2015 WEC/ELMS&TUSC news.

**Rob** · 29th August 2015, 20:27

**Rob** · 29th August 2015, 20:33

**Rob** · 29th August 2015, 20:34

**Rob** · 29th August 2015, 20:40

**458 Italia** · 30th August 2015, 11:25

Complete nightmare for #51!!!!

**Rob** · 30th August 2015, 12:30

Originally Posted by 458 Italia

Complete nightmare for #51!!!!

small electrical issue. Few laps behind now, but still anything can happen, lets hope Gimmi and Toni can drive it through to get back on podium.

**458 Italia** · 30th August 2015, 12:42

Stupid Motors TV.

Watching here: https://streamup.com/redditWEC# now.

**Rob** · 30th August 2015, 12:52

Originally Posted by 458 Italia

Stupid Motors TV.

Watching here: https://streamup.com/redditWEC# now.

being trying to find a stream. First time i have known Motors to do this, sooooooo annoying

**458 Italia** · 30th August 2015, 13:15

Wow 30 second stop and go!

**458 Italia** · 30th August 2015, 13:21

Great Ferrari v Porsche battle going on. How I've missed the WEC!

**458 Italia** · 30th August 2015, 13:23

ANOTHER stop and go 1 minute!!!!

**Rob** · 30th August 2015, 13:23

Another 1 minute penalty for #18 wow

Great battle with the Porsche, James doing brilliant job. Just shame Gimmi and Toni not there.

**Rob** · 30th August 2015, 13:26

do like those G-Drives. But the KCMG colour scheme is amazing.

**Rob** · 30th August 2015, 13:50

this battle for 2nd in GTE Pro is heart pounding. James doing super super job.

**Rob** · 30th August 2015, 13:51

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

**Rob** · 30th August 2015, 14:08

#71 still going, looks like maybe rear bodywork just rubbing on left rear. Just hope Davide can make it last this stint.

**fratelliferrari** · 31st August 2015, 19:05

Iam still sad about yesterday's race! Our pace was good but sadly both #51 and #71 had their share of bad luck! Was there the whole weekend to support the AF corse team with my special made t-shirt! All AF corse drivers and especially Amato Ferrari really liked them! He said we were crazy that we made shirts specially for his team! He said it with a wink

Can't wait for the next round and to put the Prancing Horse's were they belong! Forza AF corse!

**Rob** · 1st September 2015, 08:28

Originally Posted by fratelliferrari

Iam still sad about yesterday's race! Our pace was good but sadly both #51 and #71 had their share of bad luck! Was there the whole weekend to support the AF corse team with my special made t-shirt! All AF corse drivers and especially Amato Ferrari really liked them! He said we were crazy that we made shirts specially for his team! He said it with a wink

Can't wait for the next round and to put the Prancing Horse's were they belong! Forza AF corse!

Gimmi liked tops. Amato is such a legend. Glad you had good weeeknd. Looked like it from the pictures mate. Think CoTA will suit us aswell. Long straight, and nice twisty bits. Was a hard race at Nurbergring. The Porsche #92 got away lightly. Few people being saying maybe they got away lightly because FIA only the week before got Porsche to stay in WEC next year. As they were planning to withdraw next year to focus on their new car for 2017. Which, by what i hear be a mid engined car.

**Rob** · 1st September 2015, 08:30

TOP SIX FOR TOYOTA GAZOO RACING AT NÜRBURGRING
Sunday 30 August 2015

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing finished fifth and sixth in the Six Hours of Nürburgring as the 2015 World Endurance Championship reached its halfway point in Germany today.

The fourth race of the season took place just 90km south of the team’s Cologne base in front of a big crowd - 62,000 over the weekend - at the Nürburgring, hosting LMP1 racing for the first time since 2009.

Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima, in the #1, were the leading TS040 HYBRID in fifth position, with #2 of Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin and Mike Conway finishing sixth.

Today’s result sees reigning World Champions TOYOTA remain third in the manufacturers’ standings, 95 behind Porsche. Alex, Stéphane and Mike are the leading TOYOTA men in the drivers’ championship, in seventh.

Today’s race got underway in brilliant sunshine and with air temperatures approaching 30°C. Kazuki and Mike were at the wheel of their respective cars on an all-TOYOTA third row and both held position during a clean opening lap.

On the short 5.137km Grand Prix track, traffic was a factor as the LMP1 cars had to fight through the pack on the relatively narrow track, requiring the drivers to find the right balance between aggression and caution around the slower cars.

