Your basket is currently empty!
Tag: Le Mans
-
Marc Marquez equals Casey Stoner as Valentino Rossi gets back on the podium
Marc Marquez….in a class of his own at Le Mans. Photo: Honda Racing Le Mans, 20 May 2018: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) took a record breaking victory at the HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France here on Sunday, which sees the reigning World Champion equal Casey Stoner’s 38 premier class wins, while also surpassing Mike Hailwood’s win record. Alma Pramac Racing’s Danilo Petrucci was a superb second to take his first podium of the season, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) returning to rostrum in third place.
The French fairytale was unfortunately not to be for Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) as the home hero crashed out at Turn 8, on lap eight, after re-passing Marquez for second. Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was another rider to crash, falling out of contention on lap one at la Chapelle after making a good start.
Danilo Petrucci. Photo: Prama Racing Then, Championship contender Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) made a rare error at the same corner four laps later. The number 04 had just passed teammate Jorge Lorenzo – who once again got a magnificent start – for the lead, with the Ducati man leaving with no points for the second consecutive race. All three were ok, but it proved to be another pivotal race in the Championship.
Meanwhile, Lorenzo held firm at the front, Marquez was close for company with Petrucci, Rossi and Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) chasing them both. On lap 10 though, the number 93 made his move on Lorezno, before Petrucci followed the Honda rider through a lap later. Rossi and Miller soon carved their way past the five-time World Champion with Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) waiting in the wings.
Valentino Rossi….yet another podium. Photo: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP The gap between Marquez, Petrucci, Rossi and Miller stayed consistent, with all four exchanging quickest laps. That was until the six-time World Champion pulled the pin on lap 16, setting the fastest lap of the race to bridge to gap to a second over the chasing GP18. From there, Marquez was able to stretch the gap tenth by tenth, with Petrucci also keeping the nine-time World Champion Rossi at bay. Pedrosa was later able to pass Lorenzo for fifth, with the Ducati rider having to settle for sixth.
Further down the order, after failing to get the start he was looking for, last year’s winner Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) made his way back up to seventh after being outside the top ten for the first half of the race. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) had a great ride, holding onto eighth until the last lap to earn his best result of the season. Passing him on the last lap was walking wounded Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), who had a magnificent ride battling to P8 from 13th on the grid.
It was a quiet but important race for Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) after three DNF’s this season, the Spaniard battled with Viñales and Espargaro throughout the race, eventually rounding out the top ten. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) picked up another solid result in P11, with Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) eventually getting the better of Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) to finish as top rookie.
Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team) and Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) were both early fallers, with Scott Redding (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) also crashing out – riders ok.
In the end, there was no stopping Marquez as he claimed his third successive victory on a track that he hasn’t won at since 2014. The Spaniard extends his Championship lead to 36 points, with Mugello up next.
Arenas victorious in drama filled Moto3™ race
Albert Arenas (Angel Nieto Team Moto3) claimed his first lightweight class win in a spectacular Moto3™ race. Team-mate Andrea Migno claimed second to make it a perfect day for the Angel Nieto Team, with Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai) standing on the third step of the podium for the second race in a row.
Albert Arenas. Photo – Angel Nieto Team And that’s just the start, with all the drama coming in the final laps of the race. One of the biggest headlines was Championship leaders Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PrustelGP) and Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3), the two leaders for most of the race, crashing with just one corner to go. Bezzecchi, after passed by Fabio Di Giannanotonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3), highsided trying to cut back through on his compatriot. Martin, right behind Bezzecchi in third, had nowhere to go and the Spaniard crashed out of a podium position. That’s not all. Di Giannantonio went on take the checkered flag with the Italian elated to have claimed what he thought was his first ever Moto3™ race win. However, a three-second time penalty for running over the chicane at Turns 10 and 11 midway through the race took that victory away from him, handing Arenas the race win.
Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) thought he had claimed his first podium of the season. However, the Italian was also penalised for running straight over the first chicane. This promoted Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai), who crossed the line in P5, to third, the second consecutive race the Spaniard stands on the podium after crossing the line outside the top three. Di Giannantonio was demoted to fourth, leaving him second in the World Championship, with Antonelli finishing fifth after his penalty.
