looking forward to this race. As said to Gimmi during the week, got unfinished business here. Watching the quali highlights just now, had headphones in and turned volume up, 458 engine is bliss. Singing. Alarm set for 02.15am.
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looking forward to this race. As said to Gimmi during the week, got unfinished business here. Watching the quali highlights just now, had headphones in and turned volume up, 458 engine is bliss. Singing. Alarm set for 02.15am.
CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE
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is is green, its wet, again. #71 droped to 45h, but now Davide working back up to 4th. But some good news, apparently, we are running the same Michelin wet development tyres the Porsches run. Toni on #51, and leading, with both Porsches behind.
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rain has got worse. Now we have Porsche 1-2 in GTE Pro, Toni dropped behind Davide and James for the championship points. If it drys, then we can get back at them. LMP1, is great battle again. In these conditions, Audi coming back, Audi leading art moment.
On his return to WEC, Alex Brundle doing great. He is leading LMP2.
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#91 #92 Porsches stretched out to much lead in those wet conditions. Dont think we can recover.
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What mind blowing, is Toyota were 2.5 seconds faster than lats years times yesterday, and yet they running 5th and 6th. And Porsche were faster than last years times by 5 or 6 seconds.
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Championship is still on, but now bit harder. Need Lietz to not score or finish out of the top 5. Toni was in car for 4 and half hours. Waiting for track to dry enough. Gimmi got in and full attack, managed to get back to P2.
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got press releases and pictures in my inbox. Will upload bit later during the F1 race.
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SHANGHAI STRUGGLE FOR TOYOTA GAZOO RACING
Sunday 1 November 2015
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing suffered a race to forget in a wet Six Hours of Shanghai, the penultimate round of the 2015 World Endurance Championship.
Both TS040 HYBRIDs finished in the top six, with the #2 of Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin and Mike Conway earning fifth place. Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima were sixth in the #1.
But it was a disappointing race for the 2014 World Champions, marked by incidents and bad luck, which prevented the TS040 HYBRIDs repeating the fighting performance shown in similar conditions last time out at Fuji.
Persistent rain throughout the morning meant the first 12 minutes of the race ran behind the safety car and, following some position-swapping on the first racing lap, Anthony established the #1 in fifth, ahead of Mike in the sister car.
That changed around the 90-minute mark when a slow puncture forced Anthony to pit, just a few laps into his second stint. That put the #2, now with Alex behind the wheel, in fifth, just ahead of Kazuki in the #1.
Heavier rain made the track treacherous and this took its toll on many participants. At the restart following another full-course yellow in the second hour, the two TS040 HYBRIDs swapped positions when Alex spun.
However, that was only a temporary switch as Kazuki spun on the last corner at the two-hour mark, losing more than a lap whilst he was dragged out of the gravel, although he only lost one place and emerged in sixth.
Into the second half of the race, the track began to dry so the #1 took a chance at its next scheduled stop by becoming the first car to switch to hybrid intermediate tyres, although conditions initially were too slippery and Sébastien lost time.
As the race entered its final third, Alex brought the #2 into the pits for hybrid intermediates and Stéphane, who celebrates his 40th birthday tomorrow, resumed in fifth.
With the track now drying, the lap times fell and as the last hour approached, Stéphane switched to slick tyres. Sébastien was pushing hard a lap behind in sixth, with his lap times close to those of the leaders in cool, slightly damp conditions.
Ultimately the #2 had a sufficient gap and Stéphane took the flag in fifth. Sébastien brought the #1 home sixth, with the two TS040 HYBRIDs respectively four and five laps behind the winning #17 Porsche.
Today’s result confirmed Porsche as the 2015 manufacturers’ World Champions, succeeding TOYOTA. The drivers’ title will be decided in the last race of the season, the Six Hours of Bahrain on 21 November.
Toshio Sato, Team President: “This has been a disappointing day. The track conditions never quite worked out for us and we had a few incidents, including some bad luck with the slow puncture for the #1. The weather was very difficult for everyone so thanks to the team for a professional job. We fought as hard as we could but unfortunately fifth and sixth was the best we could manage. Congratulations to Porsche on winning the manufacturers’ World Championship. We have been very proud to wear the #1 this year and we are sad it will leave us, but Porsche are worthy champions following some very strong performances. We are sure we will give them more of a fight next year.”
