Round three of the 2019-2020 FIA World Endurance Championship, sees the second, and final 4 hour event of the season, at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China. A year ago, during the "Super Season", this race was a six hour event, marred by terribly rainy weather and frequent race stoppages, which may be the reasoning behind the shortening of it's duration this time around. But, weather shall be no such issue today, as we have bright, sunny skies for this race about to commence. For the first time ever, Rebellion Racing scores the overall pole in the LMP1 class, with their #1 Rebellion R13 Gibson in the hands of American Gustavo Menezes, Brazilian Bruno Senna (nephew of the late, great Formula 1 World Champion Ayrton Senna), and Frenchman, Norman Nato sharing the driving duties.
On a breezy, warm, and dry Sunday, the fans in China are waving their FIA WEC flags, soaking in the atmosphere as we get set to race. Rebellion outpaced the might of the factory hybrid boosted Toyota's and everyone else, to score the pole. The pace laps are complete. We're set for the rolling start. Red lights, on. Now, the lights flash green on the gantry above the start/finish line, and away we go! We're racing, in Shanghai! Oh dear! The Rebellion, the pole sitting car is slow away from the line! How on earth could that be? Toyota's possible disadvantage, may open the door for them early in this motor race.
The Rebellion is swamped by both of the Team LNT Ginetta's using their AER turbo V6 power, non hybrid of course, with 2.4 liters displacement. Ben Hanley, sharing with Egor Orudzhev, and Jordan King, for this race. Two Brits and the Russian driver. King, is the new bloke drafted into the team here in Shanghai. Their sister car, #6 also got away well. That's the all British crewed car of Mike Simpson, sports car racing veteran and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner (with Bentley), Guy Smith, and the third driver is Charlie Robertson. American Chris Dyson is supposed to drive that car at some point in the season, but we do not know when. His father, Rob Dyson, a stalwart competitor in American sports car racing including IMSA and the old United States Road Racing Championship and Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series, for many, many years, as an owner/driver, and a two-time winner of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, as well as a championship winner in American Le Mans and USRRC competition.
So, both Ginetta's, and the #7 Toyota all got away cleanly. #7 being shared as always by Mike Conway, Jose Maria Lopez, and Kamui Kobayashi, from England, Argentina, and Japan, respectively. But, before the race was an hour old, Toyota would hit trouble. In the meantime, the sister #8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid in the hands of Sebastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima, and Brendon Hartley (from France, Japan, and New Zealand), is busy fending off the challenge from a swarm of LMP2 cars. Porsche took pole in LM GTE Pro, with the #91 car of Gianmaria Bruni of Italy, and Richard Lietz of Austria, the pacesetters. However, Aston Martin is right on their back door, and here comes one of their two factory cars to take the class lead.
Not sure which car it is that has passed the Porsche, but it very well could b the #95, the "Dane Train" Aston Martin in the hands of Marco Sorensen and Nicki Thiim. The Rebellion has dropped like a stone, to the rear of the LMP1 field. Into the pit lane, comes one of the two Project 1 Racing Porsche 911 RSR's. That is either the #56 entry of Egidio Perfetti (the Italian born Norwegian who is the team owner), sharing with Matteo Cairoli of Italy, and longtime FIA WEC competitor in many types of cars, racer/businessman David Heinemeier Hanson from Denmark. Or, it could be the sister #57 entry. #57 has a shuffled driver lineup here in Shanghai. American Ben Keating and Dutchman Jeroen Bleekemolen (who have done a lot of driving together both in IMSA and now, in WEC), are sharing with Dutchman Larry ten Voorde this weekend.
Their regular co-driver, Felipe Fraga, has Brazilian Stock Car racing commitments in his home country, this weekend. The reigning GTE Am champions from the "super season" last year, dove for the pit lane to remove debris from the automobile. Meanwhile, action is hot and heavy again, look, in LMP1. Rebellion are recovering from losing places, and they are going back past one of the Toyota's. There is an LMP2 car there, as well, which isn't a factor in this scrap. That's the #47 Cetillar Racing Dallara, again, with an all Italian driver's strength. Andrea Belicchi, sharing with Roberto Lacorte, and Giorgio Sernagiotto. Rebellion are indeed recovering, getting past the two aforementioned cars.