Franceso Bagnaia reigns supreme in Moto2™
Sky Racing Team VR46 rider Franceso Bagnaia was simply unstoppable in the Moto2™ race, converting pole position into a commanding victory to take his third win of 2018 – the first winner from pole in Moto2™ at the venue. Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was the Italian’s closest challenger in second, with teammate 2017 Moto3™ World Champion Joan Mir securing his maiden intermediate class podium, crossing the line third.
-
Johann Zarco’s territory: Frenchman takes pole position at Le Mans
Johann Zarco….an inspired qualifying run at Le Mans. Photo: Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Le Mans, May 19: Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) stormed to an outstanding pole position at the HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France, smashing the circuit lap record to become the first Frenchman to secure pole on home soil since Christian Sarron at Paul Ricard in 1988.
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez threatened to spoil the party on his final lap, but it wasn’t enough. The World Championship leader starts P2. Q1 graduate Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) will start tomorrow’s race third on the grid, a great session for the Italian.
Zarco, straight out the blocks in Q2, didn’t disappoint. He topped the timesheets after his first flying lap. However, Marquez, as ever, was quick to reply. The reigning World Champion wasn’t at the summit for long though, as Petrucci put in his fastest lap of the weekend to go provisional P1. Zarco, on the final lap of his first run, sent a warning sign, going 0.330 seconds quicker than anyone else.
Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) briefly led the session when the riders came back out for their second runs, but Marquez then reset the benchmark, with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) leaping up to second. Zarco though wasn’t done, again going quickest, this time by 0.130. Marquez’ efforts on his final lap sent French nerves into overdrive, but Zarco held on.
Iannone starts from P4 on his Suzuki, his time of 1:31.454 was less than a tenth off the front row. The Italian heads the two factory Ducatis of Andrea Dovizioso, who will start fifth, and Lorenzo in sixth, both of whom look to have very strong race pace.
Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) was impressive once again in P7. He was in the mix throughout the session, making it four Ducatis in the top seven on a track the manufacturer has never won. Maverick Viñales and his Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team-mate Valentino Rossi will have work to do from P8 and P9 on the grid respectively. The two will be disappointed to be over half a second behind fellow-Yamaha rider Zarco.
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), who came through Q1, will start from 10th on Sunday. He is joined by Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) who was a slender 0.025 behind compatriot and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro. The number 41 crashed at Turn 1 on his opening run – he was ok and ran back to the pits.
The top 11 riders are covered by eight tents, and it looks set to be a classic.
Franceso Bagnaia unbeatable in Moto2™ qualifying
Franceso Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) will start tomorrow’s Moto2™ race from pole for the first time in his Moto2™ career, setting a new circuit lap record along the way. Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP), who crashed on his final run, will start second on the grid, 0.202 behind, with Jerez winner Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) earning his fourth front row start of the year in P3.
Vierge was the early pace setter in the session, setting a lap record after just five minutes. Bagnaia, though, was right on his tail, and sure enough, the Italian moved the goal posts to set 1:36.188 on the following lap. Neither of the top two would go on to improve their times.
Jorge Martin snatches late pole in Moto3™
For the third time in 2018, Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) will start the Moto3™ race from pole position after putting in a magnificent final run to take top spot at the HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France. Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PrustelGP) continued his great weekend, leaping up the timesheets at the end of the session to start from P2 on his 150th Grand Prix start. After a heavy fall at the start of the session, walking wounded Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) put in a valiant effort to start from third in Sunday’s race.
-
Dovi celebrates fresh Ducati contract by topping FP time sheets
Andrea Dovizioso marks a fresh two-year contract with Ducati with hot pace in FP. Photo: Ducati Le Mans, 18 May 2018: Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), fresh from signing a new contract with the Bologna factory, was the quickest man on the opening day at the HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France, here on Friday, setting a new circuit record with a 1:31.936 – the only rider to delve into the 1:31’s.
FP1 and World Championship leader Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) ended the day in second, 0.168 behind, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a further 0.075 seconds back on board his M1, the ‘Doctor’ ended the day P3 overall.
Despite track temperatures rising from 19 degrees to over 40 degrees between FP1 and FP2, there were a whole host of crashes early in the session. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Scott Redding (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), LCR Honda Idemitsu rider Takaaki Nakagami and Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) all fell, riders ok.
Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) ended the day fourth overall, the Spaniard was third in FP1, but left it late to jump up into the top five in FP2. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was fifth in front of his home crowd, with the Frenchman was also fifth in FP1, confirming his solid pace in Le Mans.