TS040 HYBRID #1 (Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima)
Race: 6th, 164 laps, 7 pit stops. Grid: 5th. Fastest lap: 1min 48.685secs
Anthony Davidson: “It was my first race start for a while and I enjoyed it. I got stuck in and managed to overtake an Audi which brought back memories from last year. We pushed as hard as we could in all conditions. Unfortunately when it rained again and Kazuki found himself in the gravel we could only keep going and hope for the best. Thanks to the car crew who did a fantastic job with some quick pit stops.”
Sébastien Buemi: “I am a bit disappointed with today. We didn’t have a clean race; we could have done slightly better. It is part of racing and the conditions were tricky. We took a risk on the hybrid intermediate tyre which almost paid off. We will try to find a positive out of today. Let’s keep pushing for the next race.”
Kazuki Nakajima: “It was a difficult day, especially for me. I made a mistake when it started to rain quite heavily and lost a lot of time in the gravel. I feel sorry for the team, especially my car crew who did a great job as always today. In the end we did the best we could do after that. I will learn from this mistake and push again for the next race.”
TS040 HYBRID #2 (Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin, Mike Conway)
Race: 5th, 165 laps, 6 pit stops. Grid: 6th. Fastest lap: 1min 49.374secs
Alex Wurz: “This was a very difficult race. Usually I love the wet conditions but today the car was very difficult to drive; we had some issues. Let’s just say it was character building.”
Stéphane Sarrazin: “There is nothing special to say about this race. We did the best job we could and we finished fifth. The sister car had an issue so at least we won the competition between the TOYOTAs. We experienced almost every kind of condition today and we will take away some useful information.”
Mike Conway: “The conditions at the start were really tricky; visibility was bad but it is the same for everyone. I just struggled to get the tyres into the right operating window. Towards the end of my stint they seemed to get there and the lap times improved. They were really difficult track conditions which were changing all the time. Fifth is one place up from where we started and at least it brings us a bit closer to the #1 crew in the championship.”
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Victory and podium in the “6 Hours Of Shanghai”,seventh round in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
SHANGHAI, November 1st – Victory in LMGTE AM category for to the AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia #83 – driven by Franįois Perrodo, Emmanuel Collard and Rui Aguas – and second step on podium in the LMGTE Pro with the AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia #51 of Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander. This is the outcome in the “6 Hours of Shanghai”, 7th and penultimate round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) raced in very wet conditions. The race got underway behind the Safety Car and while went green lafter 13 minutes of running, the conditions caught several drivers out and one safety car and four Full Course Yellows were declared during the six hour race.
THE VICTORY IN LMGTE AM – The AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia #83 of Emmanuel Collard, Rui Aguas and Francois Perrodo made the most progress in the race; the trio, together with the team at the wall, read well the conditions and made the right call at the right time with regards to tyre choice. Under the chequered flag, the Ferrari #83 was 41 seconds ahead of the Aston Martin Racing Vantage #98 of Pedro Lamy, Paul Dalla Lana and Mathias Lauda. Perrodo-Collard-Aguas took their first class honours of the year and keep their title aspirations alive: they are second in the LMGTE Am drivers standing with 136 points. Shaytar, Basov and Bertolini have 155 with 26 points available in the last seasonal race.
THE WORLD CHAMPIONS ON PODIUM IN LMGTE PRO – Bruni and Vilander, reigning champions among the LMGTE Pro drivers, finished second in the race after an hard battle with the two Team Manthey Porsche 911s and the sister car, the AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia #71 of Davide Rigon and James Calado, 4th in the Chinese. The results of the race sees Richard Lietz extending his lead in the FIA World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers. With a total of 135 points, Lietz is 18 points ahead of his teammate Michael Christensen (who in reality has no opportunity to overtake his partner). His nearest rivals are the Ferrari duo of Davide Rigon and James Calado who are now on 115 points, 20 behind Lietz with 26 still available in Bahrein. Gimmi Bruni and Toni Vilander have 112.5 points.
In the FIA World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers, Ferrari is leading with 4 points on Porsche and a maximum of 44 still to be won in the final race of the season.
In the LMGTE Pro standing, AF Corse is second with 130 points, 14 in less than Porsche Team Manthey. In the LMGTE Am, the leader is SMP Racing (155 points) and AF Corse is second (136).
The final race of the FIA WEC 2015 will be in Bahrein, November 21st
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ASTON MARTIN TAKES GTE AM PODIUM IN SHANGHAI
1 November 2015, Shanghai - Aston Martin Racing has finished the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Shanghai GTE AM class in second place with its #98 Vantage GTE.
The penultimate round of the WEC saw the Aston Martin Racing GTE AM teams go head-to-head. A closely fought qualifying session saw the pair start from the front row of the class grid and, throughout the first five hours of the race, they switched places at the lead of the pack.
