Round 2 of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship saw the series visit the historic Spa Francorchamps circuit deep in the Ardenne forests of Belgium. This was the last competitive race before the Le Mans 24 Hours in June.

There was a different look to the field with Audi fielding a third R18 etron quattro. This car was in full Le Mans ‘long tail’ aero trim. Both Porsche and Toyota chose to race both of their factory cars in low drag trim too, to better to prepare for next month’s Le Mans 24 Hours.

View at Eau Rouge during the FIA WEC 6 Hours of Spa

There was a new car on the grid in LMP1 too, as a pair of Rebellion Racing’s new Oreca designed and built R-One Toyota engined cars were here in extended test mode!

It was a tale throughout of the very different strengths of the main contenders; The Porsches blindingly fast in a straight line, over 20 km/h the difference through the speed traps between the polesetting Porsche and the slowest of the three Audis.

Through the more tight and technical second sector though the Audi dominated, grabbing back all the time lost in the first phase of the lap, and often more! Once again we were reminded that the rulebook has allowed some very different solutions, but ultimately remarkably comparable lap times.

In the race it was a contest of speed versus reliability and consistency.

Porsche were caught by Audi in the curves at Spa

Porsche lost a car from overall contention early on as the #20 car suffered a succession of suspension problems that left Mark Webber and co little to fight for.

The sister car looked set for a podium finish at worst until Romain Dumas slowed dramatically; the #14 car suffered electrical woes. The Frenchman though stayed calm, stayed out of the pits and, after several attempts to reboot the car’s systems had failed, finally found the solution, the delays on track though had cost the car over a lap and the car would finish just off the podium as a result.

Audi’s Le Mans trimmed car was curiously off the pace. But was the game here one of pace, or efficiency? Whilst the opposition were lapping very, very quickly, the #3 car was busily saving fuel, and that, when we get to France next month, might be a major plus!

As the Porsches stumbled it seemed that it might end up as a Toyota walkover, the new TS040 looking fast and reliable. As the temperature cooled though the Audis kept their race long pace, whilst the Toyotas, and the Porsches, struggled to maintain their previous dominance.

Toyota managed to hold off the Audi challenge

The #8 Toyota though, in the hands of Sebastien Buemi, who had led convincingly in the early running, Nicholas Lapierre and Anthony Davidson, by then had enough in hand to stave off the defending World Champions, the #1 Audi managed to keep the #7 car at bay, Alex Wurz complaining of oversteer in the car that eventually came home third.

Rebellion meanwhile were learning fast about their new cars, and whilst the #13 car suffered race long problems before the car was finally retired, the #12 car ran beautifully throughout, it lacked pace, with the team having had no chance to get even the most basic set-up work done before travelling to Spa, but it had a her faultless 6 hours – A huge boost to the privateers.

LMP2 saw Jota Sport join in the fun with a race to prepare for the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Jota Sport prepared for the Le Mans 2014 at Spa

The team though would not repeat their previous triumph in this fixture and had to settle for second place despite the pace of Marc Gene. Harry Tincknell meanwhile had a frustrating race debut in the car, bottled up behind Nick Heidfeld in the Rebellion he wasn’t able to pass the faster LMP1 on the straights but would have been far faster in the twisty stuff if the #12 had let him by.

SMP rebuilt their #37 car overnight after a practice shunt but both Russian entered Orecas faded. KCMG meanwhile were well in the hunt for the overall win until the car was hit by debris thrown up by a passing Toyota, the Oreca losing a front dive-plane and hampering the handling thereafter, a later puncture put the car behind the Jota car in the running.

SMP & G-Drive Racing battled in the LMP2 Class

Up front though, and eventually relatively unchallenged, was the sole Morgan chassised entry, the #26 G-Drive Racing car had enough in hand to see off the competition, Olivier Pla as fast as always, new boy Julien Canal proving a tough nut to crack too.

In the GT classes it seemed again to focus on balance of performance, little to choose on pace between the sextet of factory backed cars but the Aston Martins having to pit earlier because of their recently reduced fuel load.

AF Corse Ferrari finished ahead of Porsche at Spa

With an hour to go the whole class field was separated by less than 90 seconds, the only major delay hitting the #92 Porsche which suffered a power steering issue.

