2014 WEC/ELMS&TUSC news.

[Rob]

REBELLION RACING NEWS RELEASE: CLASS POLE FOR LEIMER/KRAIHAMER

Fabio Leimer and Dominik Kraihamer secured LM P1-L pole position on their first attempt in an FIA WEC qualifying session with REBELLION Racing.

Fabio Leimer and Dominik Kraihamer qualified their Lola-Toyota #13 in seventh place for the start of the 6 Hours of Silverstone with a fastest average laptime for the two drivers of 1:44.285, securing one tenth advantage over sister car #12.

Nick Heidfeld and Mathias Beche, behind the wheel of the #12 Lola-Toyota recorded a fastest average laptime of 1:44.392, putting their car in eighth position for tomorrow’s start.

With only one and a half second difference from the pole, the race between all the LM P1-H and LM P1-L promises to be much closer than in recent years.

The start of the 6 Hours of Silverstone will take place at 12:00 local time on April 20, 2014.

Fabio Leimer – Lola-Toyota #13 :
"Today, we can be happy because we were in front of the other cars. We will see tomorrow because it will be my first race in WEC. I think that I still can improve on my driving style and Andrea will coach me for tomorrow. I have still to learn a lot."

Dominik Kraihamer – Lola-Toyota #13 :
"My aspiration for tomorrow in the race will be to finish the race without any big issues, to make no mistake and to have fun ! Especially for us, rookies, it's important to be used to new systems and to the way the team will plan the race. We'll try to do our best, for sure. We will be concentrating on our own race. At the start, it will be quite important to have no trouble and to focus on our own position. It will be difficult to chase the factory teams, so we have to concentrate on ourselves."

Nick Heidfeld – Lola-Toyota #12 :
"I think we can be happy with what we achieved today. The guys did a good job to fix the car before the quali. They just finished when the lights went green. The balance of the car is better than before. Tomorrow, the weather could be a factor because there is a chance of rain. So wait and see."

Mathias Beche – Lola-Toyota #12 :
"It was very different conditions than before. We improved the car and the pace is not so bad. We can thank our mechanics for the good work they did to allow us to qualify well."

Bart Hayden – REBELLION Racing Team Manager :
"Both cars have qualified very well, we're close to the factory teams and everything is set up for an exciting race tomorrow. I'm particularly happy for Fabio and Dominik to take the class pole because it's their first race with us. We are looking forward to the race and hope it will be a great one for us."

Rebellion Racing news release

[Rob]

RAM RACING NEWS RELEASE


MEDIA RELEASE: 19th April 2014



Tough qualifying session for Ram Racing at Silverstone International Circuit

In today’s qualifying session for the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Silverstone Ram Racing delivered a solid performance despite struggling for initial pace.

The team arrived at its home track intending to use the first three practice sessions to set up the car and dial in the settings ahead of Sunday’s six-hour race. The varying temperatures and track conditions over the last two days have had an effect, but it is also worth noting that this is the first time the whole team has been working all together in an FIA WEC race situation.

With endurance racing being very much a 'team' sport and the regulations requiring a minimum of two and a maximum of three drivers in each car, it was decided last year that FIA WEC qualifying should recognise this fact. So, two drivers from each car are nominated for qualifying and the average of the four best lap times (the best two of each driver) will serve as the reference time for establishing the grid. It's a full team effort.

Driving the No. 52 Ferrari F458 Italia in the LMGTE Pro class, Matt Griffin and Alvaro Parente set a time of 1.59.485 to qualify in sixth place. The sister car of Johnny Mowlem, Ben Collins and Mark Patterson qualified seventh in the Am class for tomorrow’s race – amid an overall grid of 27 cars.

Dan Shufflebottom, CEO Ram Racing: “It was a challenging session. Qualifying for the WEC is a new format to us so we are learning a lot and contemplating our strategy based around our findings. The drivers are a lot happier after the final practice session, and we are fairly confident that the soft tyres are about a second quicker on pace than the mediums. A lot will depend on the weather tomorrow, but it’s a six-hour race so anything can happen.”

Matt Griffin, Ram Racing Ferrari 458 Italia No.52: “Qualifying went well but the position is not representative of where we want to be for sure. We took the decision to focus on the race strategy so we had to give a little bit away in qualifying which is reflected in our position. We have worked really well this weekend. Alvaro and I are very happy with the balance of the car, and we are looking forward to getting the race underway.”

Alvaro Parente, Ram Racing Ferrari 458 Italia No.52: “After this morning free practice I’m feeling a lot more confident. We did a few set up changes, which improved the handling for qualifying. We are running a different strategy than some of our opponents. Hopefully tomorrow our plans will pay off but it really depends on the weather conditions and tyre degradation. Obviously, I always like to be at the front and that is my main target. Today, we ran the medium tyres and our opponents ran with softs so we will see what happens tomorrow. We are definitely not slow and with the soft tyres we were right up there.”

Johnny Mowlem, Ram Racing Ferrari 458 Italia No.53: “We worked hard after free practice to improve the car and the team did a great job. For me the car was a lot friendlier, the balance and handling were significantly better so I’m feeling a lot more confident for the race. We have worked our strategy to factor in the weather. Ben did a great job on new tyres during his stint. In terms of a race car, I’m a little disappointed that we have not got more pace but, on saying that, we do have a good race car for tomorrow.”

Ben Collins, Ram Racing Ferrari 458 Italia No.53: “We are running a very different strategy on the set up which is based much more on endurance but a lot will depend on the weather. If it stays as it is, we will be in a very good position because we have extremely good consistency across the lap times. We used the practice sessions well and have made lots of changes and are really happy with the balance of the car now.”

Race information

Start time: 12h00 Sunday
Circuit Length: 3.66 miles International Circuit

About The Team
RAM Racing is a small international racing team with big ambitions. Founded by Dan Shufflebottom, a former Formula One technician, the team comprises the perfect mix of youth and experience, brought together from all disciplines within the world of international motorsport.