However, a drying track caused difficult conditions and the #96 Vantage GTE had a small ‘off’, taking it out of the challenge for the race win. Come the chequered flag, it was the #98 that crossed the line to take its fifth podium of the year.
The GTE PRO cars, however, were, as expected, unable to battle for podium positions following recent regulation changes that have restricted performance in the class. The #99 Vantage GTE had to settle for fifth and the #97 finished in sixth.
“All of our drivers and engineers got the most out of the Vantage GTE this weekend,” commented John Gaw. “In the GTE AM class we have two very strong driver line-ups and they gave us a fantastic inter-team battle at the front of the race.
“There was no real surprise in the GTE PRO class. As expected, we were unable to challenge for podium positions but I was impressed with just how much the drivers got out of the car, especially in qualifying. That’s all you can ask of your team - that they get the best result possible from everything presented to them.
“Hopefully, now we have completed two races under the current regulations, as is normal before a review, things will be corrected for the final race in Bahrain, but that is a decision for the championship organisers.”
The Six Hours of Bahrain takes place on Saturday 21 November 2015.
- ENDS -
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Press Release – FIA WEC – Shanghai 6 Hours – 1st of November 2015
G-Drive Racing has strengthened their class lead
G-Drive Racing have come away with a podium finish at the 6 Hours of Shanghai, the 7th round of the FIA WEC. After a complicated race due to the changeable conditions, the #26 G-Drive Racing Ligier JS P2-Nissan, manned by Sam Bird, Julien Canal, and Roman Rusinov, and shod with Dunlop tyres, finished on the 2nd step of the podium in LM P2. The sister car unfortunately went off on the last lap of the race, narrowly missing out on a 3rd position finish for Gustavo Yacaman, Luis Felipe Derani and Ricardo Gonzalez, in the #28 G-Drive Racing Ligier JS P2-Nissan.
Going into the race as provisional LM P2 leaders, the crew of the #26 G-Drive Racing Ligier JS P2, got their weekend off to a good start by clinching their fourth pole position of the season in LM P2, with their best average of 1:52.763. Their sister car, the #28 G-Drive Racing Ligier JS P2 also performed well during qualifying and claimed 3rd place on the grid, with a time of 1:53.390.
The race started behind the safety car due to the wet conditions. As the lights went green, Sam Bird in the #26 G-Drive Racing Ligier JS P2 made a great start, building up a gap ahead of the field. The safety car came back out a few minutes later, as championship rivals, #47 KCMG Oreca, went off into the gravel and had to be retrieved. The #26 proceeded to lead the race for the first hour.
In the 2nd hour, Sam Bird handed over to Julien Canal during one of the Full Course Yellow sessions. Despite not losing any positions during the pit stop, Canal then had a small spin and lost the lead to his teammate Pipo Derani in the #28 G-Drive Racing Ligier JS P2. Weather conditions made the race very tricky and tyre strategy played a big part. In the 3rd hour, the #26 had to take a drive through penalty due to not respecting the speed limit under full course yellow. After their penalty, Sam Bird got back in for his second stint on the car. Bird’s task was to bring the car back up the field, past many GTs, as it had fallen to 5th in LM P2.
In the last hours, as the track dried, the lap times improved all over and Bird managed to finally get through the GT traffic and rejoin the LM P2 battle. When Roman Rusinov took over for the last stint, they were driving in 3rd. It didn’t take him too long to overtake Gonzalez in the #28 G-Drive Racing car to move into second. The #36 Signatech Alpine was over a minute ahead and, lapping similar times, was too far out of reach to overtake before the end of the race.
The story wasn’t too different for the #28 crew. Pipo Derani took the start of the race in the #28 G-Drive Racing Ligier JS P2 and stayed around the top of the field, even leading the race for a while, during his nearly three hour stint. When he passed over to Gustavo Yacaman they were running in third. Yacaman had a clean stint, despite having to take a drive through penalty for his teammate who caused a collision with a GT, which cost them vital time, but he still managed to hold on to third place. With the track drying, the sister car caught back up to them and claimed third place in the 5th hour. Ricardo Gonzalez then took over for the final set of stints. The last hour saw Gonzalez set a good pace and keep up with the leaders, but then on the last lap of the race, he went off track and ended up in the gravel, just losing out on the podium finish.
The points taken away from this round contribute to the LM P2 FIA Endurance Trophy classification lead of the #26 G-Drive Racing Ligier JS P2-Nissan, but with the KCMG Oreca 05-Nissan finishing in 3rd, means that the title has still got to be decided at the next round in Bahrain.
