2015 WEC/ELMS&TUSC news.

[Rob]

Thiriet by TDS Racing ended on a high note!

At the end of a great race, the Oreca 05 Nissan of the Thiriet by TDS Racing won the last round of the season. Thanks to the great Nicolas Lapierre, the team won its second race and becomes European Le Mans Series vice-champion!

Team Release

For the European Le Mans Series finale, the championship was welcomed on the Estoril track (Portugal). The first day devoted to free practices went very well in spite of the harsh weather conditions. Nicolas Lapierre, the new Thiriet by TDS Racing’s driver, set the third fastest time in the morning and then the second in the afternoon. The next day, he set the third fastest time at the qualifying session held on a drying track.

Ludovic Badey was in charge of the start. At the first corner, he was 2nd and kept the same pace as the leader for several laps. During the first 30 minutes, he maintained his position but trying to avoid a competitor, he went straight in the gravel. When back on the track, the Oreca 05 Nissan was 4th. A few minutes later, Ludovic went back to the pit and handed the wheel onto Pierre Thiriet for a double stint.

This latter was 5th at that moment, 40 seconds behind the leader. Thanks to very good lap times, he was as fast as the other drivers ahead and caught up them to be 4th. At the first drops of rain, he came back to the pits to put wet tyres. The race was given rhythm by rain and Full Course Yellow periods. It did not stop Pierre from grabbing the 3rd place two hours before the end of the race. In difficult weather conditions, Pierre was the fastest on track and narrowed the gap.

One hour and a half of the end, Nicolas Lapierre handed over. He was immediately in the pace and drove seven seconds faster than anyone else on track. In few laps, the French driver was close to the leader and took the lead few minutes later. 35 minutes away from the end, he stopped to change tyres and refuelled. He kept the lead and cruised to the victory, still remaining the fastest on track!

After 4 hours race, the #46 Oreca 05 Nissan crossed the finishing line as the winner. It is the second win for Thiriet by TDS Racing after Silverstone. All throughout the season, the team showed its seriousness and know-how. The whole team as well as the drivers did an amazing job and this job is crowned by an ELM vice champion title, only two points behind the champions.

Now, the team is going to turn towards 2016 and define its future sporting plans!

[Rob]

Montoya Confirmed For Bahrain Porsche LMP1 Test

Juan Pablo Montoya is set to join the post-FIA WEC race LMP1 test session at Bahrain with Porsche Motorsport on 22 November, Porsche releasing a picture today of Montoya undertaking a seat fitting in a Porsche 919 Hybrid.


After appearing as a guest of the team at the Circuit of the Americas, and with Porsche confirming that the Colombian superstar would be offered a test rumours have circulated that he might either act as super-duper-sub for the potentially Azerbaijan-bound defending Le Mans Champion Nico Hulkenberg, or be looking towards a possible 2017 Le Mans programme.

Whilst the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours has no current clash with the Indycar circus the Le Mans Test Day, does clash with the race weekend at Detroit’s Belle Isle circuit though Platinum rated Montoya could complete his required laps in Free Practice.

[Nova]

I see your point about the drivers wanting to leave F1 for WEC Rob..heck, Im digging WEC a lot more than F1 these days. They just dont show much of it here in the US. Actually, CBS Sports hasnt been reairing F1 much either..They go into some silly sports talk show.

[Rob]

I see your point about the drivers wanting to leave F1 for WEC Rob..heck, Im digging WEC a lot more than F1 these days. They just dont show much of it here in the US. Actually, CBS Sports hasnt been reairing F1 much either..They go into some silly sports talk show.

download the WEC app, and can watch races that way, have to pay small fee for each race, or pay for full season. Sorry can not remember how much.

[Rob]

NEWS ALERT
Paris - 22 October 2015
Hello Mr Robert Allum,

FIRST ENTRIES REVEALED FOR WEC BAHRAIN ROOKIE TEST

On the provisional list issued today there is representation from all four classes of competition, including the three LMP manufacturers, Audi, Porsche and Toyota. As previously announced, three drivers who have been selected by the Promoter for showing great potential will get a taste of the cutting-edge hybrid technology which has thrilled fans throughout the year.

They are Richie Stanaway (Audi R18 e-tron quattro), Mitch Evans (Porsche 919 Hybrid) and Sam Bird (Toyota TS040 HYBRID).

Also testing the Porsche, as hinted at during his recent visit to Lone Star Le Mans in Texas, will be former F1, NASCAR and Indycar superstar Juan Pablo Montoya. The Colombian has this week been in Stuttgart for a seat-fitting so he will be ready for his first LMP laps in Bahrain.

A two-time winner in the LMP1 Private Teams section of LMP1, Team ByKolles will also be testing new drivers in its CLM P1/01 AER.

In the LMP2 class, five teams are currently planning to be testing potential drivers for the 2016 season. Signatech Alpine’s A450B-Nissan will feature young French-born British driver, Matthew Rao, while Strakka Racing will welcome Scotsman Lewis Williamson who has had huge success in junior single-seaters. Joining these two teams will be Team SARD Morand, AF Racing – which is making its debut in the WEC in the 6 Hours of Bahrain – and KCMG.

Two Porsche Team Manthey 911 RSRs will be present for the team, and alongside them in the LMGTE categories will be three Aston Martin Vantage V8s. No drivers have yet been confirmed for these entries.

The final entry list for the test, which will run be from 10:00 am to Midday and 1:00 – 4:00 pm, will be announced on Tuesday 10th November.

[Rob]

PEGASUS RACING: WELCOME BACK TO THE WEC!

The 6 Hours of Shanghai grid will include a welcome return to the FIA World Endurance Championship for Pegasus Racing.

The Julien Schell-founded, Alsace-based team has been racing in the European Le Mans Series for the last two years, and makes its second WEC appearance of the year, following the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in the highly competitive LMP2 category with the No.29 Morgan-Nissan.

