[WEC Race] 2013 FIA WEC - Round 6 - 6 Hours of Fuji

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Dalla Lana was in the #98 car, and the #98 car is gone for the rest of the season.

AMR has undergone a very confusing driver and car swapping ordeal over these last few weeks.

COTA Driver/Car Lineup
#95 AM - Thiim / Poulsen / Nygaard
#96 AM - Campbell-Walter / Hall
#97 PRO - Mucke / Gavin / Turner
#98 PRO - Dalla Lana / Lamy / Stanaway
#99 PRO - Senna / Makowiecki

Fuji Driver/Car Lineup
#95 AM - Poulsen / Nygaard / Senna
#96 AM - Campbell-Walter / Hall / Adam
#97 PRO - Mucke / Turner / Makowiecki
#98 PRO - NOT PARTICIPATING
#99 PRO - Lamy / Stanaway

Out for Fuji: Paul Dalla Lana and Nicki Thiim

Essentially what happened was the #98 car was retired and sent to America. That means that Dalla Lana, Stanaway, and Lamy were without a ride. While Dalla Lana is out with business commitments, Lamy and Stanaway switch to the #99 and Makowiecki becomes the third driver in the #97 because that was the designated "main car" for John Gaw and AMR.

In the Gulf-liveried #97 Vantage GTE, regulars Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan Mücke (DE) will be joined by French GT driver and Japanese Super GT Series star Fred Makowiecki, who has qualified on pole for all three of his WEC races with Aston Martin Racing this year and has impressed with his pace and consistency at each round.

“Yes, there’s no doubting Fred is quick, but we’ve added him to this car because he has an incredible ability to manage tyres,” explained team principal John Gaw. “Last year in Fuji we struggled because of the relatively low grip track surface. We believe that adding Fred to the formidable force of Darren and Stefan will make the #97 very competitive.”

Senna was also forced out of the #99 car by what originally was probably going to be a three-driver lineup (Dalla Lana / Stanaway / Lamy), so he is replacing Nicki Thiim in the #95 car who I believe has Porsche Supercup duties. All very confusing. :/

[Simmi]

I think there's more to Dalla Lana's absence than "business commitments".

Autosport reported he's fallen out of love with the WEC.

[Beetle]

Something to revitalize this thread before the race...

TOYOTA Racing is at full strength for the Six Hours of Fuji, the team’s home race and the sixth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The #7 crew of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima return to defend their crown after winning a thrilling race in Japan last year. The trio’s last race ended with fourth position at the Le Mans 24 Hours. The sister TS030 HYBRID of Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin, the #8, completes a strong TOYOTA Racing entry at the team’s home circuit.

After a race-long battle for victory ended in second place for the #8 in its last race, at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, TOYOTA Racing is aiming to challenge for victory in Japan.

Fuji Speedway lies just 20 kilometres away from the Higashifuji Technical Centre, where the TOYOTA HYBRID System - Racing powertrain is developed. The drivers have four chances to use the 300hp hybrid boost at Fuji Speedway, as defined by the official hybrid braking zones, where energy can be recovered to provide additional acceleration.

Yoshiaki Kinoshita, Team President: “I always look forward to racing in Japan, not only because it is our home race but also because of the fantastic support we enjoy from the Japanese fans. Last year’s event at Fuji was probably the best six-hour race of the year both in terms of the close battle between us and Audi, and also the large, passionate crowd. Winning the race was a fantastic moment for the team and we travel to Japan absolutely determined to keep that title. The whole team is looking forward to seeing Alex, Nicolas and Kazuki at the track again and I’m sure, like the #8 crew, they will be fired up to have a good weekend.”

Alex Wurz (#7): “I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel again; it’s much more fun to be racing the TS030 HYBRID than watching it on TV. Fuji is an important race for the team as there are a lot of TOYOTA employees and fans, so it is always a busy weekend. It’s hard for me to predict how the race weekend will go but we will give it our best to defend last year’s victory despite the strong competition we can expect. Certainly there will be a lot of work for us to do in the first practice sessions to get familiar with the updated post-Le Mans package and to optimise it for Fuji. I’m ready for the challenge and ready to race.”

Nicolas Lapierre (#7): “Fuji last year was one of my best memories so I’m really fired up to get back in the car this weekend. It’s great to be working with Alex and Kazuki again after quite a break since Le Mans. We have a great relationship so I’m sure everything will fall into place very quickly. I’m quite impatient to get behind the wheel of the TS030 HYBRID again and experience the high-downforce package for the first time at a race weekend. I’m expecting a busy weekend and we need to be on top form to challenge for victory; we showed last year what is possible so I am optimistic.”

Kazuki Nakajima (#7): “I have some great memories of Fuji last year, especially because it was my first FIA world championship race win. It is a circuit I know really well from my Super GT and Super Formula racing, and it’s one of my favourite tracks. It has been a long time since Le Mans but I have had plenty of racing since then so I am ready for the weekend and I’m looking forward to working with the TOYOTA Racing team again. This will be my first time to drive the high-downforce package and I am interested to see what it can do. It’s always a challenge to fight with Audi but I hope we can have another exciting race.”

Anthony Davidson (#8): “I’m expecting a very special atmosphere at Fuji. The circuit has a lot of history but since the upgrade it is now a modern track which is good for racing. It is challenging for drivers so I can’t wait to experience an LMP1 car there for the first time. For me the fans are particularly special in Japan and you feel very proud to be driving for a Japanese manufacturer when you see the support they give. We were part of a very close battle in Austin and it was very satisfying to be challenging again. The high-downforce package has been working well in its two races so far so hopefully we can again fight at the front.”