Roman Rusinov, driver #26 Ligier JS P2: Ŧ It was quite a difficult race because the rain was stopping then starting all the time. I think that in these conditions, second is a good result. Looking at what happened, I think the Alpine was very fast and they did a good job. We finished second ahead of KCMG, so we get some points for the championship, which was the most important. I’m happy with the second place for this reason, even if we could have fought for the win, but then we got some trouble for speeding under Full Course Yellow. Otherwise it’s good, because we’re going to Bahrain with a 16 points lead. ŧ
Philippe Dumas, Team Principal: Ŧ The team was very strong. We continued to show the performance of the Ligier JS P2 in dry, normal conditions – as shown by getting pole in qualifying. We were hoping for a dry race, and I think had it been dry, we would have been very strong. But that’s how it goes; sometimes you get difficult races. It was a very stressful race for everyone – it was hard for the drivers to stay on the track, for the engineers to get the right strategy, which I think they got right. We made a few small mistakes. I think it would have been tough for the #26 to beat the Alpine today. We’ve scored some important points for the championship. I’m really disappointed for the #28 who had done a very good race, but it was a cruel end to go out one lap from the end. But that’s part of motorsports. We still have one car who is in strong contention for the title and we’ll put our efforts together to get there. ŧ
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Shanghai, Quick Report, Porsche Win The World Championship (& The Race!)
6 hours of racing around Shanghai International Circuit saw Porsche take the Prototype Manufacturers World Championship, the #17 Porsche crew take the race win, Rebellion Racing and Mathias Beche and Nico Prost take the LMP1 privateers race and Championship wins and major drama again both at the start and at the very end of the LMP2 encounter which saw Signatech Alpine take the race win ahead of the Championship leading #26 G-Drive squad with KCMG third keeping their title hopes alive
In GTE Porsche took the win in the Pro class giving Richard Lietz a real edge in the Drivers title chase and closing the Manufacturers Championship to just 4 points.
Topsy turvy stuff in GTE Am saw early misfortune and misadventure for SMP Racing fail to win the title here, a first win too for AF Corse’s #83 squad sees them take the title fight to the wire.
The race started in wet conditions under the Safety Car with Porsche again looking quick, the #18 car getting away better from the grid but Marc Lieb and Andre Lotterer tangled when the Porsche man gave the team car some racing room. That left the #18 to fight back from the very back of the field as Lotterer tried and failed to get onto terms with Brendon Hartley.
All the weather forecasts had predicted a drying track after an hour, it took WAY longer than that and the race became a tale of when to change rubber and to what.
Audi had to make the braver calls and it almost paid off more than once, a slower drying track than everyone thought though meant that Marcel Fassler simply couldn’t exploit his intermediates vs the Porsche’s full wets sufficiently to close the gap.
The #18 meanwhile had mounted a fightback and was back in the mix, Audi’s move to slicks brielfy again looked like it might make an impact but the Porsche squad’s ability to maintain pace on their worn wets, then an inspired tactical move to get the #18 back on track ahead of both of the Audis at the final stop proved the killer punch, Porsche 1,2 and the #17 crew a 12 point advantage in the driver’s standings to take to the season finale at Bahrain.
LMP1 Privateer saw less incident that usual until the closing stages when first the #12 R-One, Mathias Beche at the wheel, hit the wall hard after losing the rear end over slippery kerbs, the car damaged front and rear but getting back to the pits where the Rebellion crew got the car back out (under Full Course Yellow) without losing its lead (3 laps at the time) to the ByKolles CLM.
Right at the end of the race new boy and youngest ever WEC LMP1 starter Matheu Tescher had a good run ruined when the #13 car pulled off the circuit with a fire at the rear, It will be a tough transition to Bahrain for the team with the confirmation of the teams and drivers championships to ease the blow!
LMP2 saw Nick Tandy stumble in the opening moments, the #47 KCMG man losing the car on the slippery track and sliding backwards into the gravel losing the car a lap and seemingly any hope of taking the title fight to Bahrain.
The G-Drive pair though didn’t have it all their own way, thanks to the early wet conditions the Michelin shod Pegasus Racing Morgan in the hands of Alex Brundle was quickly up to second, and when the rain came down again the #29 was through to build up a convincing lead, a great comeback from the young Brit.
Pipo Derani took the lead in the #28 G-Drive Ligier with the #26 a little way back in the pack as the conditions favoured the GTE Pro cars that formed a mixed pack with the Prototypes until the track finally started to dry properly in the last couple of hours.