Whilst Bruno Senna and later Darren Turner pushed hard to get back on terms in the faster of the Astons the #51 Ferrari was pretty well untouchable, Gimmi Bruni and Toni Vilander as good a two man crew as you’ll find, whilst the #91 Porsche was able to deal with its AF Corse team mate in the battle for second.

Aston Martin’s performance was restricted at Spa

The GTE Am fight went the way of an AF Corse Ferrari too, the #61 car hitting the front midway through the race and staying there, the Marco Cioci/ Mirko Venturi and Luis Perez Companc crew able to fend off a pair of chasing Aston Martins.

The Vantages though were having their own battle as Christoffer Nygaard in the #98 looked to fend off the ever closer attentions of the #95 car. The pace of the Kiwi applied just the right level of pressure and as the two started the last lap of the race Nygaard had to pit for a splash of fuel, the #95 storming through for second, the sister car third.

The LMGTE Am battle was always close at Spa

Everyone now moves on to the big one. The Le Mans 24 Hours 2014.

Written by Graham Goodwin
Photos by Dailysportscar

For Le Mans tickets please call 0844 873 0203 or visit our Le Mans 24 Hours pages here.

Stephen Errity of lendurance.co.uk rounds up the all action from the second round of the World Endurance Championship at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and looks at the trends that have emerged from the race as we get ever-closer to Le Mans in June.

Audi debutante Marc Gene, along with 2012 newcomer Loic Duval and team stalwart Romain Dumas, drove their #3 Audi R18 Ultra TDI to victory in the second round of the World Endurance Championship at Spa-Francorchamps last weekend.

Much of the attention at the event was focused on the debut of Audi’s new hybrid ‘e-tron quattro’ car, but the R18 Ultra diesel was also running its first race, as it represents a significant revision of the 2011-model R18 that won in Sebring back in March.

Start of the FIA WEC Race at Spa

Heavy rainfall on race morning ensured the early stages of the six-hour race would be run on a wet track, but the expected race-long downpour did not materialise and the rapidly drying track proved crucial to the final outcome. Polesitter Tom Kristensen in the #2 hybrid Audi lost the lead to a fast-starting Andre Lotterer in the #1 sister car, which rose from third to lead a hybrid 1-2 by the end of the first hour.

But Lotterer and his fellow 2011 Le Mans winners Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fassler could only bring the hybrid R18 home in second on its debut, after the advantage of part-time four-wheel-drive in the wet gave way to the diesel R18’s superior pace on a dry track in the third hour. It was Gene, initially bringing up the rear of the Audi train in fourth place at the wheel of the #3 car, who had the foresight to maximise that advantage by changing to dry tyres before any of his team-mates.

Audi vs Audi at Spa

Sebring winners and Spa polesitters Kristensen, Allan McNish and Dindo Capello had a poor race. They were at a disadvantage from the first pitstops, when the car’s front bodywork had to be changed to fix a faulty headlight, but also looked to struggle even more than the #1 car’s drivers with the understeer that seems characteristic to the hybrid R18. This allowed Audi young guns Marco Bonanomi and Oliver Jarvis to overhaul them for the final podium position in the #4 diesel.

The result sets up a fascinating battle at Le Mans, as it seems the hybrid Audis do not enjoy the clear advantage over the diesel cars they were expected to have. Whether it’s a fundamental issue with the design of the car, or simply a matter of the hybrid crews needing to refine their set-up, remains to be seen – but La Sarthe should provide the answer.

Fans were robbed of the chance to get an idea of Toyota’s form ahead of the big race, as the Cologne-based team were forced to miss the Spa WEC round due to a testing crash that destroyed their one available chassis. But the rebuilt car has been testing this week at Magny Cours in France and Motorland Aragon in Spain. Word got around the paddock in Spa that Toyota are bullish about the sheer pace of their TS030 petrol hybrid car, but less confident in their ability to beat Audi over a full 24-hour race. Could we see a blisteringly fast pole position, a couple of hours in the lead, then an early retirement? Or will it be a steadier development run? Perhaps the magic of La Sarthe will be too much to opt for the sensible strategy and Toyota will really let its drivers off the leash…

Rebellion Racing at Spa FIA WEC

Elsewhere, Rebellion Racing’s fifth and sixth place overall – a clean sweep of the unofficial ‘petrol class’ – does not tell the full story of what was a very eventful Spa race for the Anglo-Swiss team, who were running the 2012 version of the Lola LMP1 coupe for the first time. The #13 entry, driven by Andrea Belicchi and Harold Primat, was the quicker of the two cars in the early stages, but a mix-up that saw them drive straight through the pitlane, when they had in fact been given a stop-go penalty for jumping the start, wiped out their advantage.

