) Anthony Lazzaro/Ed Brown/Johannes van Overbeek, HPD ARX-03b, 335
    14 (12) Jonathan Bennett/Colin Braun/Mark Wilkins, Canada; ORECA FLM09 (14, PC), 334.
    15 (21) Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook, Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1, 333
    16 (20) Gianmaria Bruni/Olivier Beretta/Matteo Malucelli, Ferrari F458 Italia, 333.
    17 (31) Wolf Henzler/Bryan Sellers/Nick Tandy, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 332
    18 (27) Bill Auberlen/Maxime Martin/Jorg Muller, BMW Z4 GTE, 330
    19 (29) Marc Goossens/Ryan Dalziel/Dominik Farnbacher, SRT Viper GTS-R Viper V-10, 329
    20 (26) Marco Holzer/Richard Lietz/Bryce Miller, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 329
    21 (19) Rusty Mitchell/Chapman Ducote/Tomy Drissi, ORECA FLM09, 326
    22 (28) Dirk Mueller/Joey Hand/John Edwards, BMW Z4 GTE, 321
    23 (22) Darren Turner/Stefan Mucke/Bruno Senna, Aston Martin Vantage V8, 318
    24 (33) Jeroen Bleekemolen/Dion von Moltke/Cooper MacNeil, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 315
    25 (35) Spencer Pumpelly/Brian Wong/Nelson Canache Jr., Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 315
    26 (34) Sean Edwards/Henrique Cisneros/Marco Seefried, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 314
    27 (37) Jan Heylen/Jon Fogarty/Mike Hedlund, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 314
    28 (36) Ben Keating/Damien Faulkner/Craig Stanton, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 313
    29 (32) Andy Lally/Joe Foster/Patrick Dempsey, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 311
    30 (39) Andrew Davis/Bob Faieta/Michael Avenatti, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 311
    31 (42) Lawson Aschenbach/David Calvert-Jones/Eric Curran, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 309
    32 (38) Pierre Ehret/Alexandre Imperatori/Brett Sandberg, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 309
    33 (23) Pedro Lamy/Paul Dalla Lana/Billy Johnson, Aston Martin Vantage V8, 307
    34 (25) Tommy Kendall/Kuno Wittmer/Jonathan Bomarito, SRT Viper GTS-R Viper V-10, 303
    35 (41) Kuba Giermaziak/Carlos Gomez/Mario Farnbacher, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 301
    36 (14) Pierre Kaffer/Mirco Schultis/Patrick Simon, ORECA FLM09, 286
    37 (10) David Brabham/Scott Sharp/Guy Cosmo, HPD ARX-03b, 281
    38 (40) Al Carter/Kevin Estre/Carlos de Quesada, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 269
    39 (24) Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Jan Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1, 213, Gearbox
    40 (30) Leh Keen/Bill Sweedler/Townsend Bell, Ferrari F458 Italia, 209, Accident
    41 (6) Chris Dyson/Guy Smith/Butch Leitzinger, Lola B12/60-Mazda, 81, Electrical
    42 (15) Andy Meyrick/Olivier Pla, DeltaWing LM12 Elan, 10, Engine

    Race Statistics
    Winners' average speed: 113.416 mph
    Time of Race: 12 hours, 0 minutes, 11.638 seconds
    Margin of Victory: 7.679 seconds
    Cautions: 4 for 16 laps
    Lead Changes: 21 among 6 drivers
    Last edited by Rob; 17th March 2013 at 14:10.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  17. #167
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Another historic success for Audi

    Audi Press Release

    First triumph of a hybrid race car at Sebring
    One-two victory of the Audi R18 e-tron quattro on U.S. debut
    Fässler/Jarvis/Tréluyer win endurance classic

    Ingolstadt/Sebring, March 17, 2013 – Another historic racing success for Audi: The Audi R18 e-tron quattro’s victory marked the first ever of a hybrid race car at the Sebring (Florida) 12 Hours in the history of the U.S. endurance classic.