With plenty of action throughout the field, debris on track caused two full course yellows in the third hour but it was a lonely race for the TS040 HYBRIDs, with fifth and sixth place looking unlikely to change as half distance came and went.

The two 1,000hp TOYOTAs kept up a consistent pace and performed reliably to take the chequered flag with Anthony and Alex at the wheel, as the #17 Porsche won from the #18 sister car.

The second half of the WEC season begins next month, with a trip to Austin, Texas for the Six Hours of Circuit of the Americas on 19 September. That marks the first of four non-European rounds which will decide the championship standings.

Toshio Sato, Team Principal: “The team performed professionally in hot conditions today, with clean pit stops, good race management and solid driving, but unfortunately the result is disappointing. We were not quick enough to challenge. Again, we have seen a very high level of competition in LMP1, with no major mechanical failures, and this shows how tough the battle is. I was impressed to see so many fans, many from Toyota Germany and Toyota Europe, in the grandstands today so I would like to thank them for their support. The European leg of the season is now over so we will push, in Cologne and Japan, to be ready for the final four races. We will stay determined to take any opportunity which comes our way.”

TS040 HYBRID #1 (Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima)
Race: 5th, 200 laps, 6 pit stops. Grid: 5th. Fastest lap: 1min 40.207secs

Anthony Davidson: “We did a perfect job today from our side; there was no more that we could have done. Thanks to the engineers and mechanics for a good day’s work, with no issues at all. We are all looking forward to the upcoming races to see if we have some better chances; we are not going to give up pushing. We gave everything today and at least it was good fun trying.”

Sébastien Buemi: “It was a good job from the whole crew. We did what we could and never lost concentration so I am happy with that. We did our best and we had no technical issues. I am satisfied with how we operated today. We cannot be happy with the result. Now we go to the next races and see what possibilities will come.”

Kazuki Nakajima: “It was a lonely race for us and realistically it was only a fight between our two cars. You never know so we didn’t give up and I think we got the most out of our package. It went okay for me; I am quite happy with my stints and my lap times. We will continue to fight and do everything we can.”

TS040 HYBRID #2 (Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin, Mike Conway)
Race: 6th, 199 laps, 6 pit stops. Grid: 6th. Fastest lap: 1min 40.738secs

Alex Wurz: “It was nice to race in Germany and it was really impressive to have so many people here; that was cool. The race wasn’t perfect for us so we need to look into the details of where we lost some time. We have to stay sharp and always optimise the package we have, that’s our job for the rest of the season.”

Stéphane Sarrazin: “We did the best race we could, with full effort and always hoping for an opportunity. We pushed hard and did our maximum without any mistakes. The result is not what we wanted but that’s how it goes sometimes. I have enjoyed the event and it’s been really nice to see how many fans were here today.”

Mike Conway: “It was nice to start the race for the first time and get a feel for how it is. I struggled a bit with car balance in the first stint but when I got back in the car later in the race it felt quite good. I pushed all the way to the end and concentrated on putting in the fastest lap times we could. It went okay but of course we aim for better in Austin.”

**Rob** · 1st September 2015, 08:39

Tequila Patrón ESM Gains Experience in Germany

Nürburgring, Germany, – Aug. 30, 2015 – It was a weekend of high hopes and dashed dreams for Tequila Patrón ESM at the FIA World Endurance Championship’s (FIA WEC) 6 Hours of Nürburgring. At the end of the six-hour race, the team finished sixth and eighth in the LMP2 class.

After successful testing at Nürburgring back in July, Tequila Patrón ESM entered this week’s event with confidence its Ligier JS P2 Hondas were ready to take on the field and give the team a pair of podium finishes. But for most of the race the fast setup eluded both cars, until late in the race when the team found a competitive pace but with too few laps left to make a podium finish.

The No. 30 team of Scott Sharp, Ryan Dalziel and David Heinemeier Hansson gambled early on a yellow-flag pit stop but timing was against the team when the race quickly went back to green. All three drivers completed their stints and near the end of the race were able to run consistent lap times. The team had a mostly clean race, with a brief off-track in Turn 15 by Heinemeier Hansson the only incident.

The No. 31 Tequila Patrón ESM drivers Ed Brown, Johannes van Overbeek and Jon Fogarty also struggled early. Slightly off pace from the other LMP2 competitors, the No. 31 crew made the right adjustments to get the No. 31 running consistent laps as the race progressed. Turn 15 proved to be challenging for the No. 31 team as well, Brown went off-track in the same section as Heinemeier Hansson.