Ryan Dalziel led the race briefly for Tequila Patron ESM and the car stayed in contention with a competitive run from David Heinemeier Hansson until a gearbox issue put the car out, the first retirement.
The SARD Morand Morgan again showed well with Oliver Webb in the mix. Into the final phase of the race the Signatech Alpine #36 was on the move and Paul Loup Chatin took the car into the lead before handing over to the second WEC debutant of the weekend Tom Dillmann.
The ex GP2 race winner and German F3 Champion has been a controversial Silver ranked driver and after some initial inroads into the Alpine’s advantage (after Gustavo Yacaman served a drive through for an earlier Derani contact on the #88 Porsche to cede the lead to #36) the Frenchman drew away steadily from the Russian, Sam Bird later unable to redress the balance leaving the #36 to score a fine first win in the WEC.
Behind though there was a recovery drive underway from KCMG, Matt Howson holding station in the worst of the weather then Richard Bradley, and Nick Tandy attacked the task in hand, making big inroads into the gap that counted, to the #26.
Between the two though was the #28 and in a deja vu period it was the two major protagonists from Fuji again contesting third position, effectively to keep the Championship alive. It looked for a while as if Tandy could close down Gonzalez, but a late Full Course yellow ate up valuable minutes and the battle seemed lost. On the penultimate lap though, and with third place seemingly secure, the Mexican slid wide and into the gravel at tricky Turn 2, too late for recovery and non, scoring, the KCMG car inheriting third, taking the title fight to the wire and eliminating the #28 from the last round title battle!
In GTE Pro is was a fine effort from the leading cars, all dealing well with the tricky conditions and getting stuck in to the LMP2s. Richard Lietz used the Porsche’s superior traction to get to the lead and, aside from a brief tussle with the team car, before Fred Mako slid wide and lost time and track positions, the #91 car was relatively untroubled. The win for #91 saw Lietz’s slim Drivers championship lead extended and Christensen move ahead of the Ferrari opposition.
Indeed at times it ran ahead of most, and on one occasion all, of the LMP2 pack only ceding positions to the prototypes as the track dried.
Toni Vilander drove another iron man race to secure second with Gimmi Bruni to keep the #51 in with a very slim mathematical chance of the Drivers title but third for the recovering #92 and fourth for the #71 Ferrari means that the title that matters for most, the Manufacturers World Championship, goes to the wire with just four points separating Ferrari and Aston Martin.
In GTE Am the Aston martins ran 1,2 for a goodly proportion of the race, the Vantages working well in the rain.
The #96 run was ruined after a late race problem for the car saw it off track with Liam Griffin, after mounting a fine defence of his position from Andrea Bertolini, perhaps taking a little too long to realise that the car could be recovered to the pits.
The SMP Racing Ferrari could again take the title here but again failed to do so after multiple incidents dropped the car to the back of the field in the early stages.
Thereafter though there was a fine recovery drive, the #72 getting back to finish third but with the #98 Aston pipped to the win by the first time winning #83 AF Corse Ferrari that title too goes to the wire in Bahrain.
Kudos not only to Manu Collard, who led the class early on, and to a fine, eventually decisive showing from Rui Aguas, but also to Francois Perrodo, the Frenchman one of the nicest guys in the paddock, and one of the most improved drivers through the year too – The points position indicates that SMP should take this but to finish first….
All in all another very good 6 hour WEC event, the weather played its part, as did good luck. But great driving, good strategy and a world class grid again shone through. Roll on Bahrain!
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BoP Process Changes Loom To Bolster GTE
on 03/11/2015
What’s happened to the relative competitiveness of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE?
That’s been the question since the Le Mans 24 Hours with the much discussed (and sometimes maligned) Balance of Performance the usual whipping boy, the Vantage GTE’s doled out a substantial air restrictor change after Le Mans, some of which was later reeled in.
But that doesn’t seem to be the whole story – and it certainly doesn’t explain the large relative difference in stint and race long competitiveness between the Pro and Am cars and their competition.
So what does?
The other potential factor is a significant one that does not currently feature in the Balance of Performance process, tyres, and specifically tyre development.
GTE is an open tyre formula and whilst there is no-inter-brand competition in the WEC at present, the whole field races on Michelins.
There are however several different types of Michelin, and the potential for a manufacturer to effectively push the button on unlocking Michelin’s ‘Skunk Works’.
That appears to be where the imbalance has occurred.
Since Le Mans, DSC is aware that Porsche have had multiple test days where tyre development has been the primary item on the todo list – That period has coincided with a distinct upturn in form from the factory 911 RSRs.