Rebellion is proving the be the fastest car on the road, now that it's Michelin tires have entered the sweet spot. They are up to temperature, and up to speed as well. The pit stop cycle runs its course and this means that the Ginetta's have both had to relinquish their places, to the #8 Toyota, the Hartley/Buemi/Nakajima car. The Goodyear tires are working well for the LMP2 contenders as for the class lead, it's a battle between Jackie Chan DC Racing and Jota Sport. The #38 Jota Sport Oreca is being shared by Antonio Felix Da Costa of Portugal, Mexican driver Roberto Gonzalez, and Englishman Anthony Davidson.
Rebellion are working their way to the sharp end of the LMP1 field as the laps continue to tick away. Rebellion still runs ahead of both factory Toyota's at this stage. Ginetta, with both of their cars, were in the lead for a spell, but were dinged by the stewards for jumping the start and had to answer by visiting the pit lane. This leaves the battle to resume between Toyota and Rebellion, #1 leading #8. Rebellion moves by Toyota, for the lead of this motor race! The team are delighted! Can they seal their first official FIA World Endurance Championship win? They were gifted one in the 2018 Silverstone event at the start of the "super season" last year when Toyota were disqualified. But, they have not earned a win on pure speed. Could today be the day?
Aston Martin has been the class of the field in the LM GTE Am ranks. The #98 factory Aston Martin Vantage AMR has led, with the driving trio of Canadian Paul Dalla Lana, and British drivers Ross Gunn, the rookie, and Darren Turner, the seasoned veteran. All the while, they have been hotly pursued by the #90 TF Sport Aston Martin, the similar privateer Vantage AMR with Charlie Eastwood from Ireland, Johnny Adam from England, and Turkey's Salih Yoluc in the driving trio. The Tom Ferrier led squad (hence the name TF Sport for the team owner's initials), started from GTE Am class pole, and they have worked their way now, back to the front of the field in the class.
Big trouble later in the race for the #95 factory Aston Martin! That's a delaminated Michelin tire, and it's all kinds of trouble for the Sorensen/Thiim duo! A major tire explosion right on the front straight, which brought out the one and only Full Course Yellow of this motor race. We head for the final hour of this four hour contest. Time has flown by, seemingly, even though this is technically still an endurance race, but very short by comparison to most. This is the second and last 4 hour duration event of the 2019-2020 FIA WEC season. The #51 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE takes over the LM GTE Pro class lead, with James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi, the Brit and the Italian, the driving duo.
Porsche #92 has scraped and clawed it's way to second in GTE Pro. That's the duo of Dane Michael Christensen, and Frenchman Kevin Estre. They are followed by the #91, the sister car. Aston Martin will finish fourth and fifth in LM GTE Pro, however, Aston Martin are set to win the LM GTE Am class with the #90 TF Sport car, the Eastwood/Adam/Yoluc trio, will go to the top step of the podium, here in Shanghai. The #51 Ferrari of Calado and Pier Guidi will win in LM GTE Pro. Ferrari score their first ever win in Shanghai! Jota Sport win LMP2 with the #38 car for Antonio Felix da Costa, Anthony Davidson, and Roberto Gonzalez. In LMP1, it is Rebellion, scoring their first overall FIA World Endurance Championship victory! Congratulations to Norman Nato, Gustavo Menezes, and Bruno Senna! Rebellion become the first ever privateer team to win overall in a FIA World Endurance Championship race, as only factory cars have won in the past, from the likes of Toyota, Porsche, and Audi.
Congratulations, Rebellion, on a job well done! Jota Sport win LMP2. AF Corse Ferrari are victorious in LM GTE Pro, and in LM GTE Am, it's Aston Martin and TF Sport.
Overall/LMP1: #1 Menezes/Nato/Senna Rebellion R13 Gibson
LMP2: #38 da Costa/Gonzalz/Davidson Oreca 07
LM GTE Pro: #51 Calado/Pier Guidi Ferrari 488 GTE
LM GTE Am: #90 Eastwood/Adam/Yoluc Aston Martin Vantage AMR
The next event on the calendar, will be double the length of the one we've just completed. It is the 8 Hours of Bahrain, at the Sakhir International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, coming up, in a month's time.
No comments:
Post a Comment