    On the – provisionally – last running of the LMP1 sports cars that feature sophisticated technology at Sebring, Audi Sport Team Joest achieved a commanding one-two victory. Right from the start, the two Audi R18 e-tron quattro cars set the pace, during the entire race an Audi was at the front of the field made up of 42 prototypes and GT sports cars. The third-placed Lola-Toyota was trailing the winner by five laps at the finish.

    For twelve hours, the two Audi R18 e-tron quattro cars fought a fierce duel for victory and repeatedly overtook each other in close battle. In total, the lead between the two R18 cars changed 20 times. A damaged under-floor of car number “1” that was ultimately victorious caused some headaches for Audi Sport Team Joest. The necessary repairs could be performed without any major time loss during caution periods though.

    In the thrilling duel between the team’s two cars the current Le Mans winners and World Endurance Champions Marcel Fässler (CH) and Benoît Tréluyer (F) plus Sebring newcomer Oliver Jarvis (GB) prevailed by a narrow margin. All three celebrated their first Sebring triumph. For Jarvis, after the GT success with the Audi R8 GRAND-AM at the Daytona 24 Hours, this marked the second victory at a classic U.S. endurance race.

    With a gap of only 7.679s, Lucas di Grassi (BR), Tom Kristensen (DK) and Allan McNish (GB) completed the Audi one-two result. A 60-second time penalty due to a collision with a slower sports prototype had been imposed against the 2013-specification Audi R18 e-tron quattro shortly before the end of the third hour.

    In 14 races at Sebring with Le Mans prototypes, this marked Audi’s eleventh overall victory. Eight times the brand with the four rings celebrated one-two results. The premium manufacturer’s tally reflects 24 podium places. Ten times an Audi started from the pole position – more often than any other manufacturer in the history of the race that has been held since 1952. The Audi R8, the R10 TDI and the R15 TDI each celebrated victorious debuts at Sebring. With the first victory of a diesel sports car in 2006 and now the first triumph of a hybrid race car Audi achieved two historic victories. Audi took the first podium and the first win at a sports car race at Sebring as well. In addition, Audi regularly used the track in Florida to prepare for the Le Mans 24 Hours.

    This time, Audi Sport Team Joest will again stay at Sebring after the race for tests with the Audi R18 e-tron quattro that has been subjected to further development. It still remains to be seen whether or not there will be a future for Audi at the U.S. endurance classic. After the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and the GRAND-AM Series merged to form the new “United SportsCar Racing” series no LMP1 sports cars will be permitted to run anymore as of 2014.

    U.S. fans will be able to see the Audi R18 e-tron quattro soon again in the United States nonetheless. On September 22, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) will visit the Circuit of the Americas in Austin (Texas).

    Quotes after the race

    Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “That was a perfect finale! I’m very happy about this one-two victory in a race in which both of our cars battled against each other all the way to the finish and delivered a fantastic show to the many fans. The entire squad worked hard, so winning after a long twelve hours is the sweetest reward. After victories with TFSI and TDI technology, Audi on clinching the win today with a hybrid car has continued the success story at this race.”

    Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest): “This is an outstanding result for what has at least provisionally been our last run here at Sebring. I’m happy about this one-two victory at which either of our two teams would have deserved first place. In the beginning, both cars were running on different strategies. At some point in time they were nearly in parallel and at the finish not even ten seconds apart. We’ve been enjoying the atmosphere here at Sebring with brilliant weather and unique fans. This victory is a nice reward for the whole squad some of whom worked through the whole night before the race and then delivered perfect pit stops for twelve hours straight.”

    Marcel Fässler (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “Celebrating Audi’s last race here at Sebring with a victory is simply fantastic. It was an incredibly close race in which both cars would have deserved to win. In the end, we were the slightly more fortunate ones. The pole position yesterday, victory today, great team-mates – things couldn’t be any better today.”