Tequila Patrón ESM now heads to familiar territory for the fifth round of the WEC. The Florida-based team heads home to the United States and the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. COTA marks the one year anniversary of Tequila Patrón ESM’s debut in the WEC. Last year, Sharp, Brown and Dalziel earned the team’s first WEC podium with a third-place finish.

The 6 Hours of COTA takes place on September 19, and is the team’s first United States-based race in the Ligier J2 P2 Honda prototypes. The last time Tequila Patrón ESM competed in the States was during the 12 Hours of Sebring in March 2015.
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SCOTT SHARP

“Nürburgring proved to be a very tough weekend for Tequila Patrón ESM. We had a great test here and expected to return and show the same speed. Unfortunately from the moment we unloaded the trailer, we chased the balance of the cars. We also seemed to be down a bit on the straights. Factor in the high ambient temperatures and it was quite a handful to make the two ESM cars as competitive as we hoped. However, the team persevered, the guys gave us great pit stops and we brought both cars home unscathed in sixth and eighth. We will learn from this weekend and go to Austin stronger.”

ED BROWNblack

“We didn’t have the weekend we hoped for at Nürburgring. We were confident heading into this race since the test was successful. We’re not sure what changed from the test to the race because we struggled with setup all weekend. Thanks to the entire Tequila Patrón ESM crew; they never gave up. We learned a lot this weekend and we’ll take that with us to COTA. We’re looking forward to heading back to the United States, competing at Austin and returning to the podium.”

RYAN DALZIEL

“We did not have the weekend we were expecting. Setup issues haunted us from the start and we just couldn’t get a handle on it. I’m proud of the team for never giving up.

“I’m looking forward to returning to COTA where it’s not only home soil for Tequila Patrón ESM, but also the venue where we kicked off our WEC campaign last year and got a great podium. We’re hoping for the same good fortune again.”

JOHANNES VAN OVERBEEK

“Nürburgring is a great track and we thought we were ready for our first podium finish this year, but we were just a little off on the setup. Ed and Jon drove great races and it was an honor to be a part of the first WEC race in Germany, we just wish we had a better showing. My hat is off to the Tequila Patrón ESM crew; they worked hard to get us ready and were non-stop throughout the weekend. We had great pit stops and driver changes, we just wish we could have finished better than eighth.”

JON FOGARTY

“We missed the setup earlier this week and tried to make the right adjustments to get the Tequila Patrón ESM Ligier Honda where we needed it to be. Since we were chasing the setup, we were playing catch-up during practices, qualifying and the race.

“The team worked hard all week. The crew guys were awesome with pit stops. We’re leaving Germany a bit puzzled, but we’ll find the balance for COTA. We’re all looking forward to racing

DAVID HEINEMEIER HANSSON

“It was a tough weekend for all of us. But I was happy to see that were able to keep the pace at the 1:49-1:50 for much of that first stint. It was a small victory. We know the cars are strong and we have great driver lineups, but something was missing this weekend.”

**Rob** · 1st September 2015, 08:41

FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Nürburgring, Germany / Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) Sonoma, California
One-two result for Porsche 919 Hybrids – championship lead extended / Porsche 911 RSR clinches one-two in GT Pro Class / EFFORT Racing scores first and second in two Pirelli World Challenge races

Atlanta. Porsche Motorsport worldwide had a successful weekend. In the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Germany, Porsche LMP1 919 Hybrids and 911 RSRs had matching first and second place finishes, while in California the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC), EFFORT Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R finished first and second in two races.

The WEC Six Hours of Nürburgring – Germany

Porsche LMP1 and GT Pro WEC race teams thrive at the inaugural WEC Six Hours of the Nurburgring race. Over the weekend 62,000 people were in attendance for the first German WEC race.

The Porsche LMP1 Teams claimed a pair of one-two finishes at the fourth round of the WEC at the Nürburgring this past weekend. The trio of Timo Bernhard (DE), Brendon Hartley (NZ) and Mark Webber (AUS) won the six-hour race in the No. 17 Porsche 919 Hybrid, while the sister 919 Hybrid of Romain Dumas (FR), Neel Jani (CH) and Marc Lieb (DE) came in second. In the GTE Pro class, Richard Lietz (Austria) and Michael Christensen (Denmark), in their No. 91 Porsche 911 RSR, finished first ahead of their French team colleagues Frédéric Makowiecki and Patrick Pilet.