Formed midway through 2012 and based at a new, purpose-equipped, 1200 square metre facility on the edge of the Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire, the team has contested - and won - the 2013 European Le Mans Series with the super-successful, championship-winning Ferrari 458 Italia, clinching the LMGTE Drivers and Teams Championship titles. As well as its stated aim of competing successfully at the highest levels of GT racing, RAM Racing also brings with it a determination to do all things well…including having some fun along the way!

[Rob]

A MIXED QUALIFYING SESSION FOR ASTON MARTIN RACING

Silverstone, 19 April 2014 - In the opening round of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Six Hours of Silverstone, Aston Martin Racing has qualified in fifth and seventh in the GTE Pro class and in second and fourth in the GTE Am class.

The two GTE Am cars will start from the front two rows after the #98 NorthWest Vantage GTE qualified in second place, with Pedro Lamy (PT) and Christoffer Nygaard (DK) behind the wheel, and the #95 Young Driver Vantage GTE of Nicki Thiim (DK) and David Heinemeier Hansson (DK) qualified in fourth.

However, despite taking pole position at Silverstone in 2013, the GTE Pro entries struggled to match the pace of their much-improved competitors. Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan Mücke (DE) will start from fifth on the grid in the #97 Gulf-liveried Vantage GTE, following a frustrating start to the season.

“We struggled to be on the pace yesterday, but the team did a good job over night and, by this morning, we’d come a long way,” commented Darren Turner. “Stefan did a great job in qualifying and the average was decent; we are now in the right window but obviously still have a bit of ground to make up. With a change in weather for tomorrow and the likelihood of a wet race, anything can happen.”

The #99 Craft-Bamboo Racing Vantage GTE completed its first qualifying session. Alex MacDowall (GB), new to GT racing, started and was in the mix of the experienced GT drivers from the start. Team-mate Darryl O’Young took over and the team placed seventh at the end of the session.

“I was pleased with my performance for my first qualifying session,” commented Alex. “For our first GT race together as a team we have no pressure on us. We have a six-hour race ahead of us and a lot of development as a team to come.”

All four of Aston Martin Racing’s cars are 2013-specification Vantage GTEs. Team Principal John Gaw comments: “We have come here with a well-developed car and a very strong team, we just need to find a little more time to make us competitive.”

The Six Hours of Silverstone starts at 1200 BST on Sunday 20 April. Tickets can be bought at http://www.silverstone.co.uk/events/...e-Championship.

Follow the team on:

Facebook www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing
Twitter www.twitter.com/amr_official
Instagram www.instagram.com/astonmartinracingofficial

- ENDS -

[Rob]

PORSCHE TEAM NEWS RELEASE: SOLID QUALIFYING PERFORMANCE FOR THE 919 HYBRID


Solid qualifying performance from the newly formed Porsche Team with the two Porsche 919 Hybrids in the World Endurance Championship (WEC): After three free practice sessions with no problems, the first qualifying was also trouble free. Drivers Romain Dumas (FR) and Neel Jani (CH) achieved an average lap time of 1 minute 43.087 seconds and qualified the 919 Hybrid in third place on the grid for the opening race in Silverstone (GB).

Team mates Mark Webber (AU) and Timo Bernhard (DE) qualified sixth with no. 20 sister car (1 minute 43.226 seconds) for Sunday’s six hour race. Pole position went to the Toyota drivers Alexander Wurz/Kazuki Nakajima. The small time difference between all LMP1 works cars is remarkable: It is less than 0.5 seconds between pole position and sixth place.

In the WEC qualifying is split into classes. The LMP1 and LMP2 classes share 25 minutes on track. Two drivers from each car have to do two timed laps each. The average times from those four lap times make the grid positions.

Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development of Porsche AG: “I am happy with the result. The entire crew and the drivers have put in a good performance. Despite having put the focus of our development on the 24 hour race in Le Mans, we are here at the same level as Toyota and Audi. We should not take this for granted and we also are aware that we have not exploited the full development potential of the car yet.”

Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1: “Positions three and six are more than satisfactory for our new team. We have tough months of preparation work behind us. We used to say: who takes time to breath has lost the battle. I feel very happy for every single team member.”

Drivers Porsche 919 Hybrid #14
Romain Dumas: “It was a successful qualifying for us, and I am happy with third place. It is a very close competition and we have made further progress. My laps were good despite a small mistake on the first one. Now we look forward to tomorrow and to finishing our first race. Our car ran without any problems, but we still have a lack of experience with the Porsche 919 Hybrid.“

Neel Jani: “It was our target to be competitive and we have managed that by coming third. Next to be ticked off from the list is to complete the race distance, and then we shall see where we end up. Romain did a great job on new tyres, this was good team work.”

Drivers Porsche 919 Hybrid #20
Timo Bernhard: “It was tough competition today, and the lap times of the front runners are extremely close. The car was a bit tricky to drive and we kept working on the set-up and balance in free practice three despite simulating qualifying. I think we are looking fine for the race.”

Mark Webber: “One hour of free practice wasn’t a lot to get two guys and the car ready for qualifying and to practice the qualifying procedures. Nevertheless, we had an eye on race preparation and kept doing set-up changes. In qualifying we might have left a bit of performance out there, but the team did a very good job. A possible wet race would give us an extra challenge on the operational side as well as on track. Despite the temporary four-wheel drive, any race car on the limit in the wet needs the maximum respect.”

Porsche Motorsport News release

[Rob]

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[458 Italia]

Seeing some really great racing already after 25 mins of the race. How I've missed FIA WEC!!

[458 Italia]

Nooooooooooo #1 Audi is out!

[458 Italia]

Wow it's back on track!