In the #12 car, Neel Jani initially fell back due to staying on wet tyres for too long after the track began to dry, before handing over to ex-F1 driver Nick Heidfeld. The German had an entertaining battle with his fellow former Grand Prix pilot Sebastien Bourdais in the Pescarolo-Dome, before third driver Nicolas Prost had a trouble-free run to the flag in his stint.

The aformentioned Pescarolo had looked like a challenger for fastest petrol when the track was drying out, but suffered electrical trouble in the closing stages that required a 30-minute stay in the garage to repair. Although this car was an undoubted fan favourite at Spa, and will be cheered at every corner by Henri Pescarolo’s army of green-clad fans at Le Mans, it seems that the Pescarolo team’s limited resources will once again stymie any efforts to challenge for best petrol, or indeed an overall podium. As manufacturer spending on advanced hybrid systems goes through the roof, could Henri have lost what slim chance he had of clinching his sought-after first Le Mans win as a team owner, to go with all his successes as a driver?

JRM Racing at Spa FIA WEC

The expected challenge from the HPD teams failed to materialise, with the exception of a very strong early stint from Danny Watts in the Strakka Racing car, which eventually finished seventh in the LMP1 class. The second HPD in the race had a more chequered afternoon, as Karun Chandhok spun the JRM Racing car while driving to the grid, putting them on the back foot all race. Solid recovery drives from veterans David Brabham and Peter Dumbreck got the car back into the class top 10 at the end of the race. Both Strakka and JRM will be hoping to be nearer the sharp end, mixing it with the Rebellions and maybe even a struggling Audi or two come Le Mans.

In LMP2, guest teams from the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), racing in the WEC at Spa after their championships’ second round at Zolder was cancelled, were right in the mix. The eventual class winners were Britons Sam Hancock and Simon Dolan in their Jota Sport Zytek Nissan. A 30-second stop/go penalty in the closing stages made their win less certain than it would otherwise have been, but a late splash-and-dash fuel stop demoted polesitters and long-time class leaders ADR-Delta to second.

Third in class went to Jota’s fellow ELMS team Murphy Prototypes, who also suffered a penalty during the race, but the pace and consistency of Kiwi hotshoe Brendon Hartley and experienced Brit Warren Hughes in particular kept them in the hunt right the way through. Fourth-place LMP2 finishers Bas Leinders and David Heinemeir Hanssen had run as high as second during the race in their Morgan-badged OAK car – testament to just how competitive the most closely-fought class of the day was. Company boss Charles Morgan was there to see the car fighting at the front, and he seems determined to make a big splash for the iconic British manufacturer at Le Mans.

Felbermayr Porshe at Spa FIA WEC

Even with a modest five-car field, the GT Pro class provided its customary entertainment at Spa. First, polesitter Fred Makowiecki spun the #59 Luxury Racing Ferrari 458 on the formation lap, setting himself up for an aggressive recovery drive that saw him fighting hard with the AF Corse 458 of Italian duo Gianmaria Bruni and Giancarlo Fisichella by the third hour.

But in the meantime, fourth-place qualifier Marc Lieb had used the Team Felbermayr Porsche 911’s superior traction in the wet to pull out an impressive lead before handing over to co-driver Richard Lietz for the second half of race. Yet the result would not be settled until the final corner, as the AF Corse Ferrari’s strategy meant it needed one fewer pit stop than the Porsche. There has now been a nail-biting, down-to-the-wire finish in this class at both the 12 Hours of Sebring and Six Hours of Spa – so fans should expect more of the same at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

British interest in this class at Le Mans will centre around the works Aston Martin team, back in GTs after a troubled foray into the prototype ranks last year. The team were on a roll after a very promising debut for the new V8 Vantage was cut short by a loose wheel in Sebring, and star driver Darren Turner fought his way into the class lead at Spa. But reliability problems struck again, and the car had to retire early with a gearbox problem. Can the niggles be fixed in time for La Sarthe so the Aston’s potential can be realised at the most important race of the season?