In the GTE-Am class, Porsche Factory Driver Patrick Long (USA) netted fourth place with teammates Patrick Dempsey (USA) and Marco Seefried (Austria). The 911 RSR campaigned by the Dempsey Proton Racing customer team – with which the trio celebrated their greatest success to date claiming second at this year’s Le Mans 24 hour race – was even running in the lead over long stretches. In the closing laps, however, it proved not quite enough for a podium finish.

Pirelli World Challenge – Sonoma, California

By way of EFFORT Racing’s first and second place finishes in the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) series races at Sonoma Raceway, Porsche retained its lead in the 2015 GT Class Manufacturer's Championship Points chase.

Heading into Rounds 18 and 19, the penultimate weekend, the GT team held the driver championship points lead with Ryan Dalziel. However, a prior commitment in the World Endurance Championship for Dalziel left the points leader with no choice but to hand over his Porsche 911 GT3 R to Dutchman Renger van der Zande for the Sonoma double header.

Van der Zande clinched the Race 1 pole position and after a solid drive, finished Race 1 in second position. While challenging for the lead, Renger set a quick lap to score him a second place start for Race 2. Starting second, Van der Zande's standing start quickly brought him to the head of the field, where he remained for the rest of the race.

One race remains in the 2015 of the PWC series, September 11-13 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Former driver points leader Ryan Dalziel will resume his driving duties for the No. 31 Porsche for the season finale and Michael Lewis, former Porsche Young Driver Academy attendee, driving the team’s sister No. 41 911 GT3 R will battle for Rookie of the Year honors.

**Rob** · 1st September 2015, 08:48

Two podium finishes at the Nuerburgring, fourth race of the FIA World Endurance Champion

Double podium finishes for the AF Corse Ferrari 458’s at the “6 Hours of Nuerburgring”, fourth seasonal round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). In GTE Pro category, Davide Rigon and James Calado finished in third spot in their Ferrari 458 Italia #71. In the GTE Am, François Perrodo, Emmanuel Collard and Rui Aguas took the chequered flag with the third place in Ferrari 458 Italia #83.

An electronics problem, in the first hour of the race, compromised the race of the GT world champions Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander. The Ferrari 458 Italia #51 stopped suddenly when Gimmi was in the lead. The world champion was forced to pull off track, but did eventually manage to reach to the pits where his electronics problem was fixed. From then on Bruni and Toni Vilander did their best to pull back and in the end finished with a seventh place.

In the GT Driver Championship, Rigon and Calado are second with 72 points, just one less than Lietz (Porsche). Bruni and Vilander have now 62.5 points and are third. In the GTE Am Drivers World Champion, Perrodo, Collard and Aguas are second with 82 points.

Ferrari has the first position in the GT Manufactures World Champions (166 points). AF Corse is first in the GTE Pro Team standing (86) and second in the GTE Am (81).

AF Corse Press Office - Riccardo Delfanti

**The Architect** · 1st September 2015, 12:25

I found the race a bit disappointing. While Toyota were nowhere again, Audi didn't really give Porsche much of a race even with cumulative penalties for #18. I'm eagerly awaiting Nissan's return even more, though they may not show up until next season.

**Rob** · 2nd September 2015, 10:32

Originally Posted by The Architect

I found the race a bit disappointing. While Toyota were nowhere again, Audi didn't really give Porsche much of a race even with cumulative penalties for #18. I'm eagerly awaiting Nissan's return even more, though they may not show up until next season.

I enjoyed, no matter #51 race went sideways. Least James and Davide had good battle with thew #92 Porsche, until Fred Mako didnt slow down in time and bend the rear splitter into the left rear tyre.

Audi just did not have the race pace to answer Porsche. Even running the Le-mans aero pack. But, Porsche bought a brand new high DF pack for this race. And they will be bringing new packs to the rest of the races. Not sure if Audi are doing the same. Hope Nissan can iron out all the little bugs and bring it next year.

Like to see who Fords drivers will be next year for their GT programme.

**Rob** · 2nd September 2015, 10:44

Damien ‘Damo’ Lewis, 1975-2015

It is with great sadness that we have to confirm the news that Damien Lewis (Damo) has been taken from us in a tragic road traffic accident. No other members of the Rebellion Racing team were involved in the accident. Damo was still in Germany with our guys that were staying behind after the Nurburgring race to prepare the cars and freight for the fly-away races. Damo’s next of kin have been informed and we will be with them in the coming days to provide help or assistance as needed.