[458 Italia]

Things go from bad to worse for Audi as #2 has a spin.

[Rob]

here comes the rain, have not heard anymore about possible penalty for our #51. Heard that they thought had overtaken under yellow flags.

[Rob]

#2 Audi crashed hard at Copse, lost rear end and hit the inside barrier, hard hard hit.

[Rob]

PORSCHE AND ASTON MARTIN FINISH 1-2 IN LMGTE PRO AND AM

Today’s rain-shortened 6 Hours of Silverstone was a triumph for Porsche Team Manthey who finished first and second in the LMGTE Pro category. 43,000 fans were able to enjoy world-class racing over the weekend from Porsche, Ferrari and Aston Martin, and the German marque came out on top after some close competition as has so often been the case with the GTE cars in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The No.92 Porsche 911 RSR of Marco Holzer, Frederic Makowiecki and Richard Lietz gave the team the best possible start to its 2014 season by winning 45 seconds ahead of their team mates in the No.92 Porsche 911 RSR (Pilet-Bergmeister-Tandy). Third in class was the No.97 Aston Martin Racing Vantage V8 of Darren Turner and Stefan Mücke and these three, together with the fourth placed No.51 AF Corse Ferrari all finished on the same lap.

Once past the pole-sitting Ferrari of Gianmaria Bruni on lap 12, the two Porsche 911 RSRs traded places for much of the race. The No.91 held the upper hand for the majority of the event but, as the rain got heavier and heavier the team decided to split its strategy and bring one car in to change from drying wet tyres to full wets. It was the No.91 which entered the pits, which turned out to be just before the Safety Car came out and this gave the No.92 the advantage which would see them through to the victory. With conditions getting worse and worse, the Safety Car stayed on track and the Race Director elected to end the race 38 minutes before its scheduled finish time.

In LMGTE Am it was also a 1-2 for a GTE manufacturer but this time it was for the British Aston Martin Racing team. With the team celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and racing in front of a large home crowd at Silverstone, it was a popular victory for the No.95 Vantage V8 of the all-Danish crew of David Heineimeier Hansson, Nicki Thiim and Kristian Poulsen. The trio finished just over a minute ahead of their team mates in the No.98 – Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy and Christoffer Nygaard. Third in class went to the N.81 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia of Steve Wyatt, Michele Rugolo (who won yesterday’s LMGTE category in the European Le Mans Series 4 Hours of Silverstone) and Briton Sam Bird who was making his debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The second round of the 2014 championship, the WEC 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps, will take place on Saturday 3rd May. The classic Belgian circuit is guaranteed to provide everyone with another exciting and thrilling race.

Thankyou to WEC, for series press releases. Thankyou.

[Rob]

ONE-TWO FOR TOYOTA RACING AT SILVERSTONE
Sunday 20 April 2014

TOYOTA Racing made the perfect start to the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship season with a one-two finish from pole position in the Six Hours of Silverstone.

The 1000PS, four-wheel-drive TS040 HYBRID won its very first race in convincing fashion thanks to the #8 of Anthony Davidson, Nicolas Lapierre and Sébastien Buemi who take an early lead in the eight-race World Championship.

The #7 of Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin and Kazuki Nakajima completed TOYOTA Racing’s first-ever one-two finish, with a fine second place despite changing weather.

Track conditions varied from completely dry to torrential rain, which ultimately saw the race red flagged less than 30 minutes before the chequered flag.

Alex started from pole and held the advantage during an exciting opening lap which saw Sébastien move from fifth to third.

The TS040 HYBRIDs were at the heart of the action with several position changes before rain came around the 40-minute mark. Both cars pitted for new tyres, the #7 taking wets and the #8 hybrid intermediates.

With the rain soon easing, hybrid intermediate tyres proved the most effective and Sébastien used his four-wheel drive hybrid system to good effect in building a comfortable lead.

Alex lacked grip on the wets so dropped to third and, after around 90 minutes, handed over the #7 to Kazuki, who switched to slicks for the rapidly-drying track. The #8 did likewise soon after when Nicolas took over from Sébastien.

Conditions remained dry, allowing Nicolas to firmly establish the #8 in the lead, with Kazuki tightening his grip on second in the #7 before swapping with Stéphane soon after the halfway point.

A safety car interrupted the drama briefly, during which time Anthony stepped into the race-leading #8.

Heavy rain hit the track with just over an hour remaining and the team responded by calling both cars in for wet tyres, whilst also swapping drivers; Kazuki replacing Stéphane in the #7 and Sébastien swapping with Anthony in the #8.

The safety car was deployed with 40 minutes left before the race was ended early, with further running impossible in the wet conditions. That confirmed TOYOTA Racing’s sixth win from 15 WEC races, its second consecutive victory following its triumph in the 2013 season finale in Bahrain.

As well as the usual winners’ trophies, the #8 crew also claimed the Royal Automobile Club International Tourist Trophy, first awarded in 1905, while Anthony won the Richard Lloyd Trophy for the highest-placed British Racing Drivers Club member.

The second round of the season comes in just two weeks with the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on 3 May.

Yoshiaki Kinoshita, Team President: “That was the perfect start to the season and I would like to thank everyone on the team for achieving this one-two victory for TOYOTA Racing. We have worked extremely hard over the winter to prepare the TS040 HYBRID and this is a great reward. We had a big and very enthusiastic crowd here at Silverstone which gave us a nice atmosphere, so I am pleased we could put on a good show for the fans. The weather was a real challenge but the team stayed alert and took the right decisions on strategy. Everyone on the team really earned this result but it is a close fight with Audi and Porsche so we have to continue pushing for the next race at Spa.”