Ferrari battle at Spa FIA WEC

Like LMP2, the GT Amateur class at Spa was dominated by guest teams from the ELMS. The French IMSA Performance Matmut squad’s Porsche 911 led from start to finish as they got all-important mileage under their belt in preparation for Le Mans. Nicolas Armindo was particularly impressive in the wet first stint, but consistent mistake-free running from gentlemen drivers Raymond Narac and Anthony Pons was just as important to the overall victory.

Gianluca Roda, Christian Ried and Paolo Ruberti underlined the supremacy of the Porsche in damp conditons with second place in the #88 Felbermayr car, ahead of Matt Griffin, Marco Cioci and Piergiuseppe Perazzini, driving the first Ferrari home in this class in third place. Their AF Corse car is also an ELMS entry, and the full-season WEC teams in the class, such as Larbre Competition (Chevrolet Corvette) and the American Waltrip and Krohn Ferrari outfits, will be looking to get back on terms at Le Mans.

Despite the changeable conditions and challenging track, the Spa WEC race was free of major incidents – with one exception: Phillipe Haezebrouck crashed the #43 Extreme Limite Norma-Judd heavily at Eau Rouge, bringing the safety car out for several laps. The car was badly damaged and must now be considered doubtful for Le Mans 24, opening up the possibility that the #32 Lotus LMP2 car that raced at Spa will be moved up from its place on the reserve list.

IMSA Performance Matmut at Spa FIA WEC

Overall, Spa gives us lots to look forward to at Le Mans: a fascinating intra-team battle at Audi as established and new driver lineups and diesel and hybrid cars jostle for supremacy, the unknown quantity of Toyota, a high-quality petrol LMP1 field that will fight hard right behind the Audis, an extremely competitive LMP2 category with at least six cars in contention for the class win – not to mention the fan-pleasing, too-close-to-call racing of the GT classes that we’ve all come to love over the past few years. Yes, the overall winner come Sunday will in all likelihood be an Audi, but most of the other positions down the field are anything but a foregone conclusion.

Interested in coming to Le Mans this June? We have a last few places available in our private campsite at the Porsche Curves. Call us now on 0844 873 0203 for more information.

All photos courtesy of Jake Yorath at l’Endurance.

Britain’s triple Le Mans 24 Hour race winner bows out on top after ultra-successful 32-year motorsport career

Allan -Mc Nish -1

Britain’s Allan McNish will not defend his world sportscar title or bid for a fourth Le Mans 24 Hour race victory next year after deciding to conclude his sports-prototype racing career.

Triple Le Mans 24 Hour race winner McNish won the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship after scoring three wins, three second and one third placing in the eight race series in his hybrid-diesel Audi.

Dumfries-born McNish steps down from a race driving role with Audi Sport with immediate effect but will comprehensively assist the “factory” team that has won Le Mans 12 times since 1999 in various roles next year.

“I’ve had fantastically successful time with Audi and feel it’s the right time to step back from Le Mans sports-prototype racing and to look at other opportunities,” commented McNish. “As a racing driver it’s important to stop [racing] at the right time when I’m still fast and capable of doing the job and the timing feels right after winning Le Mans for a third time this year and claiming the World title.

“This year especially was mega successful, teaming up with Loïc (Duval) for the first time and obviously with long-time co-driver Tom (Kristensen). We’ve ticked all of the boxes and I ticked my personal ones too but now the time is right to hand over to the young guys. “I’ve won the championships and races I wanted to win and frankly there’s no better way to end my Audi sportscar race career than going out as a World Champion.

“My fellow Scot and mentor Jackie Stewart knew when to get into things but also knew when to get out and he has taught me that lesson.” McNish has contested 89 races since making his Audi sportscar debut in 2000 scoring 66 top-three “podiums” – including 29 outright race wins – for “factory” or “customer” Audi teams that also netted three American Le Mans Series titles.

WEC-Champions -2013

“We appreciate and respect Allan’s decision to retire at the pinnacle of his career,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “At the same time, this is a parting that is particularly difficult for us. All of us are well aware of Allan’s racing successes. “We should not forget, though, how valuable he has been in the development of our race cars, how great a team player he has always been and how he has consistently applied himself to achieve Audi’s aims far beyond motorsport with professionalism, loyalty and commitment. We regret that Allan will no longer be contesting any races for us but are happy that he will continue to be associated with Audi Sport and the Audi brand.”