We are shocked by this tragic news, Damo was a huge part of our Team and his loss will be deeply felt by his many friends and his family. A very humble character, Damo had a quiet demeanour and a kind heart. He has been No1 mechanic on Rebellion Racing cars since the beginning and he will be greatly missed not only for his contribution to our team, but for his warmth and personality, the world will be an emptier place without him.

Our thoughts and sympathies are with Damo’s partner Marcie and their boys, his mother Lin, his father John and of course his brothers Nick and Joe who also works with Sebah / Rebellion Racing.

Bart Hayden - SEBAH / REBELLION Racing team manager

**Rob** · 5th September 2015, 09:24

JOTA SPORT TO CAMPAIGN ORECA-NISSAN IN FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

Successful British team to dovetail full WEC season with European Le Mans Series programme and Gibson

JOTA Sport will contest the FIA World Endurance Championship with an ORECA 05-Nissan while continuing to compete in the European Le Mans Series with its venerable Gibson-Nissan next year. 2016 marks the first year that the British team will contest a full WEC season although it has already enjoyed considerable success in the championship.

Since 2012, JOTA has dovetailed its ELMS programme by contesting the WEC’s Six Hours of Spa in preparation for its annual Le Mans 24 Hour race foray and with amazing success. LM P2 class honours at Spa were achieved in 2012 and ’15 enhanced further by second (2014) and third (2013) placings. Combining to make these sporadic WEC ventures truly phenomenal, JOTA Sport has recorded seventh, first and second positions in the annual “blue riband” Le Mans event over the past three years.

JOTA will campaign an ORECA chassis in next year’s WEC which begins on “home” soil at Silverstone on 17 April after a comprehensive test programme with a second ORECA 05 chassis following delivery of the Nissan-engined LM P2 sportscar scheduled for the end of this year. This year’s closed-top ORECA 05 made its debut at Silverstone in April and has won the last two WEC races, victorious on its Le Mans 24 Hours debut and more recently in the Six Hours of Nürburgring.

Meanwhile for the fifth consecutive year, JOTA will enter its Gibson 015S-Nissan (nee Zytek Z11SN) in the ELMS next season. Since making its series debut at Paul Ricard in 2012 – the French venue that sees JOTA bidding to increase its championship lead by scoring a fourth podium finish of the season on Sunday (6 Sep) – JOTA has contested 15 ELMS races. In that time, the team has recorded 11 top-four finishes, including three wins, plus an incredible 10 pole-positions.

Simon Dolan (GB). Partner, JOTA Group:
“I am obviously very excited for JOTA Sport to be competing in the 2016 WEC. We have proven over the last three years with our WEC wins at Le Mans and Spa that we will be immediately fighting for race wins while the LM P2 championship title is definitely our aim and within our grasp. We have been looking very closely at various chassis' and I’m delighted to announce our partnership with ORECA. We have been very impressed with the ORECA 05 having raced against one all season in both WEC and ELMS races. It was quick straight out of the box and just as importantly, has shown remarkable reliability. I am confident that we have chosen the best chassis for 2016 and beyond in to the new regulations.”

Sam Hignett. Partner, JOTA Group:
“This announcement marks a very exciting era for JOTA Sport. We're very much looking forward to working closely with Hugues de Chaunac's ORECA operation and of course racing its fabulous 05 or 06 Coupe which pipped us to LM P2 class honours at Le Mans this year. JOTA has scored numerous podiums and enjoyed phenomenal success in a number of championships. We narrowly missed out on last year's ELMS title while our LM P2 category victory in the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours was an incredible achievement. We're in contention again to win the ELMS title this year, scored a fabulous WEC LM P2 triumph at Spa and were a close second at Le Mans. But the time is now right for JOTA to step up to a full WEC campaign. We'll be talking to drivers in the coming months and planning a comprehensive test programme around the ORECA. JOTA Sport will continue to contest ELMS with the Gibson which is a great, compact series.”

Hugues de Chaunac. Group ORECA’s President:
“Simon Dolan, Sam Hignett and David Clark have quickly established JOTA Sport as a reference in motorsport and so I’m very proud to announce that the team will run an ORECA 05 in 2016. We know JOTA Sport’s strengths quite well since we’ve competed against them in the ELMS and Le Mans 24 Hours, including this season. It’s a strong, high quality team which is always fighting for victory. To work with such a squad, for us as a manufacturer, is very exciting. I've had discussions with JOTA in the past and I’m happy these have now turned into a great project. We’re looking forward to taking up interesting challenges together and I’m convinced that the JOTA Sport and ORECA 05 combination will impress.”