TS040 HYBRID #7 (Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin, Kazuki Nakajima)
Race: 2nd, 166 laps, 6 pit stops. Fastest lap: 1min 44.326secs

Alex Wurz: “That was a really tough race. We saw lots of changing conditions, but it is quite cool actually to test yourself and master such conditions. It is a fantastic result for TOYOTA Racing; a one-two to lead the World Championship. We couldn’t have dreamed of a better result for the team. We also see the competition is very close so it is going to be very tough and we have to push very hard to stay ahead.”

Stéphane Sarrazin: “That was an amazing start to the season for TOYOTA Racing. The team did a great job and also my team-mates drove really well in very difficult conditions. Alex was flying at the start and Kazuki also. I had a good stint. I took no risks and made sure we could complete the result, get the podium and score the points. That was the important thing. It’s a really good day for the team.”

Kazuki Nakajima: “I am happy with our job today. I was pushing as much as was possible considering the conditions but when the gap stretched to more than one minute to the #8 I knew it would be difficult. It’s a great day for the team and a fantastic start to the season. We can be really proud of our first one-two finish; the whole team worked so hard for this and they all deserve to celebrate.”

TS040 HYBRID #8 (Anthony Davidson, Nicolas Lapierre, Sébastien Buemi)
Race: 1st, 167 laps, 6 pit stops. Fastest lap: 1min 44.646secs

Anthony Davidson: “It has been a fantastic weekend and it is brilliant to win my home race. The team did a fantastic job all weekend. It looked like it would be an epic fight with Audi and Porsche if it had stayed dry, but we knew the rain was coming and we had set our car up for wet conditions. We made the right call on tyres, the strategy was just perfect; that’s how you win races. It is particularly special to also win the Tourist Trophy and the Richard Lloyd Trophy. It is a fantastic achievement and I couldn’t have wished for a better weekend.”

Nicolas Lapierre: “It has been very close since the beginning of the weekend but the team really made a difference today with the strategy. It was spot-on and delivered a dream start to the season for the whole team. Even though we had a big margin it was still nerve-wracking at the end as anything can happen in such conditions. The team did a good job on strategy and this is a nice reward. The first race of the season is always a special occasion so I am particularly proud to win today. It means a lot, not only to win the race but also the Tourist Trophy and join such impressive names.”

Sébastien Buemi: “I am really happy with this result and it is a big credit to the team that we can win in the TS040 HYBRID’s first race. The conditions were very difficult at the end; it was really wet and hard to stay on track even behind the safety car. So I think the race director made the right call to end the race a little early. In general the car felt good and this gives us confidence for the rest of the season. But the competition was close and we can expect another big fight in Spa. We will enjoy this great result and quickly focus on the next race.”

French and German translations of this press release will be available shortly on www.toyotahybridracing.com, where copyright-free photos are also available for editorial use.

About TOYOTA Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship:
TOYOTA first competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 1983, marking the start of a long period of participation in endurance racing. TOYOTA cars have raced in 15 Le Mans 24 Hours races, achieving a best result of second place on four occasions (1992, 1994, 1999 & 2013). TOYOTA entered the revived WEC in 2012, as TOYOTA Racing, with its first hybrid LMP1 car, the TS030 HYBRID. That car competed for two seasons, winning five races. It was designed and built by TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG), where the race team is based. TMG is the former home of TOYOTA's World Rally and Formula 1 works teams, and was responsible for design and operation of TOYOTA's TS020 Le Mans car in 1998-99. TMG now combines motorsport participation with work as a high-performance engineering services provider to third party companies, as well as the TOYOTA family.

Big thankyou to Alastair Moffitt at Toyota Hybrid, for team press releases.

Great result for the team.

[Rob]

TRIPLE PODIUM FOR ASTON MARTIN AT SEASON-OPENER

Silverstone, 20 April - Three of Aston Martin Racing’s four Vantage GTEs finished in podium positions in the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Six Hours of Silverstone, after finishing first and second in the GTE Am class and third and seventh in the GTE Pro class thanks to great strategy in the changing weather conditions.

The #95 Young Driver Vantage GTE returns for a second season with Danish drivers Nicki Thiim, Kristian Poulsen and newcomer to the team David Heinemeier Hansson and has its sights firmly set on the championship win. After finishing its opening race of the year in first place in class, it is firmly on track.

“We returned to the WEC but with a completely new team, a new team-mate and a new engineer,” explains Thiim. “My co-drivers did a great job and there has been fantastic teamwork from everyone. In the race, tactics played an important role with the changing weather conditions and we got it right. Kristian and David did a great job to keep it on the track, especially in the heavy rain.”

The #98 NorthWest Vantage GTE of Pedro Lamy (PT), Paul Dalla Lana (CA) and Christoffer Nygaard (DN) finished closely behind in second place.

In the Pro class, Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan Mücke (DE) finished in third place, despite a difficult start to the weekend for the Gulf-liveried #97 Vantage GTE that saw it struggle to match the pace of its competitors. As the weekend progressed, the team worked hard to get more out of the car and Mücke and Turner were impressed with the improvements.

“We had a very difficult Friday and Saturday in practice and qualifying,” explains Turner. “The team found a small problem with the car and fixed it overnight, which gave us a bit more confidence and more pace in the car.

“The start of race was good – we kept up with the Ferrari but the Porsche was long gone. The team did a great job with strategy, as the change in weather conditions made it a very difficult race and there was no room for errors. Third place is more than we could have hoped for at the beginning of the day.”

Making its competitive debut in the WEC, the Valero-liveried #99 Craft-Bamboo Vantage GTE finished in seventh with Fernando Rees (BR), Darryl O’Young (HK) and Alex MacDowall behind the wheel.

“We came here with no expectations,” comments Darryl O’Young. “It is our first WEC race as a team and we came here to develop and learn - we are really pleased with our progress and how we worked together as a team. The car was great and we all look forward to racing at Spa in a few weeks time.”

The 2014 season marks Aston Martin Racing’s tenth year in international sports car racing and the team adds this home-win to its long-list of successes.