Alma Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller was sixth on the combined Free Practice timesheets, the Australian was in and around the top eight throughout FP2 and looks good for an automatic Q2 spot after ending FP1 in P12. Espargaro had a good showing on KTM, despite his early crash. He ended the day seventh quickest, building on his P10 in FP1.
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), sporting a new aerodynamic fairing in FP2, jumped up to eighth on his final lap to grab a provisional Q2 spot. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) impressed again to finish ninth in FP2, getting himself into the top ten after ending the morning session in P14. Rounding out the top ten was Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team), the Spaniard finished eighth this morning, dropping two positions in the afternoon.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), who was inside the top three for most of the session, crashed on his final run to end the day outside the top ten in P11, after a flurry of quick times from the riders on fresh rubber – rider ok.
With less than a second covering the top 16, the battle to make it into Q2 should be very interesting on Saturday.
Marcel Schrötter quickest in Moto2
Marcel Schroetter on a charge. Photo: marcel-schroetter.de Despite suffering from shoulder ligament damage, Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) topped the Moto2™ combined Free Practice timesheets on Friday. The German was 0.081 seconds ahead of World Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) who was second overall despite a big crash in FP1, with Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) third overall and just 0.093 behind Schrӧtter’s fastest time. The Spaniard also crashed at the final corner late in FP2 – rider ok.
Despite conditions seemingly more suited to setting quicker lap times this afternoon, both Schrӧtter and Marquez failed to improve on their FP1 times, with Bagnaia going over half a second quicker in FP2 to top the session. Just behind his teammate in fourth on the combined times was rookie sensation and reigning Moto3™ World Champion Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), who finished FP2 in second.
Jerez winner Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) and teammate Hector Barbera both crashed in FP2, with the Italian finishing the day just outside the top ten in P11 – slipping five places from his FP1 position.
Niccolo Antonelli takes charge in Moto3
Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), who was 20th in FP1, was the rider to beat on the opening day, setting his quickest time of FP2 with two minutes to go. Despite a late crash in the session at Turn 11, second quickest in the lightweight class was Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia), with Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) rounding out the top three.
After a chilly morning in northern France, track temperatures were up and the lap times for most of the grid tumbled. Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team) cemented P4 in the afternoon, improving his time but not improving his position, with World Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PrustelGP) in fifth, jumping up one position in FP2.
Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0), who’ll start from the back of the grid on Sunday, was sixth quickest on the combined timesheets, improving his time on his final run of the day after finishing this morning’s session down in P15. Del Conca Gresini Moto3 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio was back on track after his big off this morning, the Italian ended P7 – importing track time for Giannantonio after completing just six laps in FP1.
-
The level is very high, and everyone is very close: Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi….hoping for a strong performance at Le Mans. Photo: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Le Mans, 17 May 2018: Prior to the action getting underway at the HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) spoke about how close this year’s World Championship is in the pre-event Press Conference. The Italian was joined by Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), home hero Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini).
The ‘Doctor’ comes to Le Mans in “a difficult moment” on board his M1. However, history points towards him and his Movistar Yamaha team having a successful weekend. The competition for the podium this year is incredibly tough though, something the nine-time World Champion is very aware of. “The level is very high and everyone is very close,” said Rossi. “Even to be in the top five you need performance that is comparable to the victory.”
Why then is the competition so tight this year? One reason could be Honda improving their package, especially when it comes to the acceleration of the RC213V – a point Marquez makes in the Press Conference. “Last year, our weak point was acceleration and we were losing too much, trying to recover in the corners,” explained the World Championship leader. “But this year we’ve improved that a lot. I hope the general weekend will be different this year. But Yamaha will be strong, and Johann will have extra motivation…and Ducati. And Suzuki, everything is very close.”
There’s no hiding how successful Suzuki’s start to 2018 has been, picking up three podiums from the opening four rounds. Iannone, who is searching for his third consecutive podium this weekend, explains he and the Hamamatsu factory arrive in Le Mans in completely different shape compared to 2017. “We arrive from a good period for us, this year we’ve started in a good way and from Austin on I think we’ve improved in every practice, the feeling, the results and everything,” said the Italian. “Last year, this track was difficult for us, but this year, we arrive in a completely different situation, the bike has improved a lot in the winter.”