    Oliver Jarvis (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “What a start into the 2013 season! This isn’t a dream; it’s a lot more than that. Winning with Audi at Daytona already was an incredible experience. But now an overall victory on my first run at Sebring on top of that is more than I’d ever dared to hope for. A huge thank you to Audi and to Marcel (Fässler) and Ben (Tréluyer) – they’ve been the best team-mates I could imagine.”

    Benoît Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “We won the last race of the LMP1 sports cars at Sebring – we’re very proud of this. I think that the fans witnessed a thrilling race in which we had to give one hundred percent to beat our sister car. For us the American dream has come true today. Thank you to Marcel (Fässler) and Oliver (Jarvis) fora great week here at Sebring. Normally, André (Lotterer) is part of our team as well – I’m sure that he’d have been on top of the podium here too.”

    Lucas di Grassi (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “This was my first 12-hour race, my first race in the dark and my first run at Sebring – the podium position is a brilliant conclusion of the weekend. It was a very close race with a few incidents and a controversial penalty. More would have been possible for us but as far as I’m concerned the joy about the second place with Audi outweighs anything else.”

    Tom Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “It was a memorable, tough and fast race. We had the chance ourselves to win today – but we didn’t make it. So, ‘well done’ to the guys from the ‘sister car’ and all other winners here at Sebring. Aside from our second place I’m taking a lot of memories home with me from all the years and the fastest race lap on today’s farewell. It’s for a man who has given me the passion for motorsport.”

    Allan McNish (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “What a fantastic race! We arrived here with Audi in order to say goodbye to our fans at Sebring with a thrilling performance – and I believe we managed to do that. It was a fierce battle from the first to the last lap. I’d like to congratulate the team of our ‘sister car.’ On a very personal note, I’m absolutely pleased with the race. Some of my stints were the best I can remember in the past few years
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  18. #168
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  19. #169
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    HISTORICAL PODIUM FOR REBELLION RACING AT 12 HOURS OF SEBRING
    (PR)


    - REBELLION Racing's first podium finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring
    - First place in the American Le Mans Series Championship
    - REBELLION Racing on the final LMP1 podium at the 12 Hours of Sebring
    - Both cars crossed the finish line after 12 hours of racing

    It was a 12 hour fight to the finish which ended in glory for the #12 REBELLION Racing Lola B12/60 Toyota of Nick Heidfeld, Neel Jani and Nicolas Prost, who finished third in the 61st running of the 12 Hours of Sebring. With this finish, the team takes the top position and lead of the American Le Mans Series Championship.

    After a clean start to the race, the third placed #12 Lola-Toyota lost position to their closest competitor, the #6 Muscle Milk. However, the race quickly turned to a game of cat and mouse following a chain of problems and penalties which plagued the #6 Muscle Milk and kept it chasing the #12 car throughout the second half of the race.
    Today's podium finish is a sweet victory after last year's efforts where the same trio's hopes for a third place podium finish were dashed away just one hour before the end of the race by a malfunctioning fuel sensor. The team is also overjoyed to be taking home third place and best privateer finish in the last running of the LMP1 category here at Sebring International Raceway.

    The sister car, #13 Lola-Toyota of Andrea Belicchi, CongFu Cheng and Mathias Beche finished in fifth after a string of bad luck. The #13 Lola-Toyota was a strong competitor for a podium finish at the top of the race, but a yellow flag on lap 57 found them on the wrong side of the safety car, followed by two stop-and-go penalties and mechanical issues which took it out of the fight for third place.
    After overcoming its difficulties, the #13 car cruised to the checkered flag in fifth place, a testament to the reliability of the car and its two new drivers, as well as a finish which does not reflect the strong season opening performances of its drivers and crew. A positive start to the 2013 season.

    Both cars will return to Europe to compete in the FIA WEC while the team's third chassis will remain in the U.S. to finish out the ALMS season. Nick Heidfeld and Neel Jani will take their first place points forward to the second round of the American Le Mans Series in Long Beach, CA on Saturday, April 20th.