“We came here well prepared but knowing that we would be slightly on the back-foot given the additional 5mm of ride-height we have to run this year,” comments Team Principal John Gaw. “Our results today are reflective of the maturity of the team that we have taken two years to develop. We have good strategists who can work with our engineers, mechanics and drivers to get the most out of the team in difficult and changing conditions.

“While we might not have been the quickest today we focused on being the smartest and the team did a perfect job.”

The second round of the championship, the FIA WEC Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, takes place on 3/4 May.

Follow the team on:
Facebook www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing
Twitter www.twitter.com/amr_official
Instagram www.instagram.com/astonmartinracingofficial

- ENDS -

[Rob]

RAM RACING NEWS RELEASE


MEDIA RELEASE: 20th April 2014

Mixed fortunes at Silverstone

Today's opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at the Silverstone International circuit ended up a mixed event for Ram Racing.

Conditions on track proved challenging from the start. With the onset of rain and, with six-hours of competition ahead, the team was comfortable that good progress could be made during the race. However, the weather got the better of many of the competitors, and the race eventually ended under red flag conditions 38 minutes before the scheduled time.

The No.52 entry of Matt Griffin and Alvaro Parente finished the race sixth in the LMGTE Pro class despite a handling issue which forced the car off the track. Matt, who was behind the wheel at the time, managed to get the Ferrari back to the pits and the Ram Racing squad quickly set about turning it around, but valuable time was lost on track.

A superb opening stint with some very competitive lap times by Ben Collins in the No. 53 saw him take the lead of the LMGTE Am class just after the hour mark. The car was running well and looking good until the adverse weather conditions kicked in, eventually forcing the race to be halted, so the trio had to settle for a fifth place finish.

Dan Shufflebottom, CEO Ram Racing “This was a really challenging race for us. It has really shown us what it will take to be competitive in this championship. On saying that, there are a number of positives that we can take from the weekend, not least that we are able to run at the same pace as our competitors. This was such a difficult race to call today because of the conditions, but we are happy that both cars finished the race. We still have a lot to learn about how best to manage the tyres, but we will go away from here and look at the information we have and prepare ourselves for Spa.”

Matt Griffin, Ram Racing Ferrari 458 Italia No.52: “It was a really tough race. We have had wet, dry, and monsoon conditions, which makes it difficult for everyone. Our car was running well, particularly in the dry, and getting better and better. In my last stint, I was getting some good lap times but I suffered with a gearbox issue which meant I was stuck between gears and I spun off the circuit. I managed to get back to the pits, and the team turned the car around and Alvaro was able to rejoin. We are not quite where we want to be yet but we are not too far away.”

Alvaro Parente, Ram Racing Ferrari 458 Italia No.52: “We didn’t have enough pace today but there are signs that we can make progress so that is positive. Conditions during the race were very tricky, but we finished the race and amassed points and that is important for us.”

Johnny Mowlem, Ram Racing Ferrari 458 Italia No.53: “It was a tough race but, looking at how the weekend started, finishing in fifth with a solid haul of points is a good result. Obviously, we would have liked to have been on the podium, and I was thinking at one point we might achieve that. When it started raining the car came into its own and Ben was leading our class. Mark took over and was running solidly in fifth. I took over when we were a lap down, and luckily managed to un-lap ourselves from the lead Aston Martin. The conditions were really difficult so the decision to red flag the race was the right call.”

Ben Collins, Ram Racing Ferrari 458 Italia No.53: “I had someone run into me at the start and I lost a wing mirror so that was interesting. I decided to let the race settle down and wait for opportunities to come to me. We were still a little off the pace on the dry tyres but, once we changed over to the wets, the car was really good. I made my way into P1 so that was a nice feeling. The guys in this team are amazing; the pits stops were quick and flawless and they really did a great job. I have not raced for two years so to get back into a car and cover nearly three stints were fun. I had some great battles out there today. We are a little shy on pace, but we know now what we need to work on so we can look forward to Spa.”

Mark Patterson, Ram Racing Ferrari 458 Italia No. 53 “The sprinkler device up in the sky really made if difficult for us today. Our secret driver, “The Stig”, did an astounding job to move us up from the back and into the lead at one point. I jumped in, and it started to rain and I unfortunately spun at Luffield, which dropped us down the order slightly. It was really tricky on track and when it again dried I started to put in some good times. The car felt good, but it was harder than I imagined it would be.”

Mark Schomann, Technical Director “In qualifying I made the gamble of running medium tyres instead of the softs and I think on reflection that was the wrong call. Our drivers did a phenomenal job of keeping the pace with the soft option but it made it very tough for them. Without doubt the weather conditions made it very challenging. We did learn a lot about the new tyres, and we did the best job we could in the circumstances.”

The team now head to Spa, Belgium, for the next round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in two weeks time. (May 2/3rd)

[Rob]

Strong performance for Greaves Motorsport in 4 Hours of Silverstone

With both of their cars finishing in the top six in the 4 hours of Silverstone, the opening round of the 2014 European Le Mans Series, the Peterborough based team left the circuit with a sense of achievement. The team had three drivers making their race début in the LM P2 class and one of their Nissan powered Zytek prototypes led the race convincingly in the first hour. The other car finished strongly closing in on a podium finish, only to be denied by the Chequered Flag.

Car #41 started from fourth place on the grid with 16 year old Matt McMurry taking part in both his first LM P2 race and his first race in Europe. His performance belied his age with an assured and confident display over the first two stints, keeping the Zytek in contention for a podium. Next in was ex-ALMS Champion, Chris Dyson took over driving duties from the youngster and kept up the challenge. With the rules mandating that Matt had to spend two hours, twenty minutes in the cockpit, he jumped back in before handing over to triple Le Mans class winner, Tom Kimber-Smith, for the final run to the flag. An extended period under the Safety Car meant that Tom was unable to exploit the ultimate pace of the car and driver over the full stint and just ran out of time in pursuit of a podium.