One name that no one will be discounting this weekend is Zarco. The Frenchman will have “extra motivation” in front of his home fans, and is dreaming of his first premier class victory. “I keep dreaming about victory. It’s a good track for me and last year, the Yamaha was working so well. Our bike is similar to last year, so I just need to make it work and do everything perfectly.”
Source: motogp.com
-
French GP: Johann Zarco’s opportunity to score a win on Home turf
Johann Zarco. Photo: Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Le Mans, 15 May 2018: Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) has been incredibly close to his first premier class win a number of times, and now it’s time to return to the Frenchman’s home turf as MotoGP™ heads for the classic Bugatti circuit at Le Mans this weekend. Steeped in history and having hosted some memorable battles, the HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France will surely be another showstopper.
As we head north, there are still shockwaves going through the title fight after the three-rider incident that saw Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) and Ducati team-mates Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo collide. As well as eventual Jerez winner Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) taking home 25 points as those three scored zero, Zarco then went past and took second place and 20 points – moving him up to second overall at the head of the pack chasing Marquez.
Rossi. Photo: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP If that wasn’t enough, Le Mans was also the stage for Zarco’s first premier class podium after coming home second last season as a rookie. That was behind the battle royal at the front between Movistar Yamaha MotoGP teammates Valentino Rossi and eventual victor Maverick Viñales, with Le Mans often suiting the M1 and the two in a league of their own. After a tougher start to the season this year, both will be aiming to repeat their 2017 feats, although Rossi would like to write a different ending.
Marc Marquez. Photo: Honda Racing For those in the Jerez incident, a different ending to their front-running pace is exactly the ticket. Pedrosa won at the venue in 2013 and he will be stronger once again as he recovers from his broken wrist, and Dovizioso hailed big steps forward in pace found in Jerez, even saying their competitors should start getting a little nervous.
Lorenzo, too, made a huge leap forward, leading more than half the Spanish GP and some updates making a difference for the ‘Spartan’. He has also won at the track five times in the premier class, including by two huge margins: 17.7 seconds in mixed conditions in 2009, and 10.6 seconds in 2015 in the dry. For the Majorcan, it’s a good place for the paddock to return to.
STIFF COMPETITION
Cal Crutchlow. Photo: LCR Honda Castrol There is a lot of competition this season, however. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) will be gunning for the front after a crash in Jerez despite starting on pole, and Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) and team-mate Jack Miller are doing much more than making up the numbers in the front fight. And what about Team Suzuki Ecstar? Alex Rins crashed out in Spain despite showing great pace, but Andrea Iannone took his second podium in a row for the first time in his career, making it three rostrums in a row for Suzuki for the first time in a decade. The Hamamatsu factory is on a roll.
In Jerez, that was also true for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. The Austrian factory fielded test rider Mika Kallio as a wildcard in Jerez on an early 2019 version of the RC16 and the results were impressive. Although that won’t be rolled out just yet, Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith both showed big progress in Andalucia back on more familiar ground – could another top ten be on the cards?
Source: motogp.com
-
Bagnaia, Baldassarri lead the troops to France; Italians set for close battle
Lorenzo Baldassarri action. Photo: Twitter Le Mans, 15 May 2018: Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) was in unstoppable form at the Circuito de Jerez, closing the gap between him and Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) to just nine points, with the gap between the top three in the standings just ten points. Will it be the two Italians battling it out at Le Mans in the Moto3™ race?
Turn the clocks back to almost a year ago, and it was another Italian, Franco Morbidelli, who took victory on French soil. However, Bagnaia was his closest challenger on that day, in only his fifth Moto2™ start – a track it seems the future Alma Pramac Racing rider gets on well with.
Baldassarri will have something to say about it though, especially if he can carry his blistering Spanish form into northern France. Although Le Mans is a track the 21-year-old has yet to score points at in the intermediate class, like he’s said himself after his Jerez win, Baldassarri has grown this year and with a victory already under his belt, confidence on his side of the garage will be sky high.
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had a great weekend in Jerez – in more ways than one – as he looks to mount a serious title challenge this year. The Portuguese rider put pen to paper on a KTM Tech 3 MotoGP™ deal for 2019, while on track Oliveira crossed the line second after starting P14 on the grid. Is a fourth podium of the year – and a first win – on the cards for Oliveira at Le Mans?