The distinctively blue-liveried car will attract much attention, not least because its line-up features the only two Chinese drivers on the grid, David Cheng and Ho-Pin Tung. They will be joined by Briton Alex Brundle, making his return to the cockpit following an illness earlier in the year, who has experienced much success in the WEC in the past.

Defending Asian Le Mans Series champions David Cheng and Ho-Pin Tung are no strangers to the Shanghai International Circuit as they, like Brundle, have all previously competed with OAK Racing in the Chinese round of the World Championship. All three know the Morgan-Nissan well, but Pegasus will be the only LMP2 entry to use Michelin tyres instead of Dunlops.

The German team, which is being entered under the Pegasus Racing Team Total by DC Racing banner, thus has a Sino-American driver (Cheng – born in Beijing with dual USA/Hong Kong nationality), a Sino-Dutch driver (Tung – born in the Netherlands but with Chinese nationality), and a British driver (born and bred in the UK)…it’s truly an international entry as befits a World Championship.

[Rob]

6 HOURS OF SHANGHAI - 20 FACTS AND FIGURES

Round 7 of the FIA World Endurance Championship will take place on Sunday 1 November. With just two races remaining of the 2015 season and with all 11 titles still yet to be decided, the 6 Hours of Shanghai will be a thriller in more ways than one. The first 6 Hours of Shanghai was held in October 2012 and this will be the 4th edition of the race.

Here are 20 facts and figures about the 6 Hours of Shanghai, Shanghai International Circuit and the city of Shanghai.

FIA World Endurance Championship

1. Pedro Lamy, Stefan Mucke, Darren Turner, Roman Rusinov, Julien Canal and John Martin have all won twice in Shanghai.

2. Julien Canal has won in two different classes (LMGTE Am in 2012 and LMP2 in 2014)

3. Pedro Lamy has won the LMGTE Am class twice in two different cars (Corvette in 2012 and Aston Martin in 2014)

4. Toyota Gazoo Racing and G-Drive Racing have won their respective classes twice (Toyota 2012 and 2014, G-Drive in 2013 and 2014)

5. The longest race distance was in 2012 with Alex Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre winning after 1041.14km (191 laps). In 2013 the race distance was 190 laps and in 2014 it was 188 laps.

6. Ferrari have never won in the LMGTE Pro class at Shanghai. Aston Martin won in 2012 and 2013, with Porsche winning in 2014.

7. Chevrolet won the LMGTE Am class in 2012 with Larbre Competition, in 2013 it was Ferrari with 8 Star Motorsports and Aston Martin in 2014.

8. Darren Turner has secured pole position three times in the LMGTE Pro class for Aston Martin Racing. In 2012 on his own and in 2013 and 2014 with Stefan Mucke.

9. In LMP1 Alex Wurz secured pole position for Toyota in 2012 and 2013 (with Nicolas Lapierre) while in 2014 Neel Jani and Romain Dumas took pole position for Porsche.

10. Lap Records

LMP1 A. McNish Audi R18 e-tron quattro 1m47.442 182.6kph 9 November 2013
LMP2 J. Martin Oreca 03 - Nissan 1m55.109 170.5kph 9 November 2013
LMGTE Pro B. Senna Aston Martin Vantage V8 2m04.099 158.1kph 9 November 2013
LMGTE Am P. Lamy Aston Martin Vantage V8 2m04.008 158.2kph 2 November 2014
Shanghai International Circuit

11. Work started in April 2003 and in 18 months the area was transformed from swampland to an international racetrack with a team of 3000 engineers working around the clock.

12. The track layout was inspired from the Chinese character shang (上) the first character in the name of the city Shanghai, meaning "above" or "ascend".

13. 1170m: The length of the back straight at the Shanghai International Circuit.

14. Circuit Length: 5.451 km (3.387 miles)

15. 41.7km: The distance between the circuit and the centre of Shanghai (according to Google Maps)

16. 6,812km: The distance between Shanghai and Manama, Bahrain, which is the location of the final race of 2015.

Shanghai

17. With a population of 24,256,800 (in 2014), Shanghai is the largest Chinese city by population and the largest city proper by population in the world.

18. Shanghai municipality area is 6,340.5 km2 or 2,448.1 sq miles

19. The two Chinese characters in the city's name are 上 (shàng, "above") and 海 (hǎi, "sea"), together meaning "Upon-the-Sea".

20. Shanghai also has various nicknames in English, including "Pearl of the Orient" and "Paris of the East".

[Rob]

[Rob]

CHINA CALLING FOR TOYOTA GAZOO RACING
Monday 26 October 2015

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing moves to China this week for the penultimate round of the 2015 World Endurance Championship, the Six Hours of Shanghai.

The eight-race WEC season concludes with three Asian rounds, starting earlier this month with TOYOTA’s home race at Fuji Speedway, then heading across the East China Sea to Shanghai and finally to the finale in Bahrain in November.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will again compete with two cars in Shanghai. Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima drive the #1 TS040 HYBRID, with Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin and Mike Conway in the #2.

The team has a strong record in China, having won the race in 2012 and 2014, while a mechanical problem denied a deserved victory following a dominant performance in 2013. It also holds the LMP1 race lap record of 1min 48.694secs, set by Sébastien last year.

This weekend is expected to be more of a challenge, although the team is encouraged by the improved performance shown by the TS040 HYBRID in the wet conditions at Fuji Speedway which saw both cars battling with their Audi and Porsche rivals.

China has become established as a regular stop on the endurance racing calendar. The Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, the precursor to today’s WEC, first visited Zuhai International Circuit in 2010 and 2011 for 1000km races won by Stéphane and Anthony respectively.

Shanghai International Circuit, which was completed in 2004, has been a permanent fixture since the re-birth of WEC in 2012. The circuit, which at 5.451km features 16 corners and two long straights, is located around 40km from Shanghai centre.