    Neel Jani- Driver Lola-Toyota # 12:
    "I'm very happy with our start to the season. To get a podium at the first race and to take the most points away is a great feeling. The car was very difficult to drive at the end but the team had worked very hard throughout the race and we could survive it. I'm looking forward to the next race and hope to continue our success through the rest of the season."

    Nick Heidfeld- Driver Lola-Toyota # 12:
    "We got the maximum out of the car today. We had some small problems at the beginning but nothing major. My radio stopped working during my first stint. But the crew did a great job giving us quick pit stops and we were able to benefit from the Muscle Milk's problems. This podium is more special since it is the last LMP1 fight. I really enjoyed doing qualifying and the race start, where I had a good fight with Andrea (Belicchi) which was a lot of fun. It's a good start to our ALMS campaign but after today it looks like we really need the update which is planned for the next race to keep fighting with the Muscle Milk for the rest of this season."

    Nicolas Prost- Driver Lola-Toyota # 12:
    "I am really happy with our result today after the disappointment from last year. There are three important endurance races during the year: 24 Hours of Le Mans, Petit Le Mans and 12 Hours of Sebring. It's really something special to be on the podium in Sebring, especially since I am there with Neel and Nick. We get along so well and make such a great team, and it feels great to be sharing the podium with them."

    Mathias Beche, Lola-Toyota # 13:
    "Today's 12 Hours of Sebring was a big day of firsts for me. It was my first race with Rebellion, my first time in a LMP1 and my first drive at Sebring. I was in the game from the start and made no mistakes. With a little more luck, we could have had a better result. But we reached the end of the 12 hours so I am satisfied with the results. I learned a lot throughout the weekend. The experience of night race will be valuable for Le Mans. So I am looking forward to continuing my progress at Silverstone for the beginning of WEC. I congratulate my teammates Nick, Nico and Neel win because (their win in) Florida is something awesome! '

    Andrea Belicchi, Lola-Toyota # 13:
    "I'm really happy for the team. They did a great job. We had some problems with our ventilation system which forced us to stop. We didn't have any luck with the safety car either but we didn't make any mistakes and had a good race. It is a good result for a young crew like ours. '

    CongFu Cheng, Lola-Toyota # 13:
    "I want to congratulate my three teammates Neel, Nico and Nick for their 3rd place. This is an excellent result. For our part, we were a bit unlucky today, but still had a good race. We must continue to work closely together to achieve a better result in Silverstone. '

    Bart Hayden, REBELLION Racing Team Manager:
    "Obviously we are delighted. It's a great reward for all the people in the team, especially the guys based in our workshop who have worked extremely hard over winter to get the cars prepared. The cars were very reliable and the drivers did a great job today. The whole team performed at the top level. It was a close fight with the Pickett Racing Muscle Milk car and we are looking forward to continuing that battle throughout the rest of the season."
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  20. #170
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    824
    Bruni and Beretta did a great job, Malucelli threw it all away in 1 lap, but great comeback for "Il Padrino" Giuseppe Risi
    Dr Ferdinand Porsche:" Nuvolari is the greatest driver of the past, the present, and the future".
    Enzo Ferrari once drove with him and recalled even on bends "he never took his foot from the accelerator".

  21. #171
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Was great come back. Think Malucelli will grow and get better this year, maybe pressure just got to him there. Bruni would been better to bring it home in final stint. Great job by all Risi.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  22. #172
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Maributo Key
    Posts
    5,988
    "Tommy Milner passed Matteo Malucelli for the GT lead and eventual class win as Corvette Racing won at Sebring for the first time since 2009. Milner, who drove the No. 4 Corvette C6 ZR1 with Oliver Gavin and Richard Westbrook, overtook Malucelli – who went off twice in the span of a lap – in Risi Competizione’s Ferrari F458 Italia with 13 minutes remaining."

    Mabey Risi shouldve hired Koby....

  23. #173
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Few days late, sorry..

    Aston Martin's Bruno Senna sponsored by Gillette and Head & Shoulders

    Aston Martin Racing has signed a deal with the global personal products group Procter and Gamble (P&G), which sees leading household-name brands Gillette and Head & Shoulders become partners of its 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and Le Mans 24 Hours campaign.