It’s not just the three Championship leaders who will have a say in France though. Argentina winner Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team), who lies fourth in the overall standings, was fifth at Le Mans last year. Meanwhile, Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) will need to bounce back after his Jerez crash. He finished just off podium at Le Mans last year in fourth, but could it be at least one better in 2018?
Risk vs reward in Moto3™
Jorge Martin. Photo: jorgemartin88.net After three of the biggest names expected to contend for this year’s crown scored a 0 last time out, Aron Canet (EG 0,0), Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) and Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) will all be out for points and glory at Le Mans. And the man who now finds himself in the driving seat and was once again a dark horse at the front in Jerez? Argentina GP winner Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP).
Like on the last lap of the Spanish GP when the Italian said he stayed sensible thinking of the points, Bezzecchi is now in a position to do that again as others jostle to get back on the podium or the top step. But equally, the VR46 Academy rider knows he has the advantage – and with it, less pressure.
For Canet, of course, the fight back towards the front will be much more difficult – with the EG 0,0 rider now starting from the back of the grid as a penalty following the Jerez pile up. Will he keep his cool and fight through like those before him have done in the lightweight class? Or will the risk vs reward ratio be much harder to judge? For Martin and Bastianini, on the other hand, the goal will be simple: win. One of their key title rivals is racing from the back and the opportunity to score is a big one.
Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing) is the man who took that opportunity last time out, with a perfect ride under pressure to take his first ever GP win. That, too, could play a role – with his confidence sure to be sky high. That’s also true of rookie Alonso Lopez (EG 0,0) who, despite a late penalty of dropping one position due to exceeding track limits, crossed the line in third. Le Mans is another track he knows well from the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3™ Junior World Championship.
Source: motogp.com
-
Toyota Gazoo Racing confirms Alonso for Le Mans 24 Hours and Endurance Worlds
Alonso image courtesy Toyota Gazoo Racing team TOYOTA GAZOO Racing confirmed the name of Formula One double champion Fernando Alonso in the line-up as it announced its drivers for the 2018-19 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season on Tuesday.
The team has officially submitted its entry to the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and will participate in all eight rounds of the 2018-19 season with two hybrid-powered race cars as it targets victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours and the WEC World Championships.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will again utilise its 1,000hp TS050 HYBRID car, which won five of nine races in 2017. Development of hybrid technology remains an integral element of TOYOTA’s participation in endurance racing as part of the company’s commitment to making ever-better road cars.
The driver line-ups for the two TS050 HYBRIDs are now confirmed, with the #7 car competing with an unchanged line-up of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and José María López.
The #8 TS050 HYBRID features a revised driver line-up, with Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima joined by two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso.
Fernando, 36, will make his LMP1 race debut at Spa-Francorchamps in May and will compete in all rounds of the 2018-19 season which do not conflict with his existing Formula 1 obligations.
Anthony Davidson, who won five races in 2017 alongside Sébastien and Kazuki, will remain an important member of the team, bringing his World Championship-winning experience to a new role as Reserve and Development Driver.
Two-time Le Mans winner Alex Wurz will continue as Team Advisor and Ambassador having made a significant contribution since taking the position in 2016.
Akio Toyoda（President, TOYOTA Motor Corporation）
“I am looking forward to seeing how much TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will grow when our drivers and all team members take what they have learned thus far in endurance racing and add to it what they will gain from Fernando’s experience. The entire team is excited about this opportunity for growth. Through the challenge of WEC endurance races and, among those, on the grueling roads of the Le Mans 24 Hours, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will do its best, together with Fernando, to outdrive the competition.”Hisatake Murata（Team President）
“This WEC season is unique because it features two editions of the Le Mans 24 Hours so we are all looking forward to it. I believe we have an extremely strong driver line-up with real strength in depth. Fernando is a rookie in WEC but he brings speed and experience gained from many years at the top of his sport. We are all excited to work with him but endurance racing is a team effort and we know all of our drivers are performing to a very high level. I would like to thank Anthony for his professional approach in difficult circumstances; he remains a strong part of our driving line-up and he will be busy this season.”Fernando Alonso
“I am very excited to participate in the Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time. It is a race which I have followed closely for a long time and it has always been an ambition of mine to participate. Endurance racing is a different discipline compared to single-seaters and I enjoyed my first taste of it at Daytona. I am looking forward to working together with, and learning from, Sébastien and Kazuki, who are both very experienced endurance drivers. It will be a steep learning curve for me but I am ready for this challenge and I can’t wait to get started.”