TOYOTA will experience it for the first time with the 2015-specification TS040 HYBRID on Friday, when two practice sessions (10.30 & 15.30) will be used for set-up and tyre work. Final practice (09.00) and qualifying (14.00) take place on Saturday, while Sunday’s race begins at 11.00.

Toshio Sato, Team President: “We are looking forward to the Shanghai race. It is a circuit where TOYOTA has been very strong in the past and we have been on the podium every time we have visited China. We will give everything to fight for the podium again this weekend, even if we know the opposition is very strong. We are coming to the end of a long season but the team is focused and determined to get the best possible result. Everyone will be working hard to achieve this in Shanghai.”

Anthony Davidson (TS040 HYBRID #1): “Last year’s Shanghai race was one of our best and it put us on track for both World Championship titles. It’s a different story this year but that doesn’t change our approach to the race; we will concentrate on preparing the car during Friday practice with the target of giving ourselves the best chance in the race. Our team spirit is still strong and I really want to get a decent result in the final two races to give us all a boost going into the winter.”

Sébastien Buemi (TS040 HYBRID #1): “I like the track in Shanghai; it’s a great circuit to drive and I have some good memories from there, particularly winning last year. As drivers we are always learning at every circuit we visit, even if the results are not meeting our high expectations. So we are driving to the maximum, trying to improve and learn; this will help us for next year. I will push hard and hopefully when we’re doing a good job something can happen for us.”

Kazuki Nakajima (TS040 HYBRID #1): “It was fun to fight with the Audis and the Porsches in the first hour at Fuji. But we want to be battling with them for the entire race every weekend; that’s the target. It will be tough in Shanghai but we go there with a positive attitude and fully motivated. I like the circuit, which is challenging, particularly in terms of tyre wear and traffic. It’s a track which has been good to us in the past so let’s see what can happen this weekend.”

Alex Wurz (TS040 HYBRID #2): “I am looking forward to China because I like the track and I have always felt like I have a good rhythm there. I have been on pole twice out of the three times we have raced there in WEC, so hopefully we can find this good rhythm again this year. We know that the long straight is not to our advantage but we will be working hard to close the gap. You never know what can happen; we need to be ready to take any chance which could come in the race.”

Stéphane Sarrazin (TS040 HYBRID #2): “It’s good to be racing again in Shanghai, which is a fun track for a driver with its combination of unusual elements, fast corners and long straights. It will be very important for us to find the best possible set-up for our TS040 HYBRID, so we will be doing a lot of comparison work on Friday as usual to prepare for the race. It will not be easy to challenge at the front but we will do everything we can to be in a good position.”

Mike Conway (TS040 HYBRID #2): “I’ve only driven at Shanghai once, in LMP2 in 2013, so it’s not a track where I have a lot of history. But I do like the circuit a lot as it is quite challenging and satisfying for a driver. The first corners are particularly tricky because it’s incredibly long and you need to be patient to get it right. I am looking forward to experiencing the TS040 HYBRID on this track for the first time and I’ll be doing my best to get a strong result for the team.”

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing at Shanghai International Circuit:
2012 #7: Qualifying 1st; Race 1st.
2013 #7: Qualifying 1st; Race 2nd. #8: Qualifying 3rd; Race DNF (mechanical).
2014 #7: Qualifying 4th; Race 2nd. #8: Qualifying 2nd; Race 1st.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing 2015 Results:
Silverstone: #1: Qualifying 4th; Race 3rd / #2 Qualifying 6th; Race 4th.
Spa: #1: Qualifying 6th; Race 8th / #2 Qualifying 7th; Race 5th.
Le Mans: #1: Qualifying 8th; Race 8th / #2 Qualifying 7th; Race 6th.
Nürburgring: #1: Qualifying 5th; Race 5th / #2 Qualifying 6th; Race 6th.
Austin: #1: Qualifying 5th; Race 4th / #2 Qualifying 6th; Race DNF.
Fuji: #1: Qualifying 5th; Race 5th / #2 Qualifying 6th; Race 6th.

[Rob]

NEWS ALERT
Paris - 27 October 2015
Hello Mr Robert Allum,

DON’T MISS THE 6 HOURS OF SHANGHAI AS CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES DRAW CLOSER!


27/10/2015 - 08h18

As the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship reaches its last two rounds, titles and championship crowns are within the reach of several teams. The action on track in the 6 Hours of Shanghai on Sunday 1st November will be hotter than ever, all taking place at the impressive Shanghai International Circuit on the outskirts of China’s largest city.

Porsche Team needs one of its cars to finish in either first or second places in order to wrap up the prestigious FIA World Endurance Manufacturers’ Championship, and has been on sparkling form in the previous four rounds. However, Audi Sport Team Joest knows what it takes to win World Championships and will be doing all it can to boost its chances of success and get back to the top step of the podium. The closest battle in GTE is between Porsche and Ferrari, but Aston Martin Racing has won in Shanghai before and will be hoping to use that experience to its advantage.

As they get to know more and more about endurance racing and all it has to offer, last year 45,000 enthusiastic Chinese fans came to Shanghai International Circuit to see the captivating sights and sounds of the WEC. Even more spectators are expected next weekend for the race that begins at 11h00 local time, with the chequered flag being shown at 17h00.

If you are not able to join us for some scintillating and closely-fought track battles in China, you will be able to catch all the action on a small screen near you, whether it is a TV, computer screen or tablet.

Watch the Race Live in….

China

In China Shanghai TV and Power Sports channels will be broadcasting the first and last hours live, with 52 minutes highlights available following the event. The national CCTV channel will also air a dedicated feature on the WEC event during its Autotimes magazine show.