Heralded as the world’s greatest sportscar driver in recent years, Monaco-based McNish won the Le Mans 24 Hour races in 1998, 2008 and this year – scoring a further six top-three “podiums” in his 14 attempts in the legendary French “marathon”. He won the North American-based ALMS sportscar endurance title in 2000 – his debut season with Audi – and again in 2006 & ‘07. Other notable victories include four wins in both the Sebring 12 Hours and Petit Le Mans races plus second place in the Daytona 24 Hours on three occasions.

Allan continued: “I joined Audi in 2000 and immediately found that we each worked in the same way: you either won or lost. If we lost, then we solved the problem. “Over the years I won three American Le Mans Series titles, four race wins at Sebring and at Petit Le Mans, scored two wins of my three Le Mans wins with Audi and have now won the World title. “My success is not just down to me but comes as a result of a huge effort by Audi Sport who gave me the tools and my co-drivers to do the job right.

“There are some great new drivers coming through and they need an opportunity just like I did. I’m looking forward to being part of Audi Sport in the future to ensure that these young drivers have the same level of fun and success that I have enjoyed over the years. I celebrate my 44th birthday later this month and I’ve only ever been involved in racing to win. Winning is the sole reason I went racing and the investment of time, energy, mental and physical attention plus the sacrifices for my family can now be adjusted.”

Allan’s 33-year motor racing career has netted almost 80 wins – over 125 top-three “podiums” – and began in karting, winning three British and six Scottish championship titles between 1982-86, finishing third in the World Championship in 1985. He won the 1988 Formula Vauxhall Lotus Championship and finished second in the 1989 British Formula Three Championship by a mere three points.

In Formula One, Allan had testing contracts with McLaren and Benetton (1990-96), Toyota (2000-02) – including a full F1 World Championship race season in 2002 – and Renault (2003).

McNish is a former winner of the Royal Automobile Club’s Segrave and Tourist Trophies while other awards include the British Racing Drivers’ Club’s ACO Plate (seven times), BRDC Silverstone-Le Mans Challenge (twice), Scottish Motor Racing Club’s Callands Trophy (twice), SMRC William Lyons Trophy (five times), SMRC John Romanes “Swift” Trophy (twice), SMRC Stewart Medal and SMRC Ecurie Ecosse “Hub Cap”. Allan, who celebrates his 44th birthday later this month (29 Dec), has been Honorary President of the Scottish Motor Racing Club since December 2007.

Everyone at Travel Destinations & the Radio Le Mans Travel Club would like to thank Allan for all the enjoyment that he has given us at Le Mans.

All but the most hardened Audi fans were pleased to see a first race win of the season for Toyota in Bahrain this weekend. In an attritional race that saw only 2 LMP1 cars reach the finish line, the No. 8 TS030 Toyota claimed the win with Ant Davidson, Stephane Sarrazin & Sebastien Buemi bringing their car home ahead of the Audi No. 1 car with Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fassler completing the class field. Engine failures and drive train issues saw early ends for the other Toyota and Audi cars as well as the usually reliable Rebellion Racing team. Despite the No. 2 Audi being retired before the halfway point in this race, they were still crowned World Endurance Champions for 2013 and will claim the No 1 car for 2014.

FIA WEC 6 Hours of Bahrain 5

In LMP2 the Bahrain race win went to G-Drive Racing’s No. 26 Oreca Nissan. This was their fourth win of an impressive season. However, a second place finish in Bahrain for the No. 24 Oak Racing Morgan Nissan of Pla, Brundle and Heinemeier-Hansson was enough to give the well prepared French team the LMP2 teams title. The No. 35 Oak Racing car drove a conservative race on this occasion, but they knew fourth place here would be enough to claim the LMP2 world driver’s title for Plowman, Baguette and Gonzalez to add to their success at Le Mans.

FIA WEC 6 Hours of Bahrain 2

There was further late drama in the GTE Pro class in Bahrain. A final hour retirement for the unfortunate No. 99 Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage enabled the No. 51 AF Corse F458 Italia Ferrari to retain the LMGTE Pro manufacturers and drivers titles for 2014. The 2014 season has seen wins for Porsche & Aston Martin at various times throughout the year (including Porsche’s win at Le Mans) but the consistency of the AF Corse team & Gianmaria Bruni eventually enabled them to retain their titles.