It has also been the same period that has seen the Aston Martins begin to struggle (no Pro class Vantage has finished on a podium since Spa).
A Porsche team source confirmed the (entirely within the rules) testing regime for the team but refused to comment on whether tyres had been the focus of that testing.
Ferrari routinely refuse to comment on such matters but we believe that the 458s were provided with the development rubber after the Nurburgring race with Aston Martin now on the same spec too but with the development tyre now very much favouring the mid/ rear engine cars.
In the Am class all cars use older spec customer rubber, thus explaining, at least in part, why the relative difference in pace is less defined in that class.
Aston Martin’s other disadvantage stems from their relative lack of fuel efficiency, the Vantages take on 95 litres of fuel compared to 85 per full fuel stop for their Pro class competition.
The restriction on that pit stop time is defined by a fuel flow restrictor, AMR therefore have an effective time penalty equivalent to the time that 10 litres of fuel takes to reach the car from the rig.
That disadvantage looks set to disappear next season with a move afoot to equalise the static time per stop for the GTE cars and to include tyre development in some fashion within the BoP process.
Will it be soon enough to ensure that the Aston Martins return in significant numbers? We’ll see!
GG
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2015/1...lster-gte.html
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Alex Brundle On His Return To Racing
Stephen Kilbey caught up with Alex Brundle on the eve of the young Briton’s return to the track.
After an almost season-long hiatus from the cockpit with an abdominal muscular illness, Alex Brundle is back and due to start racing again. The 25-year-old Brit has signed to compete at the penultimate round of the FIA WEC in Shanghai China, with current Asian Le Mans Series champions Pegasus Racing.
So with his return coming up this weekend, what better time to have a catch up?
So Alex, first things first, how are you feeling right now?
“Well I have to say that I feel pretty much 100%, absolutely fine. When I fell ill, I promised myself that I wouldn’t start racing again until I felt totally ready. It’s been a long process, but I think I’m there and ready to jump straight back in.
“The hardest thing has been fitness, and getting back to where I need to be to race, but on the racing side I’m confident, I’ve done sim work, and that’s helped a lot.”
And how did this deal with Pegasus come about?
“I shared a couple of garages with David Cheng during my exploits with Onroak and Ligier, and he’s very much the team boss now. I then spotted that they needed a third driver for the race, so I gave him a call and they were all happy to have me in the car. It was initiative really, led by me. I’m really thankful that they gave me the opportunity to get back into a WEC race.”
What’s the team’s thoughts ahead of the race at Shanghai, there’s no reason why they can’t be competitive and come away with a decent result?
“Well, the Morgan is a proven chassis isn’t it? It’s been around a while now, and it misses a bit of downforce compared to the coupé cars, if anything it’s a couple of development steps behind now, but It’ll be rock solid with a good engine in the back of it.
“We’ll be on Michelin tyres though, so that I’ll have to get a read on, I don’t wanna say that we’ll be far behind the Dunlops, but I just don’t know. The Dunlop tyre has had a whole lot of development behind it, and I know that because I’ve been involved in some of it. But I’m sure the guys at Michelin are just as clever, and have produced a tyre worthy of competing in the series.
“Let’s not forget the lineup we have though too, as Ho Pin (Tung) and David (Cheng) are very sensible drivers, so there’s no reason why we can’t pick up a good result. Jumping into a series towards the end is difficult because everyone else is up and running but I’ve driven a lot of LMP2 cars now, so I doubt it’ll be much of an issue.”
What do you think of the Shanghai circuit? It’s quite technical, and tough to drive no?
“It’s very tricky, yeah, there’s a lot of long medium-speed corners. You have to balance the car mid-corner, specifically at Turn 1 and the ‘snails’ that head down onto the back straight. The surface is pretty abrasive too, tough on the left-front tyres, you tend to lean a lot on it so it can be an issue.
“It is a good track though, it’s one I really enjoy driving. The long back straight especially is great and could play into our hands with the Morgan and it’s straight line speed.”
I imagine that physically a demanding track too, how do you find it?
“You’d think it would be a physical track, but it really isn’t that bad. I think it’s because you spend so much of the lap going in a straight line so you have time to rest on the back and pit straight so your body has time to get prepared. The longer corners are also not at that high of a speed, for example, when you go to Turkey or CotA, it’s a different story.
“It’s not too bad in summary.”
You’ve been in the booth at Radio Le Mans this year, how’s that been?