Europe

Pan European broadcaster Eurosport will also show the full race on Eurosport 1 and online on the Eurosport Player. In addition Motors TV will show the 6 Hours of Shanghai in its entirety live across the continent, as ORF will in Austria on Sport+. Highlights and news edits will be shown extensively in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland (see below).

North America

In North America FOX Sports 1 & 2 will show the whole race live (final 90 minutes on FOX Sports 1) and FOX Latin America, covering Central and South America, will broadcast the last 4 hours of the race on FOX Sports 3. The full race can be seen live and in its entirety on FOX Sports Go.

Asia

Eurosport Pan-Asia will echo its European counterpart by showing the entire race live on Eurosport 1. In Japan J-Sports will broadcast the full race live, while in Australia FOX Sports will air a mix of live and highlights. India, Hong Kong and New Zealand will also be showing highlights following the race. Internet broadcaster Le-TV will show the full race live in China to its 80+ million potential viewers.

World Wide Live Coverage

Also remember that full race coverage, special interviews, on board cameras, full live timing and much more is also available anywhere in the world on the FIA WEC APP and on the official website at www.fiawec.com

Race Highlights

In Germany RTL will show the highlights and Sky Deutschland will be showing news edits and features from the race. In the UK, Quest and BT Sport will broadcast 52 minutes highlights shows.

You can also catch the race highlights from China on RTL7 and Sport1 in the Netherlands, RTBF in Belgium, Fox Sports across Asia, TVB in Hong Kong, Sony6 across the Indian Subcontinent and TV3 in New Zealand.

Sunset and Vine’s “Mobil1 – The Grid” magazine show will also feature the WEC action and, if you are flying internationally, you may be able to catch the race on an inflight entertainment system on selected airlines.

[Rob]

Magnussen & Turvey Join Evans On Porsche LMP1 Test Programme

The Bahrain post race WEC test will not be the only opportunity taken for at least one current factory LMP1 team to try out new drivers.

Porsche have announced that they will test Mitch Evans before Bahrain on Nov 10-11 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, the GP2 star and 2015 Jota Le Mans racer will be joined by fellow ex Jota man Oliver Turvey (above), Turvey meanwhile will be joined by fellow McLaren old boy and 2014 Formula One debutant Kevin Magnussen (below).

Whilst Evans and Turvey both already have LMP racing experience it will be a first for Magnussen who will follow in his father’s footsteps (Jan campaigned LMP900s for Panoz and for Audi team Goh).

It’s an interesting move from Porsche who will also test Juan Pablo Montoya in Bahrain ahead of a decision on the final shape of their 2016 LMP1 squad.

The full season six are expected to remain in place in 2016 with 2015 Le Mans winners Earl Bamber and Nick Tandy likely to repeat their 2015 programme. The potential calendar clash for Nico Huldenberg though could leave an opening, though Porsche are also set to test a number of their current GT race drivers as they did in order to select Messrs Lieb, Tandy and Bamber to some considerable effect!

[Nova]

Thx 4 the info Rob. Love the articles n pix.

[Rob]

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.”

[Rob]

[Rob]

[Rob]

AF CORSE FERRARI FIGHTBACK IN FP2

AF Corse Ferrari sounded a warning to title rivals Porsche Team Manthey in the second Free Practice session at Shanghai this afternoon as the pair of Ferrari 458 Italias topped the timing screens.

The afternoon session was significantly quicker than this morning's, and James Calado set an LMGTE Pro best of 2m03.028s to lead the way in the No.71 Ferrari 458 Italia. Calado, who shares the car with Davide Rigon, hooked up a fine lap to lead team mate and championship rival Toni Vilander who posted a 2m03.947 tour.

Fernando Rees claimed third best time with a 2m03.995s lap in the No.99 Aston Martin V8 Vantage. The Brazilian’s best was 1.5s better than that achieved by Richie Stanaway in the earlier session this morning.

Porsche Team Manthey appeared to work on long stints throughout the entire session and the No.92 Porsche 911 RSR placed fourth while the No.91 car sat fifth.

In LMGTE Am it was again a tremendously close and competitive session. This time it was the SMP Racing Ferrari that led the way with Victor Shaytar continuing his excellent form to register a 2m04.523s lap to ensure the Ferrari 458 Italia that he shares with Andrea Bertolini and Aleksey Basov enjoyed two tenths of a second advantage over the Larbre Chevrolet Corvette.

The Fuji class-winning Dempsey-Proton Porsche 911 RSR came in third with Pat Long turning in a 2m05.112s lap. The American had been at the top of the LMGTE Am class for a short time before the Ferrari and Corvette usurped the Porsche he shares with Patrick Dempsey and Marco Seefried.

The final Free Practice session is scheduled to begin at 09.00 local time on Saturday morning.

[Rob]

ASTON MARTIN EXPECTS HUGE CHALLENGE IN CHINA

Aston Martin heads to the penultimate round of the World Endurance Championship in China
Four V8 Vantage GTEs are entered into the Six Hours of Shanghai
Balance of Performance expected to present “huge challenge” for the team
26 October 2015, Gaydon: The penultimate round of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) takes place at the Shanghai International Circuit this weekend (1 November) and Aston Martin Racing has entered four V8 Vantage GTEs.

The Six Hours of Shanghai has always proven to be one of the strongest for the Banbury-based team, which took its first WEC race win there back in 2012. However, Team Principal John Gaw is well aware that the recent changes to the Balance of Performance (BoP) of the Vantage GTE mean that a repeat of this will be challenging.

“Before the last round in Fuji, the ACO re-adjusted the engine air-restrictor size of the Vantage GTE but it still wasn’t enough to enable us to fight for the podium in the GTE Pro class,” he commented. “Only thanks to clever strategy and some fantastic driving were we able to come close to winning GTE Am.

“Shanghai looks like it will be a similar story and, while we will clearly go with the full intention to do the very best we can, with the performance deficit, we have a huge challenge ahead.”

The recent performance deficit has been a frustration to the Aston Martin team, drivers, sponsors and private investors, and the #95 car, run by Aston Martin Racing on behalf of Young Driver AMR, has chosen to withdraw its #95 Vantage GTE from the China round.

“The #95 Young Driver AMR car is entered by Aston Martin Racing on behalf of Young Driver AMR,” explained Gaw. “Young Driver AMR and their sponsors have chosen not to race in Shanghai this weekend.”

The Six Hours of Shanghai takes place on Sunday 1 November at 1100hrs local time. Join in with the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #teamAMR.

Driver line-up:
96: Francesco Castellacci, Liam Griffin, Stuart Hall
97: Darren Turner, Jonny Adam
98: Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy, Mathias Lauda
99: Alex MacDowall, Fernando Rees, Richie Stanaway

- ENDS -

[Rob]

PRACTICE STARTS FOR TOYOTA GAZOO RACING
Friday 30 October 2015

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s penultimate race weekend of the 2015 World Endurance Championship began with a busy day of practice for the Six Hours of Shanghai today.

Returning to the scene of last year’s one-two victory, the #1 TS040 HYBRID of Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima lined up alongside Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin and Mike Conway in the #2.

Both cars completed two trouble-free 90-minute sessions, finishing fifth and sixth in each as the team worked on finding the best set-up compromise for the 5.451km Shanghai International Circuit.

After heavy, persistent rain yesterday, morning sunshine was a welcome sight for the start of first practice, with air temperatures at a mild 18°C.

The session began slightly later than planned due to barrier repairs following an incident earlier in the day, but when the green flags finally flew the team wasted no time in getting to work.

Fine-tuning the set-up of the TS040 HYBRID for the particular demands of this circuit was the priority. That meant evaluating different mechanical and aerodynamic settings, whilst also adjusting the hybrid recovery and boost configurations.

With two victories from three races, TOYOTA has been the pace-setter in Shanghai since the first WEC race in China in 2012, but this season has been more of a challenge.

Practice results reflected the established pattern in 2015, with the World Champions lacking lap time compared to rivals Audi and Porsche, although first practice already saw both TS040 HYBRIDs go faster than last year’s quickest race lap.

Second practice saw more of the same as the team focused on comparing the different compounds of slick tyres. The leading TS040 HYBRID, the #2, ended the day 2.262 seconds slower than the pace-setting #17 Porsche.

At 5pm and with the sun beginning to set on the day in Shanghai, the chequered flag flew to end second practice with the two TS040 HYBRIDs having completed a total of 161 laps, covering 877km.

The set-up and tyre work will be concluded tomorrow in final practice (9.00-10.00) before a 20-minute qualifying session (14.00) decides the grid for Sunday’s race.

TS040 HYBRID #1 (Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima)
Free practice 1: 6th (1min 47.724secs), 37 laps
Free practice 2: 6th (1min 47.903secs), 46 laps

Anthony Davidson: “It was good to have a full day of dry conditions. I always enjoy driving around this circuit so it was nice to be out there. We did some positive tyre work and I am pretty confident with the results and our direction. I’m looking forward to tomorrow when we think we have a good set-up to get the most out of the car.”

Sébastien Buemi: “I am quite happy with today’s sessions. We did a lot of laps which is positive. We know our situation but we still try to push very hard, to the limit of our package and we believe if there is some rain on Sunday we might be able to fight a bit more. We are trying to find the best set-up which allows us to be as close as possible to the opposition.”

Kazuki Nakajima: “It was nice to have a completely dry day after yesterday’s rain. We made a good start and the car feels better compared to last year; it is nice to feel the progression. I didn’t do a tyre comparison but I think we have enough data for tomorrow and the race. Tomorrow will be difficult as the weather looks dry but maybe that will change on Sunday.”

TS040 HYBRID #2 (Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin, Mike Conway)
Free practice 1: 5th (1min 47.603secs), 32 laps
Free practice 2: 5th (1min 47.373secs), 46 laps

Alex Wurz: “It was a usual Friday for us. We ran through the programme and carried out various tests. The car balance was not so bad, but it is a similar picture to the other tracks in terms of the lap time gaps. I expect a nice fight between our two cars over the weekend. I would love to have some varied weather; that would be cool.”

Stéphane Sarrazin: “It was an interesting day in terms of set-up. We improved the car and found a decent balance. I think we are where we have to be in that sense. We need to put everything in place to be as close as possible to our opposition. We will fight with our sister car; it is a good battle and this keeps us sharp.”

Mike Conway: “Everything went fine today and we did a lot of running, which means we have plenty of data to work with. The car feels okay but we will try to find a bit more in third practice tomorrow. I expect it will be tough again in qualifying but we will do our best and keep fighting for the 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.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing at Shanghai International Circuit:
2012 #7: Qualifying 1st; Race 1st.
2013 #7: Qualifying 1st; Race 2nd. #8: Qualifying 3rd; Race DNF.
2014 #7: Qualifying 4th; Race 2nd. #8: Qualifying 2nd; Race 1st.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing 2015 Results:
Silverstone: #1: Qualifying 4th; Race 3rd / #2 Qualifying 6th; Race 4th.
Spa: #1: Qualifying 6th; Race 8th / #2 Qualifying 7th; Race 5th.
Le Mans: #1: Qualifying 8th; Race 8th / #2 Qualifying 7th; Race 6th.
Nürburgring: #1: Qualifying 5th; Race 5th / #2 Qualifying 6th; Race 6th.
Austin: #1: Qualifying 5th; Race 4th / #2 Qualifying 6th; Race DNF.
Fuji: #1: Qualifying 5th; Race 5th / #2 Qualifying 6th; Race 6th.

[Rob]

Tequila Patrón ESM Charges into China with Confidence


Riviera Beach, Fla., – Oct. 29, 2015 – One year ago, Tequila Patrón ESM earned runner-up honors in its overseas LMP2 debut race in Shanghai. A year later and armed with two new Tequila Patrón-livered Ligier JS P2 Hondas and two additional championship-winning drivers, the Florida-based team seeks a repeat podium performance in China for the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) 6 Hours of Shanghai.

It has been a learning year for Tequila Patrón ESM in the WEC since that first race in China. The lone two-car American team in the LMP2 class, Tequila Patrón ESM is the only team to have competed with three different chassis this year. Since acquiring two identical Ligier JS P2 Honda-powered racing machines one week before the 6 Hours of Spa in May, the team has gained valuable data at each turn of every venue this season. The team is confident heading into the 6 Hours of Shanghai since five of the six drivers have competed at Shanghai International Circuit.

Scott Sharp, Ryan Dalziel and then co-driver Ricardo Gonzalez finished second in last year’s rain-challenged race aboard the No. 30 Tequila Patrón Honda Performance Development ARX-03b. Since last November, the No. 30 team, including 2014 WEC GTE AM Champion David Heinemeier Hansson, earned a top-10 finish in the team’s first attempt at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and most recently scored two consecutive fourth-place finishes. The No. 30 drivers have five runner-up finishes in China - Sharp and Dalziel (2014), Dalziel (LMP2 in 2012) and Heinemeier Hansson (GTE AM in 2014 and LMP2 in 2013).

Ed Brown, Johannes van Overbeek and then co-driver David Brabham finished fifth in the No. 31 Tequila Patrón ESM HPD ARX-03b last year. Brown and van Overbeek now co-drive with two-time sportscar champion Jon Fogarty, who is making his Shanghai debut this week. Since last year’s race at China, the No. 31 has earned a season-best result of sixth at the 6 Hours of Silverstone and a seventh-place finish in their 24 Hours of Le Mans debut in June.

Located in Jiading, Shanghai, China, the 3.4-mile (5.5-kilometer), 16-turn Shanghai International Circuit is known as a challenging low-grip circuit. The venue is host to the Formula 1 World Championship, MotoGP and the V8 Supercar championship races.

Tequila Patrón ESM on Track
Friday’s two free practice sessions start at 10:30 a.m. (Thursday at 10 p.m. ET) and 3:30 p.m. China Standard Time CST (Friday at 3:30 a.m. ET).

Saturday’s on-track activity includes the hour-long practice session starting at 9 a.m. CST/9 p.m. ET (Friday).

LMP2 qualifying begins at 2 p.m. CST/2 a.m. ET on Saturday.

Green flag for the 6 Hours of Shanghai takes place at 10 a.m. CET on Sunday, November 1 / 11 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Where to Watch
The 6 Hours of Shanghai will be televised globally and on the FOX Sports Network of channels.

For U.S. viewers, the first 4.5 hours of the 6 Hours of Shanghai will air live on FOX Sports 2 on Saturday, October 31, at 11 p.m. The final 90 minutes will air live on FOX Sports 1 (Check local listings due to time change.)

The race can be viewed via the FIA WEC second screen app or online at www.fiawec.com.

To listen to the 6 Hours of Shanghai, tune into Radio Le Mans at www.radiolemans.com.




####

SCOTT SHARP

“Tequila Patrón ESM continues to make very good progress with the Ligier chassis. Two fourth- place finishes in a row, which easily should have been podiums in both instances, shows we are improving and get closer to the podium and wins. We were one of the fastest cars at the end of the race in Fuji.

“Shanghai is challenging with very low grip and technically very diverse with its mixture of corners. It is especially welcoming that we made the effort last year to compete in our first fly-away race at Shanghai, and that should provide big dividends already knowing the track. Here's to two podium finishes this weekend.”

ED BROWN

“I’m looking forward to racing again in China; it is nice not to have to learn a new track! Shanghai is a difficult circuit due to low grip conditions, but the Tequila Patrón ESM crew will have our cars ready for any condition.

“The crowd was great last year it will be nice to show the Chinese fans the black and Patrón green Ligier.”

RYAN DALZIEL

“We showed really good speed in Fuji but we didn’t get the result we deserved, but we’re back to work in Shanghai. We finished second in 2014, so I’m looking forward to going back to a track we all know, so our learning phase is shortened. It is time for Tequila Patrón ESM to be back on the podium. I have good feeling about going back to China and the support for Patrón was amazing last year, I expect even better this year.”

JOHANNES VAN OVERBEEK

“It will be nice to be back on a track that we know. Although the car will be different from last year, at least we know which way the road goes. We're making good strides with the chassis so combining track knowledge and the progress we've made should yield good results for Ed, Jon and me. I'm looking forward to it!"

JON FOGARTY

“I’m looking forward to heading into this weekend’s race in China. This is another new venue for me, but the other five Tequila Patrón ESM drivers have raced at Shanghai, so I have a little bit of catching-up to do. We’re improving with each on-track session and race. We showed some speed at Fuji, so we just need to capitalize on that this weekend and have a little luck fall our way. China can be challenging but I think we’re ready to lead the pack and finish on the podium. The No. 30 guys have been close the last two races. It would be nice to see all the great Chinese fans from the podium!”


DAVID HEINEMEIER HANSSON

“We've finished just off the podium in the last two races. It is time to button up and take that last step and China would be a great place to do just that. The team and all the No. 30 drivers have raced in China last year and finished second. I finished on the podium in the last two years, so let's make it three in a row!"

[Rob]

[Rob]

[Rob]

[Rob]

[Rob]

FERRARI AND ASTON MARTIN FRONT ROW LOCKOUTS IN LMGTE QUALIFYING IN CHINA

31/10/2015 - 07h13

FerrariFerrari and Aston Martin Front Row Lockouts in LMGTE Qualifying in China.

The AF Corse Ferrari 458s took a 1-2 in LMGTE Pro qualifying for the 6 Hours of Shanghai with reigning World Champions Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander taking their second pole position of 2015 in the no51 Ferrari, 0.265s ahead of teammates James Calado and Davide Rigon in the no71 458.

The no99 Aston Martin Racing Vantage of Alex MacDowall and Fernando Rees will start from row 2 after just being bumped from the front row by just 0.032s at the end of the 20-minute session.

The two Porsche Team Manthey 911s will start in 4th and 5th places on the grid with the no92 Porsche of Fred Makowiecki and Patrick Pilet finishing ahead of the no91 sister car of championship leader Richard Lietz and Michael Christensen. The no97 Aston Martin Racing Vantage of Johnny Adams and Darren Turner finished 6th 1.15 seconds adrift of the pole position holders at the front of the grid.

LMGTE Am Qualifying



There were lots of smiles in the Aston Martin Racing garage as the no98 Vantage of Paul Dalla Lana took the chequered flag to move to the head of the LMGTE Am time sheet to score their 4th pole position of the 2015 season after an earlier good first run by Pedro Lamy. The Canadian’s last gasp effort pushed their teammates in the no96 Vantage, Stuart Hall and Liam Griffin, down into second place by just 0.130s and securing an all Aston Martin front row for tomorrow’s 6 Hours of Shanghai.

The n50 Larbre Competition Chevrolet Corvette of Gianluca Roda and Paolo Ruberti will start from row 2 by just 0.018s, with the no83 AF Corse Ferrari of Francois Perrodo and Emmanuel Collard in 4th.

Championship leaders Victor Shaytar and Alesey Basov in the no72 SMP Racing Ferrari 458 will start the race in 5th place ahead of the two Porsches, with the no77 Dempsey Proton Racing 911 ahead of the no88 Abu Dhabi Proton Racing Porsche.

The 6 Hours of Shanghai will start tomorrow morning at 11h00 (local). (3am UK)


Qualifying Facts

13:53:24 In GTE Am Aston #98 fastest from Aston #96 and Corvette #50 13:51:32 Chequered flag 13:51:19 Aston #96 fastest in GTE Am with average of 2:04.858 13:50:22 Ferrari #71 now 2nd with average of 2:02.508 13:48:28 2:02.243 fastest average for Ferrari #51 and Bruni sets fastest lap of session 2:01.987 13:47:18 2:02.289 for Rees fastest individual lap of session 13:46:29 2:02.540 average for Aston #99 13:45:11 All 2nd drivers now on track 13:44:31 2:03.308 average for Porsche #92 13:40:35 2:03.484 fastest in GTE Am for Aston #98 13:39:40 Second drivers now getting into cars 13:38:51 All 13 GTE cars have set a first lap time 13:38:10 2:02.500 for Ferrari #51 13:37:38 2 factory Porsches warned about track limits 13:36:51 2:02.884 for #92 Porsche 13:35:28 2:02.823 for Aston #99 13:30:45 Green Flag 13:30:28 Aston #99 at end of pit lane 13:25:54 5 mins to Green flag 13:24:04 Track is dry and no rain forecast - 17.6C air temp - 20.0C track temp
13:53:24 In GTE Am Aston #98 fastest from Aston #96 and Corvette #50
13:51:32 Chequered flag
13:51:19 Aston #96 fastest in GTE Am with average of 2:04.858
13:50:22 Ferrari #71 now 2nd with average of 2:02.508
13:48:28 2:02.243 fastest average for Ferrari #51 and Bruni sets fastest lap of session 2:01.987
13:47:18 2:02.289 for Rees fastest individual lap of session
13:46:29 2:02.540 average for Aston #99
13:45:11 All 2nd drivers now on track
13:44:31 2:03.308 average for Porsche #92
13:40:35 2:03.484 fastest in GTE Am for Aston #98
13:39:40 Second drivers now getting into cars
13:38:51 All 13 GTE cars have set a first lap time
13:38:10 2:02.500 for Ferrari #51
13:37:38 2 factory Porsches warned about track limits
13:36:51 2:02.884 for #92 Porsche
13:35:28 2:02.823 for Aston #99
13:30:45 Green Flag
13:30:28 Aston #99 at end of pit lane
13:25:54 5 mins to Green flag
13:24:04 Track is dry and no rain forecast - 17.6C air temp - 20.0C track temp

[Rob]

POLE POSITION FOR ASTON MARTIN IN GTE AM

31 October 2015, Shanghai - Aston Martin Racing will have a front-row lock-out in the GTE AM class of tomorrow’s FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Shanghai after a close qualifying session that saw an incredible inter-team fight.

In just his second WEC event, British driver Liam Griffin (GB) took the #96 Vantage GTE from team-mate Stuart Hall (GB) and, on his second flying lap, went quick enough take pole position. However, Paul Dalla Lana (CA) in the #98 Vantage GTE put his three years of WEC experience into play and, on his final lap, snatched the number one spot away to claim his team’s fourth pole of the year.

“We had a good car and that enabled me to do a lap I was happy with,” Dalla Lana’s team-mate Pedro Lamy (PT) commented. “Paul did some great laps but I don’t think we were expecting that right at the end. He did a great job and that’s an incredible start to our weekend.”

In the GTE PRO class, it was the #99 Vantage GTE of Fernando Rees (BR) and Alex MacDowall (GB) that took the team’s best result. The Hanergy-liveried car will start the race from third.

The #97 Vantage GTE of Darren Turner (GB) and Jonny Adam (GB) will start from sixth. The pair held back a set of tyres in qualifying to improve their race strategy.

“Qualifying went well with an exciting fight inside the team in GTE AM and, like others in GTE PRO, there were different strategies at play,” commented Team Principal John Gaw. “Each of the teams did a great job in qualifying but tomorrow will bring with it its own challenges and we are very much looking forward to the race.”

The Six Hours of Shanghai starts at 1100hrs local time on Sunday 1 November. Follow the team on social media using #teamAMR.

Driver line-up:

96: Francesco Castellacci, Liam Griffin, Stuart Hall
97: Darren Turner, Jonny Adam
98: Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy, Mathias Lauda
99: Alex MacDowall, Fernando Rees, Richie Stanaway

- ENDS -

[Rob]

[Rob]

REBELLION Racing Media Team
Shanghai - October 31, 2015

REBELLION Racing

FIFTH LMP1 PRIVATEER POLE POSITION OF THE SEASON FOR AT SHANGHAI


REBELLION Racing secured their fifth LMP1 Privateer Pole Position of the season for tomorrow's 6 Hours of Shanghai race, the seventh round of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship.

Dominik Kraihamer and Alexandre Imperatori in the Rebellion R-One AER #13 qualified first of the LMP1 Privateers in front of the sister car, #12, driven by Mathias Beche and Nicolas Prost.
Dominik Kraihamer and Alexandre Imperatori achieved an average lap time of 1:49.418 and a fastest lap of 1:49.156.

In so doing, the two Rebellion R-One AER cars will start tomorrow's race from the fourth row on the grid.

Dominik Kraihamer - Rebellion R-One AER #13 : « I am really happy with this LMP1 Privateer Pole Position especially because we are having a trouble free weekend so far, we were able to achieve our programme of work. The team did a great job with the car. My flying lap could have been much better as I was blocked by a LMP2 car in sector 2.»

Alexandre Imperatori - Rebellion R-One AER #13 : « I am pleased with the way the Qualifying session went, and with no issues during the free practice sessions, it helped us to have a good car for qualifying. I hope it will continue this way tomorrow for the race because it will be the most important part of the weekend. »

Bart Hayden - REBELLION Racing Team Manager : « We are pleased with today's qualifying session result, our starting positions on the grid are where we expected to be. Because of a few niggles with car #12 in Free Practice 3, we decided to fit a new engine into the car in between FP3 and the Qualifying session, the crew did a great job to change the power unit in a very short space of time and Mat and Nico did well as they had less practice time to find a setup on their car. We are aiming for a trouble free race tomorrow as we are in a position to win our fourth straight FIA WEC Endurance Trophy for LMP1 Teams.»

[Rob]

THIRD ROW FOR TOYOTA GAZOO RACING
Saturday 31 October 2015

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will start the penultimate round of the World Endurance Championship from the third row of the grid after a disappointing qualifying session for the Six Hours of Shanghai.

For the fourth consecutive race, the #1 TS040 HYBRID of Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima will start from fifth place on the grid, with the #2 of Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin and Mike Conway in sixth.

Despite the lead TS040 HYBRID going 1.626secs quicker than the fastest lap in last year’s qualifying, both cars were behind their rivals as Porsche #17 took top spot.

Sébastien, who celebrated his 27th birthday today, began qualifying in the #1 car, while Alex, who won this race in 2012 and finished second in the previous two seasons, was in the #2.

Qualifying requires two drivers from each car to set a minimum of one flying lap, with the average of both drivers’ fastest lap deciding the grid.

On a bright day which saw 18°C air temperature, Sébastien clocked just a single flying lap before handing over to Anthony in fifth whereas Alex stayed out for an additional lap to improve his time. Mike took over the #2 in sixth.

The order reversed briefly when Anthony struggled with tyre grip on his first lap but when the chequered flag flew, the #1 held fifth place by 0.186secs from the #2, although pole position was 3.057secs away.

TS040 HYBRID #1 (Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima)
Free practice 3: 5th (1min 46.365secs), 25 laps
Qualifying: 5th (1min 45.776secs average)

Anthony Davidson: “In qualifying we are where we expected to be but the guys did a great job to get us on track in the right place, in free air. We pushed as hard as we could and we will see where we can be tomorrow. Hopefully we can fight for a podium; that’s always our target and we won’t stop fighting.”

Sébastien Buemi: “It’s not the birthday present I wanted but you need to see the positive side. It’s always a pleasure to drive such a nice track and we improved our lap time massively compared to last year. We are fighting hard, sticking together and trying to operate at a high level so we will come back stronger next year.”

TS040 HYBRID #2 (Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin, Mike Conway)
Free practice 3: 6th (1min 46.530secs), 14 laps
Qualifying: 6th (1min 45.962secs average)

Alex Wurz: “We decided to do a tyre test in qualifying today. We are too far away to realistically challenge over one lap so we decided to get some data which can help us for tomorrow and the next race. It almost worked but didn’t in the end; that’s okay as we gained some useful experience.”

Mike Conway: “I am a bit annoyed really with the lap I did. You only get one chance in qualifying and it was a scrappy lap. I threw away probably half a second and there’s no chance to get that back. So I am disappointed with the day but we will push for a decent result tomorrow.”

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.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing at Shanghai International Circuit:
2012 #7: Qualifying 1st; Race 1st.
2013 #7: Qualifying 1st; Race 2nd. #8: Qualifying 3rd; Race DNF.
2014 #7: Qualifying 4th; Race 2nd. #8: Qualifying 2nd; Race 1st.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing 2015 Results:
Silverstone: #1: Qualifying 4th; Race 3rd / #2 Qualifying 6th; Race 4th.
Spa: #1: Qualifying 6th; Race 8th / #2 Qualifying 7th; Race 5th.
Le Mans: #1: Qualifying 8th; Race 8th / #2 Qualifying 7th; Race 6th.
Nürburgring: #1: Qualifying 5th; Race 5th / #2 Qualifying 6th; Race 6th.
Austin: #1: Qualifying 5th; Race 4th / #2 Qualifying 6th; Race DNF.
Fuji: #1: Qualifying 5th; Race 5th / #2 Qualifying 6th; Race 6th.

[Rob]

[Rob]