Fernando Alonso in TS050 HYBRIDFull text of Akio Toyoda statement:
“I want to drive an LMP1 car…”
“I want to race in Le Mans…”
“I want to win…”To Fernando Alonso, I say thank you so much for choosing Toyota as a partner for making your Le Mans dream come true.
I am extremely thrilled that Fernando, who has battled it out in numerous races and seen things that nobody on our team has ever experienced, will be driving for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing.
I believe that having Fernando get behind the wheel for our team will only make our cars better.
I am looking forward to seeing how much TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will grow when our drivers and all team members take what they have learned thus far in endurance racing and add to it what they will gain from Fernando’s experience. The entire team is excited about this opportunity for growth.
Through the challenge of WEC endurance races and, among those, on the grueling roads of the Le Mans 24 Hours, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will do its best, together with Fernando, to outdrive the competition.
And, toward our ultimate aim of providing our customers with ever-better cars, I hope we will be able to race with shared aspirations at heart.
We welcome Fernando and, together with Sebastien, Kazuki, Mike, Kamui and José for a total of six drivers, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will go all out toward achieving all of our goals.
I look forward to everyone’s support of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing this season as well.
Thank you.
Driver Profiles:
Sébastien Buemi
Born 31 October 1988, Aigle, Switzerland
Le Mans debut 2012
Le Mans starts 6
Le Mans best result 2nd (2013)
WEC starts 43
WEC wins 10
WEC best season 1st (2014)Kazuki Nakajima
Born 11 January 1985, Okazaki, Japan
Le Mans debut 2012
Le Mans starts 6
Le Mans best result 4th (2013)
WEC starts 37
WEC wins 7
WEC best season 2nd (2017)Fernando Alonso
Born 29 July 1981, Oviedo, Spain
Le Mans debut 2018
Le Mans starts 0
Le Mans best result n/a
WEC starts 0
WEC wins 0
WEC best season n/aMike Conway
Born 19 August 1983, Sevenoaks, Great Britain
Le Mans debut 2013
Le Mans starts 4
Le Mans best result 2nd (2016)
WEC starts 37
WEC wins 2
WEC best season 3rd (2016)Kamui Kobayashi
Born 13 September 1986, Hyogo, Japan
Le Mans debut 2013
Le Mans starts 3
Le Mans best result 2nd (2016)
WEC starts 26
WEC wins 1
WEC best season 3rd (2016)José María López
Born 26 April 1983, Río Tercero, Argentina
Le Mans debut 2017
Le Mans starts 1
Le Mans best result n/a
WEC starts 8
WEC wins 0
WEC best season 6th (2017)About TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship: Toyota first competed in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 1983, marking the start of a long period of participation in endurance racing. Since 1985, Toyota cars have raced in 19 Le Mans 24 Hours races, achieving a best result of second place on five occasions. Toyota entered the revived WEC in 2012, combining the expertise from Toyota Higashi-Fuji Technical Centre, where the hybrid powertrain is developed, with Toyota Motorsport GmbH’s support and facilities for chassis development. The multi-national team includes engineers from Toyota’s motorsport and hybrid department, who deliver technology and know-how back into road car development. Since 2012, Toyota, the 2014 manufacturers’ and drivers’ World Champion, has participated in 48 WEC races since its debut in 2012, earning 14 pole positions, winning 16 times and finishing on the podium a total of 41 times.
eom/Toyota Motor Corporation release
-
Karun Chandhok to return to Le Mans and WEC
File photo of Karun Chandhok at Le mans with Indian flag. Image courtesy Karun Chandhok Chennai, 3 May 2017: Former Formula One driver Karun Chandhok has confirmed that he will participate in this weekend’s 6 Hours of Spa Francorrchamps and next month’s prestigious Le Mans 24 Hourswith the English team Tockwith Motorsport, which is set to make its Le Mans debut in June in the LMP2 class.
Both races are currently part of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).Chandhok is thus far the first and only Indian to compete at the Le Mans 24 hour race and the 2017 edition will be his fifth appearance the world‘s biggest endurance racing event. His fellow drivers will be teenage debutant Philip Hanson and Nigel Moore.