“I’ve really enjoyed it actually, getting to work with a variety of RLM’s teams. I can see how I’ve improved recently, once you relax into it it’s great.
“I must say that It’s been useful though, watching a race with a commentator’s eye. I’ve learn’t so much about racing while doing that, because usually I’m only focused on one car or class, but when it comes to commentating I have to look at the bigger picture. It is hard to remember what happened straight after though, Post-Race Tech can be a challenge!
“It’s also been nice to get feedback that my work with them has been good, I’m glad I’ve been able to provide insight.”
Stephen Kilbey
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2015/1...to-racing.html
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FIA president Jean Todt 'sorry' for 2016 Formula 1/Le Mans clash
FIA president Jean Todt has apologised for the scheduling clash that puts next year's Le Mans 24 Hours up against Formula 1's first grand prix in Azerbaijan.
The FIA initially approved a calendar in mid-July that had been drawn up by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, with Le Mans unaffected on its June 18-19 date, and with the European Grand Prix in Baku handed a July 17 slot.
But with Ecclestone forced to reinstate the four-week summer gap between GPs over August the F1 teams demanded, a reshuffle was necessary.
In the latest F1 calendar issued in late September, the race in Baku had switched to June 19, so going head to head with Le Mans.
It means Force India's Nico Hulkenberg will not now be able to defend the LMP1 honours he won with Porsche team-mates Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber this year.
The only compensation Todt has been able to provide is the conclusion to each race will be at different times, with a three-hour time difference between Le Mans and Baku playing a part.
"Organising the calendar is a very tricky job because you have 21 races in Formula 1, 10 races in Formula E, 10 races in World Endurance and 14 [world championship] rallies," said Todt.
"To make one calendar without any conflict is not possible.
"But for Le Mans, I'm quite confident. The start [of the grand prix] will be at midday and Le Mans will finish at 3pm.
"Maybe for one or two drivers it does not allow them to do it.
"I'm sorry to say we cannot do better."
Should there be any last-minute tweaks to the F1 calendar, they will be announced after the final World Motor Sport Council meeting of the year in early December.
Porsche has said it will not finalise a replacement for Hulkenberg in its line-up until the F1 calendar is set in stone.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/121682
Last edited by Rob; 7th November 2015 at 09:50.
Naughty Word Mod
Naughty Word Mod
I cannt see the FIA, moving Baku race. I really hope they do, Still time. If Todt has come out saying, sorry, then i think its too late and will stand as it is.
Naughty Word Mod
Naughty Word Mod
Italian racing fans are well known for their deep love of Ferrari, but the same goes for the Scuderia's drivers too, as GT aces Gianmaria Bruni, Davide Rigon and Andrea Bertolini can attest.
Attending the Finali Mondiali event at Mugello, Bruni, Rigon and Bertolini were on hand to assist with the unveiling of the brand-new 488 GTE racer as they look forward to continue their alliance with Ferrari for a long time.
Edging closer towards securing the 2015 WEC GTE Am trophy alongside Viktor Shaytar and Alexey Basov in Bahrain, Bertolini is a day-to-day regular in Maranello, working full-time for Ferrari as a test-driver.
The Modena-born driver's duties are not limited to racing: “It’s something special and I’m so lucky to live this every day," said Bertolini. "Every morning, I wake up and I’m on a race car, on the simulator or test-driving for the F1 customers.”
Bertolini has been part of the family for more than 20 years, becoming the youngest Ferrari test-driver ever at the age of 18. “It’s tough to describe. It’s something you have to experience with great passion, and probably the greatest satisfaction is to see the joy and the excitement in the eyes of our customers when they ask questions or collect their new car.
"It’s also a great responsibility because you represent the world’s most important brand. When the day is over, there must be no ifs left behind.”
Despite being rumoured for a possible step to the LMP1 class, 'Gimmi' Bruni does not really consider other options: “I feel at home. At 34, and after nine years here, I just want to keep going, especially with a new and exciting project coming.
“I would love to end my career here, right where I started it after my stint in single-seaters. But for now I want to focus on my main goal: winning one of the world’s most challenging championships in 2016”.
The same goes for Rigon, who moved over from single-seaters in 2013. After experiencing his share of successful runs and painful moments, including a nasty crash back in 2011 in GP2, he is now a key asset for the Italian manufacturer.
“It’s a life choice," said the 29-year-old. "I like the world of Ferrari and I love the cars that I’m driving. Of course the commitment is full-time - even if I wanted, there wouldn’t be enough time for something else.”