FIA WEC 6 Hours of Bahrain 3

There was a Bahrain race win for Aston Martin in the GTE AM class. A first win of the year in fact for the No. 95 car of Nygaard, Poulsen and Thiim that had previously retired from the lead on 3 different occasions. The 2014 season driver’s title also went to an Aston Martin crew, this time for Stuart Hall and Jamie Campbell-Walter who have had a memorable year. Second in GTE AM at Bahrain was the bright orange Ferrari of 8Star Motorsport. This result was enough to give the LMGTE Am team’s title to the American team after claiming an impressive 5 podiums and a 100% finishing record in the FIA WEC this year.

FIA WEC 6 Hours of Bahrain 1

So with the FIA World Endurance Championship for 2013 concluded, thoughts and plans for teams, drivers and race fans turn to the 2014 season, where rules and regulations changes mean new cars for Audi and Toyota and new challenges in the form of Porsche returning to the LMP1 class.

FIA WEC 6 Hours of Bahrain 4

Report: Richard Webb
Photos: Dailysportscar.com

Three weeks on from the deluge that curtailed the race in Japan, the FIA World Endurance Championship moved on to China for the 6 Hours of Shanghai last weekend for what turned out to be an exciting race. Nearly 30,000 Chinese race fans added to the atmosphere during the race that proved to be significant in the 2013 championship.

2013-Shanghai -start -straigh

The eventual winning car was the No. 1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro with Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer & Marcel Fassler at the wheel, but it had looked like the No. 7 Toyota was going to take the race, but they eventually finished 15 seconds back in second place. Significantly third place was taken by the No. 2 Audi of Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Loic Duval giving them an unassailable lead in the FIA World Endurance Drivers Championship.

2013-Shanghai -Champions

The No. 7 Toyota TS030 Hybrid started the race from pole and set the early pace, but eventually allowed the No. 8 sister car with a flying Anthony Davidson behind the wheel to lead from the front. The 2 Toyotas then continued to dominate the rival Audis for the fast half of the race. In fact it was on 90 minutes from the end of the race when the momentum changed.

2013-Shanghai -start

First the No. 8 Toyota was forced to retire after suffering from a suspension failure whilst at the front. The No. 7 Toyota was then leading going in to the final hour. Critically though, the Toyota had to stop for fuel. After a “splash and dash” the Toyota did manage to emerge from the pit lane ahead the No. 1 Audi, but they were now on older tyres. The No. 1 Audi was finally able to make a pass as Alex Wurz in the Toyota struggled for grip and couldn’t defend his lead. It was a pass that ultimately gave the No. 1 Audi victory. Behind the 3 factory cars the No. 12 Rebellion Racing Lola Toyota once again proved reliable and came home in fourth overall.

G-Drive Racing (Oreca 03 Nissan) took their win tally to three in the LMP2 class this year. They finished ahead of the No. 24 Oak Racing Morgan Nissan after a close battle. The No. 35 Oak Racing car finished third retaining the lead for drivers Baguette, Plowman & Gonzalez in the Drivers and Teams Championship points table (ahead of their sister car). Elsewhere in the class the No. 49 Pecom Racing team suffered from electrical problems, which meant a long stay in the pits and eventual retirement. The No.31 Lotus also retired from the LMP2 field following damage sustained in a collision out on track.

2013-Shanghai -Oak -Racing

In the GTE-Pro class Aston Martin Racing claimed an impressive 1-2 with Darren Turner and Stefan Mucke bringing home the No. 97 car from pole position. The win also gives them the lead in the GT drivers championship. The second placed No. 99 Aston Martin Vantage was only 0.6 seconds behind its sister car as they crossed the line, helping Aston Martin Racing to top spot in the GT manufacturers championship. The No. 91 Porsche finished third after they inherited the position from the No. 71 AF Corse Ferrari which suffered brake issues late in the race.

2013-Shanghai -8-Star

As usual there was plenty of action in the GTE-Am category in Shanghai. All looked good for the No.95 Aston Martin in the first half of the race, before electrical issues ended their race. The baton was picked up by the No. 81 8 StarMotorsports Ferrari with 2 hours to go and continued on to win a whole lap ahead of the rest of the field. The No. 76 IMSA Matmut Porsche took the second step on the podium edging out the other Aston Martin (No. 96). The result means that the Aston Martin crew of Cambpell-Walter, Hall and Adam retain their lead in the GTE Am Drivers and teams championship table.

2013-Shanghai -IMSA-porsche

A serious fuel rig fire in the pit lane looked to be disastrous for the No. 50 Larbre Competition team as their Corvette and pit crew were engulfed in flames. Quick action by the team & their neighbours meant that the fire was quickly extinguished and although a medical team was called no further action was deemed necessary. This was a big thumbs up for the safety requirements maintained in the FIA WEC.