    The one-year contract continues Aston Martin factory driver Bruno Senna’s long-standing relationship with P&G and branding was first be seen on the car at Aston Martin Racing’s season opener the ALMS 12 Hours of Sebring today (16 March, 2013).

    Along with prominent branding on the #97 Aston Martin Vantage GTE, with which the British racing team will compete this year, the Brazilian will don the iconic logos on his race suit and helmet.

    Jeremy Scoones, head of partnerships at Aston Martin Racing, comments: “We are delighted to welcome the Gillette and Head & Shoulders brands to the Aston Martin family. They are both iconic, premium brands, which fit perfectly within our partnership portfolio. We are looking forward to working very closely with P&G to activate our partnership, ensuring both parties maximise this extremely exciting new collaboration.”

    Thiago Icassati, marketing director at Gillette, adds: “We are happy to stick with Bruno for the third running year, now in another series. We believe in strengthening the brand through sport and doing so not only conquering the consumers, but also the fans. By increasing the knowledge of the brands it is possible to attract different opinion leaderships.”

    Colleague Juliana Azevedo, marketing director at Head & Shoulders adds: “We have been supporting sports as football, MMA and great names of the sports such as Lionel Messi, Michael Phelps and Lyoto Machida. With Bruno we set up a strong partnership to consolidate our already strong presence in the sports”,

    Bruno Senna comments: “I’m glad to count on sponsors such as Gillette and Head & Shoulders supporting my career and trusting in my potential. We have been together for nearly three years and during this time we have built a very close, almost family-like relationship. I’m looking forward to introducing them to the WEC.”

    The FIA World Endurance Championship is an eight round series that includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans as the fourth round. It visits, the UK, France, Belgium, China, Japan, Bahrain, USA and Bruno’s home country Brazil.

    The branding will first be seen on the car at the 12 Hours of Sebring, which Aston Martin Racing is using as a warm up for the start of the WEC season at Silverstone next month.

    Follow Aston Martin Racing’s progress at www.astonmartin.com/racing, on Facebook www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing and on Twitter using the handle @amr_official.

    - ENDS -
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  24. #174
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    New P/R from AMR...
    Aston Martin continues pre-season testing at Sebring

    Aston Martin Racing has continued to gather vital data for both of its Gulf-liveried Vantage GTEs this weekend at the American Le Mans Series 12 Hours of Sebring, despite minor issues preventing either from challenging for the win.

    The new #97 Vantage GTE, a modified version of the car the team contested the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with last year, made its competitive debut today with works drivers Darren Turner (GB), Stefan Mücke (D) and Bruno Senna (BR).

    Good pace and reliability throughout testing in Portimao, Road Atlanta and then at Sebring earlier this week saw the V8-powered charger prepare well for the race. However, high levels of traffic and slower cars in the opening laps were to put an end to the car’s challenge for the win, when front-end contact damaged the its radiator. A quick repair from the team saw the car back out on track and new team member Senna make his competitive debut, but the time in the garage could not be recouped.

    Darren Turner comments: “The start of the race was interesting; the cars bunched up on turn one and I found the car sandwiched in. It settled down a bit but I soon caught up with the traffic. A slower car, surrounded by lots of traffic, braked suddenly and I shunted into the back of it. I thought we’d escaped damage but it turns out it affected the radiator, making the engine overheat.

    “The crew did a great job getting it fixed so quickly. We were able to get back out on track and carry on gathering miles on the car ahead of the first round of the WEC at Silverstone next month.”

    Stefan Mücke adds: “Yes, the car has run like clockwork all week. We’ve learned a lot, especially today under race conditions, and it’ll prove invaluable for the 6 Hours of Silverstone. Bruno suffered from a sickness bug but still raced brilliantly today. He was on pace and did a really nice job. It’s good to have him in the team.”