The #28 car started from eighth spot on the grid. Starting driver, James Littlejohn, arguably the revelation of the race, was soon slicing through the traffic to take the race lead in a scintillating performance, a remarkable feat considering that it was his début in this level of international competition. As a result he was nominated for Drive of the Day by Radio Le Mans (as was Matt). Tony Wells, another making his first LM P2 appearance, drove the middle period of the race, maintaining the strong pace of the car before handing over to James Walker who brought the car home to the finish. The Safety Car Period worked against the quick Jersey based driver and sixth place at the end of the race was not a true reflection of the potential of the package.

Team Principal Tim Greaves: “Well there were many positives that the team will take away from Silverstone. A brilliant race by Matt, two hours, twenty minutes on your first race at this level is a big ask but he responded brilliantly, showing good pace and great maturity. Similarly James also turned in a great drive to take the lead overall, he adapted very well to the hustle and bustle to come from a little way done the grid to the overall lead. Perhaps we could have claimed a podium spot with either or both cars but that is motorsport.”

Team Manager Jacob Greaves: “Another strong result for the team and some great performances, from all the drivers. Our partners, Zytek, Nissan and Dunlop all made significant contributions as usual and the guys in the team are the best. Certainly based on this race we are confident that 2014 will be a good season for Greaves Motorsport. We are looking forward to the next race at Imola in May.”

[Rob]

Again, thankyou to John Brooks at Greaves Motorsport for the team press releases.

[Rob]

FIA World Endurance Championship
Round 1/8 – Silverstone 6 Hours

Wet WEC win at Silverstone for G-Drive Racing

G-Drive Racing, with the #26 Morgan-Nissan LM P2, developed by Onroak Automotive and racing on Dunlop tyres, has secured its first LM P2 class victory of the World Endurance Championship season at a very wet Silverstone.


Having qualified on pole in LM P2, 9th on the overall grid, the team managed to overcome the changeable conditions and a few minor issues early on, to end the race with a class win and 5th overall.

The overcast skies were omens of what was to come at Silverstone, bringing tricky conditions and extra challenges to the G-Drive Racing drivers Julien Canal, Olivier Pla and Roman Rusinov. Despite technical issues at the start, strategy and consistency helped them to secure their first win of the season.
The Morgan-Nissan LM P2 held its own against the competition of the three Oreca-Nissan LM P2 cars, keeping pace and showing how competitive and reliable it is.

Olivier Pla took the start and comfortably held on to the lead in LM P2 until the first pit stop, which arrived a bit earlier than planned, due to the rain. Because of an issue with the headlights which they had to fix, they lost the lead, and rejoined the race in 2nd place, 55 seconds behind the #47 KCMG Oreca 03 Nissan LM P2.

After Pla’s double stint, they suffered another long pitstop to change the bonnet on the car, fixing the headlights again, which widened the gap to the class leader. Rusinov then took over, and managed to keep hold of second place, as the SMP Racing LM P2s suffered problems on track.

At the halfway mark, a real battle of endurance was taking place between the #47 and #26, with Rusinov slowly gaining ground on the #47, having managed to stay within 1m20s of his rival. A good third pit stop by the crew won them another ten seconds, with Rusinov starting his 2nd stint.
When Rusinov handed over to Canal at the start of the 4th hour, the safety car came out, providing G-Drive Racing with the perfect opportunity to close the gap to the LM P2 class leader. Within laps of the end of the safety car session, the gap had closed to mere seconds, and a fierce battle ensued for the lead, and for 5th position overall. With the gap closing ever smaller, only occasionally hindered by overtaking traffic and the faster LM P1 cars, silver driver Julien Canal held strong and kept the #26 on track, never losing sight of the #47 KCMG Oreca Nissan. In the 5th hour, combining a speedy pitstop for Canal, and a stop and go penalty for the #47, the #26 managed to take back the lead in LM P2.

Handing over to Pla for the last stint, they kept hold of the lead, and with the conditions deteriorating in the last half hour, the race was red flagged; with a gap of over two minutes, the #26 Morgan Nissan LMP2 ended with a comfortable win after a tough battle.

Next round, Spa 6 Hours, 2-3 May.

Julien Canal : « I’m very happy to have won this race in LM P2. The conditions were rather hard. We started the race with a headlight that wasn’t working, and we had to change the bonnet. The leader got away, but we managed to get the lead again after the safety car. I am happy with my performance; it’s not easy to start in LM P2 with the big boys. Olivier did a very good job, and Roman raced well too. I think we didn’t make any mistakes, and it paid off! »

Olivier Pla : « 1st race at the WEC and 1st victory, we couldn’t have hoped for a better result, even though it wasn’t as straightforward as that. It started really well, and we could cope, but then we had an issue and we had to change the bonnet to fix the front headlight which burnt out, and so we had to follow the rules and change it immediately, which made us lose a lot of time. With the rain which came to bother us now and then, it really wasn’t easy. The car was perfect, and everything was under control. It was great to start like this and I hope it’s just the start of a long string of wins. »

Roman Rusinov : « I think it was a very tough race. I ran on a wet track with slicks! There were moments when things could have gone wrong, because the rain kept starting and stopping, and occasionally, you would arrive in a corner, where it had been completely dry before, and it slid like crazy. I had a few frights. It was tough with the traffic, but I think the team did a good job. Even though we had a few problems during the pit stops, I think we managed the race well, and won. »

Philippe Dumas, Team Principal : « As we’ve seen, it’s not been the easiest of races, despite the little amount of cars. There were points at stake, and we took the maximum, so I can say that we fulfilled our contract. There are a lot of things to work on and improve. That it’s motorsport, nothing is won from the start. It’s a victory for G-Drive and for Onroak Automotive, and I’m very happy with our drivers who did an excellent job. »