Rigon is ready to line up in Bahrain alongside James Calado, and is hoping for a miraculous turnaround: “It will be tough. We have to win and hope for a mistake by our opponents, and they don’t mess up very often. Our only goal will be to win the race and see what happens.”
For all the Ferrari GT drivers, the next race is the only focus, as explained by Bertolini. “All the wins and the rest are in the past," he said. "Maybe I will have some great stories for my grandkids one day, but now it’s all about the present.”
Naughty Word Mod
Naughty Word Mod
the 488 GTE and GT3 was unveiled today at Mugello Finali Mondiali...
Naughty Word Mod
Last edited by Rob; 7th November 2015 at 20:35.
Naughty Word Mod
will post up some of the GT3 tomorrow.
Naughty Word Mod
looks a stunner with her livery on. Cannt wait to see her at Silverstone. Hope get Keira to sit in #51
Naughty Word Mod
Interesting article from http://www.mulsannescorner.com/newsnov15.html about Nissans problems...
So the other shoe dropped and now Darren Cox has left Nissan. Depending on where that program was in your heart, he either left, or was fired. Contacting him directly he implies, "I walked. On my own terms. Couldn't do anymore than I had already. You know how it is in big companies." I won't comment any further, though I think Daily Sports Car's Graham Goodwin sums up Darren Cox, and his impact on Nissan's various motorsports programs over 18 years, rather well.
A lot has occurred in the intervening months, Nissan has withdrawn from the WEC, there have been some personnel reshuffling and additions, and two high profile tests have taken place at COTA (July and September). The COTA tests were described as successful with gains being made in lap time, however the car is still running without the hybrid system. No word on when the car will be up to full capacity though I do understand the work is well underway. The keys for further lap time gains will be sorting out the KERs system and tire development, with Michelin developing bespoke rubber for the Nissan. And while the KERs is certainly very important, don't underestimate the importance of what bespoke rubber compounds/tire construction could do.
But little has been said about who Nissan's new hybrid systems partner is. It is assumed that Torotrak are out of the picture completely. And in that vein, I'm hearing that perhaps none other than Renault Sport might be involved. Naturally Renault and Nissan are associated, so it actually makes quite a lot of sense if confirmed. The interesting part is that while Magneti Marelli provides Renault F1's hybrid system (the Motor Generator Unit and inverters though apparently not the battery), it seems as though Renault Sport themselves are taking on the consultation of the Nissan hybrid unit in-house. Regardless of who is doing the work, from what I'm hearing it isn't a total system redesign. I'm not sure it ever could have been given how integrated the system is to the chassis. So I understand the updated system will contain new bits and perhaps updated existing components.
At the second COTA test the new development bits, dive planes and new front brake intakes, were more refined/finalized compared to what was seen on the car from the earlier test. The other interesting detail was a new constant height splitter. It's been introduced in order to reduce a porpoising problem that has been occurring , though it would seem to be caused partly by your standard LMP1 issues, very long front overhang, coupled with higher than typical front weight distribution and higher front aero loading. Regardless, all the new items are said to have helped with lap time and gains are being made.
Off the record I'm told the program is safe through 2016 and discussions are currently on-going internally regarding car direction for 2017 and 2018 as the ACO trickles future regulation changes to the teams. An interesting rumor of late making the rounds indicates that none other than Adrian Newey is supposedly joining the Nissan design group at some level. However it is completely unsubstantiated and no matter who I inquired with it was denied as fantasy.
video here of Nissans test, and the porpoising problems, mentioned in article is from 7..50, the test form Sebring.
Last edited by Rob; 8th November 2015 at 09:00.
Full Member
These r pix of the new 488 race car?
Full Member
Hi Rob
Can't believe you're the only one to post on this part of the forum. Like you I love GT racing more so than F1 these days, and follow the Ferrari 458s with a passion. I watch the Blancpain series, WEC, European Le Mans series, and International GT series cheering on the 458s.
I'm so looking forward to seeing the new 488 GT3 & GTE race next year, I felt the opposition was getting away from us especially the new McLarens.
Here's a link for you to enjoy. I watched it live on this link on Sunday. FYI I went to the Ferrari Racing Days when it was held at Silverstone in 2012, awesome day out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYruF-k_sbE
Cavallino Rampante
Don't forget me mateOriginally Posted by ForzaJay
Iam a friend of Rob and just like him a big AF Corse fan! I went to Spa and Nurburgring this season and I even wore selfmade AF Corse shirts (maybe Rob can post a picture on this thread??) to support the team! But it's really nice you are a big fan too lol
Maurizio Arrivabene fanpage:www.facebook.com/maurizioarrivabene
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