    Meanwhile, the #007 car – a race-winning 2012-specification Vantage GTE – had a strong start to the race, with Pedro Lamy (PT), Billy Johnson (US) and Paul Dalla Lana (CA) taking the stints in turn. This was until a throttle cable issue brought it back to the garage, where the team repaired it quickly. The car continued to compete faultlessly for the second half of the race but was unable to make up the lost time.

    Pedro Lamy comments: “It’s been great to be part of this race with Aston Martin Racing. The team is professional and friendly and works incredibly hard. I did the first stint in the #007 today and it felt very good straight away. The car quickly settled in and allowed me to get a good advantage in the first few laps. Other than the short time in the garage, it was perfect.”

    John Gaw, Aston Martin Racing’s team principal adds: “It’s unfortunate what happened to Darren but it was totally unavoidable. The team did a great job and we’re pleased that the car has otherwise run faultlessly. The #97 is very well prepared for Silverstone and we’ve had excellent reliability for a car that has a number of new parts.

    “The #007 car and team have also had a really good week. Pedro put in a seriously impressive qualifying lap yesterday to start the car from fourth on the grid. The race started very well for the car and the crew did a great job to fix it and get it back out on track so we could continue to gather data. It’s not an ideal start but we’re here in preparation for the WEC and, in that respect, everything is good.”

    When the chequered flag flew at the end of the 12-hour long endurance race, the #97 was in eighth, having complete 318 laps of the 3.4 mile circuit. The #007 completed 307 laps to finish in ninth.

    The cars and crew will stay at Sebring International Raceway this week so that newcomers to the team; Peter Dumbreck, Kristian Poulsen, Christoffer Nygaard and Allan Simonsen, can have time in the car ahead of the start of the WEC season, which kicks off on 14 April with the Six Hours of Silverstone.
    Last edited by Rob; 19th March 2013 at 07:24.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  25. #175
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Sorry bit late form the weekend...
    RISI WINS MICHELIN GREEN X CHALLENGE IN GT

    Mar 18
    Taking the MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge GT class honors was the Houston-based Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia driven by Olivier Beretta, Gianmaria Bruni and Matteo Malucelli.

    The team’s Ferrari finished second in the fiercely contested GT class, surrendering the class lead with just ten minutes remaining in the 12-hour race.

    The MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge is an award honoring the P1 and GT teams that are the cleanest, fastest and most efficient on the track. Michelin recognizes the winning teams at the end of each ALMS race and also presents championship trophies to the class leaders with the best cumulative score at the end of the season.

    Further emphasizing the importance of Green Racing, the MGXC season champions receive invitations to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the most prestigious events in racing.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  26. #176
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    PROTOTYPE OPEN OR CLOSED? A LITTLE HISTORY
    Cockpit open or closed? ... That is the question posed many years engineers when it comes to designing a prototype Aspiring to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
    20/03/201311:10

    Statutorily, the prototypes of the 24 Hours of Le Mans are required to have two places distant reminiscence of early classic Sarthe in 1923, originally named "Grand Prix of Endurance," they were designed to test the strength of large sport touring. This specificity is still appropriate today in GT categories. But if they must be absolutely closed, diversity is set aside prototype cars between open and closed cars.

    If we take into account the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 1970, when the first successful Porsche, the current record holder for victories, we find that twenty editions were won by closed prototypes, including the time technical regulations of the Group C 80s, which imposed this configuration, among others with Jaguar, Sauber Mercedes, Peugeot, Porsche once again with the 956. But Audi will change the situation in the late 90s.

    In his first appearance at Le Mans in 1999, the German manufacturer had conducted a double technical program with two open cars (R8R for Roadster) and two closed (R8C for Coupé). The third and fourth places in the R8R arrival tipped the balance toward an open configuration which together with the R8, R10 TDI and R15 TDI, reported to the mark on the rings nine of his eleven victories Sarthe. But for the premier class of LMP1 prototypes, the performance of the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP have tipped the balance, especially in terms of aerodynamic efficiency. Audi has finally go this route with the R18, winner in 2011 and 2012.