FIA WEC – Silverstone 6 Hours Classification :
1. #08 Toyota Racing, Toyota TS 040 - Hybrid LM P1
2. #07 Toyota Racing, Toyota TS 040 - Hybrid LM P1
3. #20 Porsche Team, Porsche 919 Hybrid LM P1
4. #12 Rebellion Racing, Lola B12/60 Coupé LM P1
5. #26 G-Drive Racing, Morgan-Nissan LM P2
6. #47 KCMG, Oreca 03 Nissan LM P2
7. #92 Porsche Team Manthey, Porsche 911 RSR LM GTE Pro
8. #91 Porsche Team Manthey, Porsche 911 RSR LM GTE Pro
…
13. #27 SMP Racing, Oreca 03-Nissan LM P2

[Nero Horse]

So our AF Corse started on pole and then faded away badly in the race?

Not exactly the best start to the season, but hopefully they can have a much better race in Spa.

[Rob]

So our AF Corse started on pole and then faded away badly in the race?

Not exactly the best start to the season, but hopefully they can have a much better race in Spa.

Good race, Porsches were quick round the corners. The balance of performance, helped a little. Good solid race for #51 #71 cars. The weather conditions, didnt help much. But can never say bad word against Gimmi and Toni.

[Nova]

Im not sure whats new on the 458's..think the Porsche is a brand new model from the factory. We'll get em.

[Rob]

ELMS..

Alpine encouraged by first points haul
Team Info

Fifth place in the 4 Hours of Silverstone brought the Signatech-Alpine team a first points haul in its bid for a second successive European Le Mans Series crown.

Nelson Panciatici, Paul-Loup Chatin and Oliver Webb shared the driving in their Alpine A450 to claim 10 hard-fought points.
Alpine never raced at the UK's Silverstone Circuit back in the seventies and eighties. The Alpine A450's first outing at the legendary track in 2013 was a bitter disappointment for the whole Signatech-Alpine team – and so it proved second time out despite those 10 important points they earned today to help their ELMS title defence.

Friday's free practice sessions were used to seek the ideal set-up for the Alpine A450 and its 2014-specification Michelin tyres for the specific challenges presented by the English track.

After qualifying seventh, Nelson Panciatici made an excellent start, moving quickly up to fifth but he had to cope with the traffic and premature rear-left tyre wear before handing over to Paul-Loup Chatin at the end of his first stint.

Chatin succeeded in moving back into the top five after completing around 50 laps before handing over to team-mate Oliver Webb. The British driver then maintained the pace as he, in turn, picked his way through the omnipresent traffic with 38 cars competing round the 5.9km circuit.

With less than an hour's racing remaining, a crash involving two LM P2 cars brought out the Safety Car. Signatech-Alpine took the gamble of not pitting and Paul-Loup Chatin remained in the car, successfully saving fuel to finish the race in fifth place.

Philippe Sinault (Team Principal Signatech-Alpine): “We knew we had our work cut out to make the A450 work on the Michelin tyres developed specially for the new regulations. The drivers, the whole team did a fantastic job and these important points are all down to them. Alpine and Michelin will both now focus on improving the car further in order to play a front-running role at Imola! The racing is clearly going to be close this year, so this weekend's points could prove very valuable.”

Paul-Loup Chatin: “The team did a great job all weekend to allow us to score valuable points. It was a good idea to go for an offset race strategy, which meant we didn't have to pit when the safety car was set out.”

Oliver Webb: “We need to work further on the tyre and chassis package for 2014 – it was a bit difficult during practice. But things were better in the race and we ran quite consistently. Fifth is a promising start but of course our sights are set much higher.”

Nelson Panciatici: “We spent all weekend playing catch-up and we made significant progress. We have managed to close the gap significantly to the quickest cars out there, so I think we could be looking for a podium at Imola.”

Signatech-Alpine's next outing is in Italy, at Imola, for round two of the European Le Mans Series.

[Rob]

Im not sure whats new on the 458's..think the Porsche is a brand new model from the factory. We'll get em.

brand new 911 RSR, we have couple new parts.

[Rob]

ELMS..

JOTA Sport Suffers Huge Disappointment In “Home” Silverstone Race
Team Info

Dolan uninjured after massive accident thanks to strong Zytek chassis

Team in positive mood despite unfortunate opening race setback

JOTA Sport was cruelly denied a likely second consecutive victory in the opening round of the 2014 European Le Mans Series at a cool and blustery Silverstone today (19 Apr).

The Kent-based team, that had started from pole-position and won the corresponding race 12 months ago at the Northamptonshire Grand Prix venue, looked on course to repeat its success.

But with less than an hour remaining, the Zytek Z11SN of Filipe Albuquerque (P), Simon Dolan (GB) and Harry Tincknell (GB) crashed out of the 4 Hour race around the 18-corner, 3.667-mile Silverstone circuit.

Audi Sport “factory” loanee Albuquerque started from “pole” at the head of the 38-car field courtesy of Tincknell's stunning ELMS debut fastest time in qualifying – Harry having only just switched from single-seater formula racing. The Portuguese, who was also having his first ever LMP2 sportscar race after three years racing for Audi in DTM, went on to drive a clean, consistently fast 45mins stint, pitting the Zytek Z11SN with a 36-secs lead with JOTA Group Partner Dolan resuming third.

Dolan had driven a sterling 147mins triple stint when, with just 48mins left on the clock with the JOTA Sport Zytek six seconds in the lead and with the Monaco-based Briton pitting at the end of the lap for Tincknell to take over behind the wheel, the team's race fortunes turned upside down.

Simon, who had overhauled second-placed ex-Formula One driver Christian Klien earlier in the race to lead by 33secs at mid-distance, attempted to lap a GT Ferrari on the outside exiting Chapel Curve.