So there is still much to play for in the FIA World Endurance Championship as the 2014 season moves on the final round in Bahrain at the end of the month.

Words: Richard Webb
Photos: Dailysportscar.com

The Le Mans 24 Hours is now just 3 weeks away. Are you getting excited? We continue our countdown to the big day with the last in our alphabet preview “What’s new in Sportscar Racing 2013” with Graham Goodwin fromDailysportscar.com

T is for Toyota 
A big name team, with big facilities available and big expectations of success as they shed their “development year” tag from 2012 and embark on a full season with a two car attack. Their new car is less compromised, more easily serviceable (an essential part of modern endurance racing) and should be both faster and more reliable. 

There has been controversy however over the equivalence between petrol and diesel fuelled racers once again. After the Spa 6 Hours where the new TS030 made its debut, Toyota made it clear that the current position is that the Audi diesel had much, much more power than they could squeeze out of their petrol fuelled machine.  It could be that the outcome of that debate, as much as the cars inherent speed and reliability, defines the season to come.

T is for Talent
Whether it is young talent, with Alex Brundle, Oliver Turvey and Brendon Hartley in the vanguard, or those moving from other disciplines with ex F1 and Indycar drivers arriving in numbers in endurance racing, there have been plenty of new boys to follow over the past couple of seasons, and that’s a trend that looks set to continue.

And it isn’t just in LMP1 either, both LMP2 and GTE are now seen by many who would previously have dismissed sportscars as a viable, accessible and credible career path – So who is next?

U is for United Sportscar Racing Championship
The US RC is one that’s new for 2014 rather than 2013 but it presents plenty of questions for both the American Le Mans Series and the Grand-Am grids as the powers that be decide which races, which tracks and which cars will race in North America next season. 

Will we see Daytona Prototypes at Le Mans in 2014 or 2015? Time will tell, but the fact that the USRC prime mover Jim France is going to start the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours seems to indicate that talks are well underway.

V is for Viper 
The snake is back! Two evolutions ago the Chrysler Viper utterly dominated GT racing, the big V10 engined coupe won race after race, Championship after Championship on both sides of the Atlantic. Now the brand is SRT but the basic concept is unchanged, big engine, big power, an American muscle car with some very European dynamics added to the mix.

After a learning year in 2012 the cars have found their footing and will contest not only the ALMS but also the Le Mans 24 Hours – the prospects for some high decibel wheel to wheel drag races down the Hunaudieres with their deadly rivals at Corvette are high! If you are camping at the circuit you are sure to know when the Vipers are on track.

W is for World Champions
Drivers love to win races but Championships are special too and the prospect of being able to add ‘World ‘Champion’ to a racing CV has more than a minor motivational factor for many. 

Certainly the battle at the sharp end in both LMP1 and GTE Pro thus far in the World Endurance Championship seems to indicate that we can expect the FIA WEC to be a dogfight from beginning to end! Bring it on!

X is for X Factor 
That indefinable something that makes the very best just that little bit better. Approachable in person, near untouchable on track.  

The fans know who these drivers are, and happily there are more and more of them, chatting easily in the paddock or at autograph sessions but then getting on track and doing things with a racing car that we mere mortals can barely comprehend!

Y is for Youngsters
Whether it is the younger drivers coming up through the GT ranks or prototype classes, or the single seater hopefuls finding that there is more to global Motorsport than F1, there has been a real influx of racing youth to sportscars of late. 

The good news is that they are all looking to impress, and all may learn the hard way that this means bringing a car home in good shape both for your team-mates and for the race result. There will be thrills, spills, mistakes and glory – Stand back from the fences!

Z is for Z4 GTE 
Sadly we won’t see this newest addition to the ranks of GTE racers in Europe this season. Not even at Le Mans which is a shame. Those lucky enough to attend the FIA WEC race at the Circuit of the Americas in August though will get the opportunity to see the GT3 derived cars in action in Saturday’s American Le Mans Series race. 

Will we be writing in 12 months time here that BMW are back on the world stage? Well, watch this space.

There is certainly a lot to look forward to in sportscar racing this year and next. The best place to see it all will be trackside with Travel Destinations.

Graham Goodwin
Dailysportscar.com