    That said, besides the generation Audi, other prototypes were open equally marked the imagination of the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 1970 include still Matra (1972-73-74) Gulf Mirage (1975), TWR ( 1996-97), BMW (1999) and Porsche still with the 936 (1976-77-81). In 2013, Honda will be something of an exception: the HPD ARX-03a of the English team will be the only Strakka LM P1 prototype open plateau of the 90th anniversary edition, facing Audi, Toyota and Lola Rebellion Racing.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  27. #177
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    I have always liked the open cockpits on the prototypes.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  28. #178
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    U.K
    Posts
    3,743
    Only just seen this...

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob View Post
    Got to say thankyou to Rebecca Jones at Aston Martin Racing For im now recieving AMR Press Releases.
    Eh up Robster, good job sir...

    You going to use your undoubted charm to sort us out a couple of AMR freebies for Le Mans..?

  29. #179
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    6 Hours of Silvertone launched in London.

    Some of the teams and drivers that will compete in the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Silverstone on the 12-14 April wowed the capital of the United Kingdom today with a photo call and media event in the centre of London.

    With the iconic Tower Bridge as a back drop the Strakka Racing HPD-Honda LMP1, the Aston Martin Racing Vantage V8 LMGTE and RAM Racing’s European Le Mans Series entered Ferrari 458 provided a focal point for Londoners to sample the Spirit of Le Mans.

    Stéphane Sarrazin (Toyota), Darren Turner (Aston Martin Racing), Alex Brundle (Oak Racing), Nick Leventis, Jonny Kane and Danny Watts (Strakka Racing) and Tor Grave and John Martin (Delta-ADR) all posed for pictures with the cars and the world famous Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy, which will be awarded to the winning drivers at the 6 Hours of Silverstone on the 14 April.

    After the photo call, it was back to the Royal Automobile Club on Pall Mall, where the race winning Toyota TS030 Hybrid was on display, for a short presentation, media lunch and further photographs and interview opportunities.

    Gérard Neveu, CEO of the FIA World Endurance Championship, said: “This is a great honour to be at the Royal Automobile Club here in London and to have the opportunity to present the opening round of the 2013 championship to the UK media and the fans in Potters Fields. We would also like to thank the Royal Automobile Club for the opportunity of presenting the Tourist Trophy to the winning drivers of the 6 Hours of Silverstone. The trophy has a long and rich history stretching back to 1905 and we are extremely pleased to be able to continue this legacy in 2013 and beyond. We look forward to seeing you all at Silverstone in just three weeks’ time.”

    Ben Cussons, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club Motoring Committee, said; “Today has been a great day for motorsport here in the UK with a fantastic display of sports cars and drivers, both here at the Royal Automobile Club and at Potters Fields on the south bank of the Thames. The excitement is tangible and there is a real sense of anticipation for the opening round of the World Endurance Championship at Silverstone. The battle for the Tourist Trophy, Audi versus Toyota, we really don’t know how it is going to go and who will win. It is also an amazing grid of thirty five cars with Aston Martin in LMGTE looking for success on home soil but the Ferrari and Porsche works teams are going to be strong. The 6 Hours of Silverstone will be the first real test of the year before the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. These great brands have a tremendous association with the Tourist Trophy but Audi and Toyota have yet to put their name on it, so may the best car win.”

    The 6 Hours of Silverstone will take place on the 12-14 April 2013 at the home of UK motorsport. The race weekend will feature Round 1 of the FIA World Endurance Championship, which will be for the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy, and also the opening round of the European Le Mans Series, which are both promoted by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO). The weekend at Silverstone also features the second event on the 2013 FIA European Formula 3 Series calendar.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  30. #180
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Stowmarket. U.K
    Posts
    18,334
    Quote Originally Posted by Tobes View Post
    Only just seen this...



    Eh up Robster, good job sir...

    You going to use your undoubted charm to sort us out a couple of AMR freebies for Le Mans..?
    Thankyou mate
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •