The 2019-2020 season for the FIA World Endurance Championship gets underway at the home of British motorsport, Silverstone Circuit in Silverstone, Northamptonshire, England. The participants are aiming for the oldest trophy in motorsport, the Tourist Trophy. If you would like to know more about the history of the Tourist Trophy, the 411 on it, can be found HERE on the Wikipedia page, with a comprehensive list of every driver from the world of both touring cars, and sports cars, who has had the honor of winning it.
RAC (Royal Automobile Club) Tourist Trophy
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAC_Tourist_Trophy
This is the first of a few races that will be run this season (two of them, in fact), that have had the length of the race, shortened, from six hours, to just four hours. So, yes, it is still an endurance event, but, it will likely feel a bit more like a sprint. It's this race, and the one at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China, coming up as round three, in November, that will run to a four hour maximum duration, while we will also see of course, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a couple of the traditional 6 hour events, and a couple 8 hour events as well. It sounds like the FIA and ACO are keen to experiment with race distances, this season.
In qualifying, the GTE Pro and Am cars took their turn first out on the circuit. A familiar number and team, with a new car, led the way in the Am class. The #98 Aston Martin Racing team is familiar, but for this season, they have a newly revamped driver squad. Canadian Paul Dalla Lana is the one constant in the lineup. Neither Pedro Lamy, the Portuguese veteran, nor Austria's Matthias Lauda, son of the late, great Formula 1 champ Niki Lauda, return this year. Dalla Lana is joined by two British drivers. They are the experienced, Darren Turner, and from British GT, Ross Gunn. Project 1 qualified second in class and now have two Porsche 911 RSR's on the grid. But, it was their lead car, #56 that went quickest, in the hands of Matteo Cairoli, German stand-in driver, David Kolkmann, and the Italian Norwegian, Egidio Perfetti.
Pole in LM GTE Am went to the newly repainted, red liveried TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage to be driven by Jonny Adam, Charlie Eastwood, and Salih Yoluc. In LM GTE Pro, Aston Martin also made their presence felt. Qualifying in third spot, the #97 factory car, being shared by Alex Lynn and Maxime Martin. Then, Ferrari came to the fore and it was an all out scrap for fastest time between the two AF Corse 488 GTE's (#51 vs. #71). #51 of Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado, and #71 of Miguel Molina and Davide Rigon. Calado and Pier Guidi were quickest and will start this motor race from the pole position in LM GTE Pro.
Then, it came time for the LMP1 and LMP2 cars to go out and set times to form the grid for Sunday's season opener. New names and faces and new cars and chassis' are plentiful in the top class of the World Endurance Championship for the 2019-2020 campaign. There's also been changes made to the Equivalence of Technology in the LMP1 division. Also, a new tire war will emerge as Michelin will now battle the American tire manufacturing giant, Goodyear. Goodyear, is returning, after a long, long hiatus, to international motor racing, in the FIA WEC for 2019-2020. The Goodyear shod #37 Jackie Chan DC Racing Oreca 07 went third fastest. That car is being shared by France's Gabriel Aubry, Briton Will Stevens, and Ho-Pin Tung, the Chinese-Dutch driver.
Cars on Michelin rubber would lock out the top of the tree in LMP2. Second fastest in class, the #22 United Autosports Oreca for Portugal's Filipe Albuquerque, sharing with Brits Phil Hanson and Paul di Resta for this race. Things seem to be turning in a good direction for Racing Team Nederland, now that they have their new Oreca chassis, replacing last season's unsuccessful Dallara. This may bode well for the all Dutch lineup of Giedo van der Garde, Frits van Eerd, and for today's event, Job van Uitert. Now we move, to the top class of the WEC, the fabulous, monstrous, LMP1 machines. In LMP1, it's a heavyweight bout between Toyota and Rebellion. The Swiss independent squad, vs. the mighty Japanese automaker, who develops their race car in Cologne, Germany.
Rebellion could only muster a third place on the grid, with their single entry for this season, in the hands of American Gustavo Menezes, Brazilian veteran Bruno Senna, nephew of the late, great Formula 1 World Champion Ayrton Senna, and rookie Formula 2 turned sports car driver, from France, Norman Nato. It's a Toyota front row lockout, but the tides might be shifting already as the #8 car of Sebastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima, and new recruit, Brendon Hartley, from New Zealand, was well in-arrears of their sister car, the venerable #7 machine with Mike Conway from England spearheading the driver's strength along with Japan's Kamui Kobayashi, and Argentina's Jose Maria Lopez.
So, it's going to be a battle royal perhaps, between the Toyota's. Will the sole Rebellion get a look in? It is time, to go racing. The 4 Hours of Silverstone, otherwise known as the RAC Tourist Trophy, is about to get underway. It's a sunny morning in Northamptonshire, England. Chamber of Commerce weather has greeted the race fans packed into one of the original palaces of speed, for an afternoon of endurance sports car racing action. The cars and driver's have gathered, for round one of the FIA World Endurance Championship for 2019-2020. But, we must first acknowledge, tragedy. Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert of France, who died the day before on Saturday in a massive and fatal accident at the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, in the F2 support race to the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, at the age of 22. A young, rising star, whose life was taken in a racing accident, way too soon, proving that motor racing, no matter how much safety is put into it, is still dangerous and still presents a tremendous risk to those brave enough to take it on as a profession.
Rest In Peace, Anthoine Hubert. You will be remembered, in our hearts. Red lights on, red lights out! FIA WEC 2019-2020 is underway as the cars scream down the front straight for the first time, and as predicted, look, it's the #7 Toyota taking the lead of this motor race right from the off. So, Mike Conway is the driver to take the lead over the sister Toyota in the opening laps. Everyone else is jockeying for position in the pack of prototype and GT cars as it's the first day back at school, per se, for the knights of the World Endurance Championship as they joust in Britain's oldest motor race. Andre Negrao, the Brazilian at the wheel of the sole Signatech Alpine A470 in this race, gets forced wide off the road. Negrao, sharing with Frenchmen Thomas Laurent, who has moved over to Signatech while also serving as a Toyota test and reserve driver, and countryman, Pierre Ragues.
The LMP2 battle goes three wide, but one LMP2 car is not running so hot. The race's first retirement will be the #22 United Autosports entry. That's the Albuquerque/Hanson/di Resta machine, which brings out the safety car. It is game over for the boys at United Autosports after this race is just three laps old, with over three hours of time still on the board. The Ginetta LMP1 cars are back this year, with a new team, Team LNT, run by Lawrence Tomlinson. The #5 car is in the hands of Ben Hanley (former DragonSpeed LMP1 driver, who went over to their IndyCar program), and Charlie Robertson, both Englishman, sharing with Russia's Egor Orudzhev, former driver for SMP Racing when they ran in WEC last year, during the "Super Season".
The sister LNT entry is the #6 car and this, is the all British crewed car in the hands of Oliver Jarvis, Michael Simpson, and Guy Smith, the 2003 winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans when he drove for Bentley in their magnificent EXP Speed 8 LMP1 prototype, over 15 years ago. LNT lost track position in the running behind the safety car. An unexpected pit lane visitor, in the former of Ferrari #51, which picked up a puncture. Early woes for the Calado/Pier Guidi duo. ...And a spot of bother, again, for the boys at Ginetta as they lose a wheel off the #6 car, the aforementioned Jarvis/Smith/Simpson entry. Ah yes, it's the classic, commentator's curse. Mention they are doing well, and wham!, they run into a problem. You've picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel.
Pit stop time for a myriad of competitors for fuel and tires. The perfect thing to do, under a safety car. Problems, too, look, for Jota Sport. A new lineup for this team features BMW refugee Antonio Felix Da Costa of Portugal, alongside Briton Anthony Davidson, and Roberto Gonzalez from Mexico. The car is crawling. But, it's a case of Control, Alt, Delete, and the car will be up and running again with no bugs. Speaking of bugs, Toyota got bugged, or mugged, by the two Rebellion's on the pit stop exchange and fell down the order. But, they'll recover. Racing Team Nederland leads LMP2 at the end of the first hour, ahead of both Signatech and newcomers Cetilar Racing with their #47 Dallara with an all Italian driver lineup. Andrea Belicchi, sharing with Roberto Lacorte, and Giorgio Sernagiotto.
Racing Team Nederland must be extremely relieved that their Oreca is a car that is much more competitive, compared, once again, to the problematic Dallara chassis they used during the "Super Season" in 2018-'19. Ferrari may have mopped the floor in GTE-Pro qualifying, but at the moment, Aston Martin appears to be washing them and wringing them out. Ferrari hangs onto third, and we haven't seen a challenge from the Porsche brigade yet with their newly liveried 911 RSR's for the same drivers from last year, Richard Lietz and Gianmaria Bruni in the #91 car, and Michael Christensen and Kevin Estre, in #92, with a newly reworked paint scheme on the cars. It has to be kept in mind, only three full-time brands in GTE-Pro this season in the forms of Ferrari, Porsche, and Aston Martin, after Ford and BMW both withdrew their factory cars after the "Super Season".
Rebellion leads this motor race after the first round of tire stops. Toyota are clawing their way into the fight. Aston Martin run 1-2 in GTE-Pro, while Racing Team Nederland has come to the fore in LMP2, and it is Toyota #8, leading their sister car for the overall battle in LMP1. The leading Toyota has run 37 laps (135 miles) so far. Here's the classification one hour into this four hour race, in the overall and LMP1.
1. #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TS050 Hybrid
2. #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TS050 Hybrid
3. #1 Rebellion Racing Rebellion R13 Gibson
4. #5 Team LNT Ginetta G60-LT-P1 AER
5. #6 Tream LNT Ginetta G60-LT-P1 AER
Racing Team Nederland paces LMP2 at the moment and here's the top eight places in the class. They have run 35 laps (128 miles).
1. #29 Racing Team Nederland Oreca 07
2. #47 Cetilar Racing Dallara P217
3. #36 Signatech Alpine Elf Alpine A470
4. #37 Jackie Chan DC Racing Oreca 07
5. #38 Jota Sport Oreca 07
6. #42 Cool Racing Oreca 07
7. #33 High Class Racing Oreca 07
8. #22 United Autosports Oreca 07
This is the LM GTE Pro running order, as the leading #97 Aston Martin has run 33 laps, 121 miles.
1. #97 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR
2. #95 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR
3. #71 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
4. #92 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR-19
5. #91 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR-19
6. #51 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
We've gone 1/4 distance (one hour done and dusted out of four). Here's the top ten places in LM GTE Am.
1. #98 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR
2. #56 Team Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR
3. #83 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
4. #90 TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage AMR
5. #77 Dempsey - Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR
6. #88 Dempsey - Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR
7. #54 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
8. #70 MR Racing Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
9. #62 Red River Sport Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
10. #86 Gulf Racing Porsche 911 RSR
Bright and sunny conditions were what we saw in the opening hour. But, the forecast calls for some rain as we get deeper into this race. Ah yes. Wet weather tires the order of the day as you can see in the camera shot, the lane is soaked. Toyota is trying to weather the storm, so to speak, but they have to give in and head for pit lane to change from slick Michelin tires, to wets. After the tire change, though, the outright blinding speed of the Toyota pays off and they are back into the race lead, as we see some contact, some argy bargy that results in a synchronized spin for both Oliver Jarvis and Miguel Molina. Oliver Jarvis, at the wheel of the Ginetta, and Miguel Molina was the unlucky chap to sail off the road in the #71 AF Corse Ferrari.
Then, the safety car came out to neutralize the field, but as luck would have it, the rain stopped, the track dried out, and necessitated pit stop time as the cars flooded the pit lane to change back over to dry weather rubber. Toyota fights their way back into the lead of this motor race, past Rebellion and reinstates their 1-2 running order. It's rush hour in LMP2, though, boys. Signatech Alpine, Racing Team Nederland, and Cool Racing, all of them want a slice of the pie, or a bite of the cherry, depending on how you look at it. Just don't eat the pit. Dear me, it could be a cherry pie for all intents and purposes.
At any rate, the race continues. Ferrari has indeed moved back to the sharp end in GTE Pro although they seem to be having quite the ding dong battle with Porsche at the moment. Ferrari does indeed pass by Porsche, and we see Aston Martin returning to top three contention as well. Only three brands in GTE Pro this year, but the racing is no less exciting. Porsche would come back into the picture after Ferrari was dinged with a penalty by the stewards, dropping them down the order. In the closing stages, the battle in LMP2 would go the way of Signatech Alpine over Racing Team Nederland. Now, it's time for the checkered flag. The 4 Hours of Silverstone has been written into the history books to open FIA WEC 2019-2020. In LM GTE Am, it's AF Corse and Ferrari winning, with the #83 for French veteran Emmanuel Collard, his countryman Francois Perrodo, and Dane Nicklas Nielsen.
It's a factory Porsche 1-2 in LM GTE Pro, and the #91 car with Gianmaria Bruni and Richard Lietz, wins. On debut in LMP2, Cool Racing, are as cool as a cucumber, winning the LMP2 class. Switzerland's Antonin Borga sharing with veteran LMP racer, Frenchman Nicolas Lapierre, who are joined on the podium, by their injured colleague, Alexander Coigny of Switzerland, who cannot race for a while as he has a broken pelvis after crashing in Saturday's European Le Mans Series support race at Silverstone, hard! Heres to Alexander Coigny making a full recovery, but, with assistance from crutches, Coigny is able to join his team mates on the podium for the victory celebration and get a taste of the champagne.
Toyota wins! But, it's the #7 machine in the hands of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Jose Maria Lopez, who win the RAC Tourist Trophy! This is a special one for Mike Conway, winning his home race on his home circuit!
Overall/LMP1: #7 Conway/Kobayashi/Lopez Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TS050 Hybrid
LMP2: #42 Borga/Lapierre Cool Racing Oreca 07
LM GTE Pro: #91 Bruni/Lietz Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR-19
LM GTE Am: #83 Collard/Nielsen/Perrodo AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo
One race is now done and dusted. Round two of the '19-'20 FIA World Endurance Championship, takes the teams to the Far East, and to Japan. Toyota will be in their own backyard at Fuji Speedway, a track they own, for the 6 Hours of Fuji, in the shadow of the majestic mountain, Mount Fuji in Oyama, Japan, coming up in a month's time, on the 6th of October. Join us, in Japan, for round two of the championship in it's more familiar, 6 hour format. See you then. So long, for now, from Silverstone, England, everyone.
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