Despite blue warning lights flashing from the marshal posts beside the track to inform the Ferrari driver a faster car was approaching to overtake, Dolan was left no room on the exit of the corner which caused him to drift onto the grass run-off area.

The JOTA Zytek then speared back across the track, clipping another car, before crashing head on into a concrete wall. Safety officials extracted him from the wreckage before Dolan was taken to the Media Centre for checks before being discharged.

The second round of the five-race ELMS is staged at Imola in Italy over 17-18 May. However the British team is in action in the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship staged at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium (2-3 May).

Filipe Albuquerque (P). Age 28. Born & Lives: Coimbra (P):

“We have a very good ‘package' for the remaining ELMS races this season. The Zytek was fantastic to drive with good pace and the team is top-class. My stint was nice and relatively easy apart from when lapping GT traffic. As my stint went on the tyres went off a little in terms of grip causing understeer.

“Unfortunately things like Simon's accident can happen in racing. Thankfully he's okay. He'd driven a fantastic stint – strong and consistent. He did a great job and will come back stronger.”

Simon Dolan (GB). Age 44. Born: Chelmsford, Essex. Lives: Monaco (MC):

“I'm gutted – especially for the Filipe, Harry and the JOTA team – everyone had worked so hard. The Zytek was fantastic allowing me to run long stints on the tyres. It's a great, great shame our race ended the way it did. But I'm very grateful to Zytek Engineering for building such a strong car that saved me from any injuries – thankfully I'm only a little bruised and battered.”

Harry Tincknell (GB). Age: 22. Born: Exeter, Devon. Lives: Sidmouth, Devon (GB):

“Once I knew Simon was perfectly okay I left the track in a very positive mood. Up until the accident, JOTA Sport had shown its competitiveness in practice, qualifying and the race itself. For me personally, I was delighted with what I achieved even though I didn't get to drive in the race itself.

“I was actually standing in the pit lane with my helmet on ready to take over from Simon when the crash occurred. Of course the outcome was hugely disappointing but both Filipe and Simon said the Zytek had been a dream to drive in the race which is what I'd found in practice and qualifying. As a team we've laid down a good benchmark.”

Sam Hignett. Partner, JOTA Group:

“Until Simon's accident, it had been a dominant performance by JOTA Sport. Harry had been stunning in qualifying, Filipe had driven a brilliant opening race stint and Simon quite honestly had driven the race of his life – the best I've ever seen from him. I hope that everyone connected with the series learns from this incident and that we can work with officials so that this kind of incident is eradicated.”

[Rob]

ELMS..

Sébastien Loeb Racing gains experience
Team Info

On Saturday Sébastien Loeb Racing was making its return to endurance racing at the first round of the European Le Mans Series. In the hands of Vincent Capillaire and Jan Charouz, the No. 24 ORECA 03 finished seventh in the 4 Hours of Silverstone, while the No. 51 Audi R8 LMS ultra driven by Henry Hassid, Olivier Lombard and Mike Parisy, ended the day sixth in the GTC class.



Although the team had already experienced the European Le Mans Series, lSébastien Loeb Racing went into this British weekend with much humility, as the team is in the middle of preparing for its 24 Hours of Le Mans debut. Jan Charouz and Vincent Capillaire were taking part in their first race with the Alsacian team, which had not raced in LM P2 since the summer of 2012. It was also the first race for the team with the Audi R8 LMS ultra and so there were many discoveries to be made this weekend.

« We were hoping for a better result with the two cars » admits Léo Thomas, Technical Director. « The LM P2 and GTC races were different, but there is one thing in common : the guys did good work during the pit stops and that's a positive that we must remember. In LM P2, we have to keep in mind that it's a return to the discipline for us. We were lacking in performance and we will analyse why. Nonetheless, we gained experience and logged a lot of data. That's important with the 24 Hours of Le Mans coming up. As for the lAudi R8 LMS ultra, we had a solid race with the balance of performance a question mark before the race. The three drivers did a good job and the team is right there in terms of pit stops, but we could have optimised our strategy and therefore gotten a better result. Fourth place would have been more in line with our performance. We will really look over our performance this weekend. We will be looking to get as much out of it as possible to up our momentum heading into the next races. »



ORECA 03 #24

After qualifying ninth, Jan Charouz makes a good start, keeping him in the top 10. The Czech driver gains a position before the end of the first half-hour, then another ahead of the first round of pit stops. Thanks to good pit work and by keeping the same tyres, he rejoins the action in fourth place. He loses a little ground before handing the car over to Vincent Capillaire. The Sarthe native makes no mistakes in his first LM P2 races and avoids incidents in an action-packed race. After spending more than two and a half ours at the wheel, Vincent takes the chequered flag in seventh place.

Audi R8 LMS ultra #51

Starting from the fourth row in the GTC class following a good qualifying effort from Mike Parisy, Olivier Lombard gains ground little by little. After the first hour of racing, he reaches the top five. By the start of the second hour, he reaches fourth place, which he would hold until pitting to give the controls to Henry Hassid. The 2012 French GT champion has a solid double stint to keep his fourth place before a spin at the end of the third hour slowed him.

Mike Parisy then takes over the wheel and begins to attack before being slowed by the safety car 45 minutes from the end of the race. He crosses the finish line in sixth place.

« I had a little trouble with the balance of the car at the start of the race, but things got better as the laps unfolded » explains Olivier Lombard. « As the car handled better and better, I was able to gain several positions. The first half of my second stint also went well, but at the end of that stint I found myself behind a BMW and I didn't want to take any risks. Overall, I'm happy because I progressed during the weekend. We knew that the balance of performance wouldn't be to our advantage here, and with that in mind, our result today is interesting. We ran for a long time just outside a podium finish. Thanks to the team for a job well done. »