Speaking about the deal Karun said “I’m really excited to be going back to Le Mans. It’s one of the biggest races in the world and I feel very privileged to be the only person from my country to have raced there. It’s a race you have to take seriously as it’s a fast and dangerous track but that makes it a great challenge.”
“The team owner Simon Moore called me and was very keen to have me involved. They’ve shown their commitment by investing in a brand new Ligier car and infrastructure which is a clear sign of their intent for the future. They offered me Le Mans but we were very keen to also do something before the big race, so the WEC round at Spa will be a great way to kick off things with the team. It will be good to get behind the wheel after a little time away.” Karun added.
The 6 hour race at Spa in Belgium on the 6th of May will be Chandhok’s first taste of the new LMP2 machinery, and a good chance to gain some experience racing with the team before Le Mans week. Spa is known as one of the ultimate driver’s circuits and Karun has driven at the historic venue in Formula 3, GP2, Formula 1 and in the World Endurance Championship in 2012.
Speaking on the World Championship race Karun said, “Spa is a great yardstick. It’s a track I love, having won there in GP2 and it’s a good race to do for us to gauge ourselves against the competitors in the World Endurance Championship before Le Mans. Doing a 6 hour race is obviously only a quarter of the time we will need to cover when compared to Le Mans but it will give us plenty of very good data before we head to Le Mans.
The 24 hours of Le Mans draws a live audience of 300,000 spectators and forms part of the trio of blue ribband events in motorsports, along with the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500. The race starts at 3pm on Saturday the 17th of June and runs until 3pm on Sunday the 18th. The grid is divided up into four different categories – LMP1, LMP2, GTE-Pro and GTE-Am.
The LMP2 class where Tockwith Motorsport are competing is having something of a resurgence and the grid for the class at Le Mans is arguably the most competitive it’s ever been. With 25 cars on the grid, Karun will be racing alongside several drivers that he’s competed against over the years including Bruno Senna, Nico Prost, Nelson Piquet jnr, and Jean Eric Vergne.
Backed by the AVT Group once again, Karun sums up “The grid in LMP2 this year is going to be incredibly strong. There are a lot of experienced teams and drivers and I’m under no illusions of how difficult the task ahead will be as a rookie team heading to Le Mans. I think we have to aim to get in the top 5 and achieving that will be a great result for us this year.”
Karun made a return to the track last weekend by competing in the British Championship for LMP3 cars. Joining his old F3 team T-Sport on their Sportscar debut, Karun and team-mate Steve Tandy finished 3rd and 4th in the two races held at Donington Park. Speaking on the event Karun said “It was a last minute deal – I first drove the car at 10:30 in the morning and a few hours later we were on the podium so that was nice. It was very useful for me to do the race weekend and get warmed up before Spa next weekend.”
eom/Karun Chandhok’s press release
eom/Karun Chandhok release
-
Ferrari win LMGTE pro class at an epic 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 82nd 24 Hours of Le Mans is likely to be classed as an epic race, with multiple leaders, incidents and passes from the moment that Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso waved the French Tricoleur to when the chequered flag was shown at the finish.
Played out in mostly fine weather – apart from two short and sharp rain showers on Saturday afternoon, the results of which had a big effect on the outcome of certain competitors’ race – more than 263,000 spectators enjoyed this edition of the world’s most famous sports car race.
Reigning World GTE Champion driver Gianmaria Bruni, his team mates Toni Vilander and Giancarlo Fisichella were in a class of their own in the LMGTE Pro class, bringing the No.51 Ferrari 458 Italia home for their second class win in three years. The victory wasn’t achieved, however, without a huge battle for supremacy throughout the race, with the second-placed No.73 Corvette of Garcia-Magnussen-Taylor and the No.92 Porsche Team Manthey 911 RSR of Frédéric Makowiecki, Richard Lietz and Marco Holzer in third being among the contenders to push the Italian team hard. The victory extends Bruni and Vilander’s lead at the top of classification for the World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers.
The inter-class battles began right from the start of the race, and the Ferrari had to fight hard against the American muscle cars as well as Porsches at certain points and, primarily, the No.97 Aston Martin Vantage of Darren Turner, Stefan Mücke and Bruno Senna. The British and Italian marques fought relentlessly for the lead in class, and everyone was as disappointed as Aston Martin when a power steering hose leak caused the battle to be curtailed.
The Ferrari racing team has achieved another piece of Ferrari racing history this weekend at Le Mans 24 hours.
Antonello Coletta Antonello Coletta (Head of Ferrari Racing Activity) (Head of Ferrari Racing Activity) (Head of Ferrari Racing Activity):“This is an incredible victory, a great success for Ferrari. The team did a fantastic job to see us take the win again in the LMGTE Pro class. Once again, we were able to demonstrate the excellent performance of our cars in such a demanding race and it’s particularly significant as the cars are closely based on road cars. Congratulations to all the guys in the Italian AF Corse team who took us to this amazing result, which also brings valuable points in the FIA WEC championship. This event also saw a record set in terms of the number of Prancing Horse cars and drivers taking part.”
“I was delighted and very pleased,” was Giancarlo Fisichella’s first reaction after crossing the line. “Winning again at the Le Mans circuit, in the most prestigious endurance race in motor sport the 24 Hours, is amazing. All of this was made possible thanks to the incredible work of the guys at AF Corse. And of course, I also want to thank Ferrari for creating the basis of this win.”
Gimmi Bruni shared the great feeling saying:“This was a great day for me. Winning a Gimmi Bruni gain with Ferrari and seeing so many people under the podium is always a unique experience. It was a long drawn out race and right up to a few hours before the finish, the battle for victory was still on, with some decidedly strong opponents. I would like to thank my two team-mates Giancarlo and Toni and all the guys in the AF Corse team with whom together we took this win.”
Toni Vilander said: “I have to confess the pleasure of t Toni Vilander his great win has yet to sink in. It was a long race, hard fought from the start and so for the moment, I feel really tired. Our 458 Italia GT2 proved to be very quick and reliable. I want to thank Amato Ferrari and all the guys in his team for having given us what we needed to once again take the win in the most important GT race, the Le Mans 24 Hours.”
Amato Ferrari (AF Corse team owner) said: “It is immensely satisfying to have once again secured this important win with Ferrari and I want to thank Antonello Coletta, the head of Ferrari Racing Activity for their vital contribution. I am doubly pleased because we also got a great third place in the LMGTE Am category with the crew of Perez-Companc, Cioci and Venturi.”
eom/Ferrari press release with inputs from FIA
Ferrari team wins at Le Mans 24 Hours on Sunday. An FIA WEC image -
Karun Chandhok qualifies in third place for Murphy Prototypes
Karun Chandhok photo by Adrenna Communications Silverstone, 19 April 2014: Indian racing driver Karun Chandhok qualified in 3rd position for Murphy Prototypes in his first ever European Le Mans (ELMS) race at Silverstone. Chandhok helped Murphy Prototypes get their 2014 European Le Mans Series season off to a solid start along with their other drivers Rodolfo Gonzalez and Alex Kapadia.
Murphy Prototypes had a tough start to the weekend with an electrical issue curtailing their running in Free Practice 1. The team managed to finish 6th overall in FP1 with Chandhok posting a time of 1:52:881. Chandhok was able to better that time in Free Practice 2 to finish 5th overall with a time of 1:50:444.
Qualifying saw Chandhok leading the charge for the Murphy Prototypes team in the Hertz Car Sales Oreca 03 Nissan. Former F1 driver Christian Klien went on provisional pole before British driver Harry Tincknell took over at the top with a 1:47:702. Chandhok slotted into second position with a 1:48:912 before Frank Mailleux just pipped him for second position with a 1:48:854.
The JK Tyre backed driver Chandhok was happy with his performance despite limited time in the car. He commented, “Its a good start to the season and the team is very excited to start in 3rd position. The car is working well and more importantly all three drivers seem to be comfortable with the car. It’s a long race so qualifying not as critical here but always good to start at the front of the grid. Rodolfo will start the race with Alex going second and then I will run to the end. I am optimistic that if we have a clean race that we can get a podium so looking forward to going racing again.”
The first round of the ELMS race at Silverstone will see 112 drivers, 39 cars and 25 nationalitites in action. Other races this weekend will also include the opening rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship and European Formula 3 Championship.
Chandhok is backed by his long time supporters JK Tyre and Tag Heuer, along with Sidvin and the AVT Group.
eom/Adrenna Communications release