Sébastien Buemi (#8): “I have never raced at Fuji but I did drive the medical car there in 2008 for the Japanese Grand Prix. From that experience I could learn a bit about the track; it is very technical and you need experience to get the best out of it. It certainly looks like a fun track to race on so I am looking forward to the weekend. I think we will have a fantastic atmosphere; the Japanese fans are really enthusiastic and you really feel the support they give. It’s amazing and I expect it will be extra special as a Toyota driver. Obviously I hope we can deliver a good result; we were close in Austin but we want more in Fuji.”

Stéphane Sarrazin (#8): “I know Fuji from racing LMP2 there last year and I really enjoy the track; it is nicely balanced between fast and slow corners and it’s quite tricky for the drivers. I’m particularly excited to experience the track at the wheel of the TS030 HYBRID and driving for TOYOTA Racing. What I saw of the team’s fans last year was incredible. It felt like everyone was supporting the team and wearing the TOYOTA Racing colours. It gives us a real boost to see such great support. So I am expecting a memorable experience and our target is obviously to give the fans a result to celebrate.”

From Toyota Racing press release

It seems like they like their chances! I'll be rooting for them this weekend.

[GTfour]

It'd be great to see them take the win on home soil. I hope MotorsTV is airing the race?

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by GTfour

It'd be great to see them take the win on home soil. I hope MotorsTV is airing the race?

Let me check...

Yes, they'll be airing the race LIVE. Eurosport, RTBF, Sport 5, Sport TV, C+ Deportes & Sportmania, Eurosport Asia/Pacific, J Sports, and Al Jazeera will also be covering the race live. Furthermore, you can watch live streaming online @ www.fiawec.com and www.lemans-tv.com.

http://orig.fiawec.oceanet.eu/wpphpF...%20October.pdf

It wasn't in the OP, apologies! - at the time of thread creation there was no info on TV distribution. If one of the mods would like to link this to the OP that would be fantastic.

[deggis]

Aston BoP: http://www.racer.com/aston-martin-fr...rticle/316512/

"Clearly, we made the biggest step over the winter of any of the manufacturers," he said. "That's why we feel a little hard done by."

Gaw also suggested that Aston's rivals, Porsche and Ferrari, had managed their performance over the early season races for political reasons.

"One of our rivals played a masterclass and got help ahead of the Le Mans 24 Hours," said Gaw, in clear reference to Porsche. We haven't done that and have raced fairly all season."

lol.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by deggis

Aston BoP-blatant: http://www.racer.com/aston-martin-fr...rticle/316512/

Just as "blatant" as AF Corse complaining.

No one (in GTE) will ever be completely happy with the WEC unless they set some rigid specifications for each and every car at the beginning of the season. It may benefit a certain car at a certain track, and it may put a car at a disadvantage at another. But that's the nature of racing -- it's all too fickle and hard to keep up with if they keep changing it for every race.

[Simmi]

Aston weren't complaining when Ferrari got castrated not so long ago. It's complete swings and roundabouts is BoP.

[TF110]

Well, they didnt lie. They werent nearly in the same position to win last year. Their fuel economy was bad and their tire wear was lacking. The 2013 Vantage has brand new components like the exhausts, suspension, rear wing assembly etc. The FIA has given them NEGATIVE BOP all season and they're still fast enough to win. Theyve improved significantly. Even though they'll drop their fuel tank size advantage, they still went further on fuel in COTA, so they should be fine. This is Aston Martin, afterall, they're pretty good at GT I wonder why no one is shouting over Porsche's rear wing and wheel width ruling?

[porman]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Aston weren't complaining when Ferrari got castrated not so long ago. It's complete swings and roundabouts is BoP.

I think that many of us are sick of the politics. I wonder if Gaw even knows what the word hypocrite means?

Regarding TF110's comment about Porsche's latest break I too think it's BS. Yes, I'm a Porsche fan but I don't agree with this assistance.

[TimRTC]

The problem with BoP is they seem to swing it far too much. Rather than balancing teams out, it seems to just give one team a massive advantage for a particular race weekend and it is the biggest flaw in the current GT specifications (GT3 is the same). It could well drive some manufacturers out of the sport.

However, the only other option is a return to the GT1 style with teams building a car to specifications - the result being massive initial expenditure which is likely to put most teams off.

[airbusA346]

Originally Posted by porman

Porsche's latest break

Does anyone have a link to the FIA document on Porsche's latest waivers?

[Beetle]

http://www.fiawec.com/en/news/6-hour...vers_1446.html

6 HOURS OF FUJI: A SPOTLIGHT ON THE JAPANESE DRIVERS

...

After reading this, I think there's a good chance KCMG could pull off a decent finish, if not a podium if they're a bit lucky. Richard Bradley is very quick, as is Tsugio Matsuda (you kind of have to be to a double-champion and GT500 driver). I'm not sure about Hiroshi Koizumi but he helped Richard Bradley win against OAK at round 2 of the AsLMS. Pretty impressive stuff... I think we'll see them end up in a decent position after the six hours.

Free Practice #1 is just a little over 8 hours away... get ready!

[kober]

Here's the 2013 LMGTE BOP history, with links to the officials docs, and brief commentary on GTE-Pro:
7 March - adjustments to the rear wing for all cars
22 May - 991, 997 gains 0.3 mm of restrictor; Vantage loses 10 kg
14 June - Corvette gains 10 kg; both Viper and Vantage lose 10 kg
19 July - both 991 and Vantage lose 0.3 mm of restrictor
1 October - Vantage loses 5 litres on tank capacity

[TF110]

Theyre pretty close. The Vantage is 1225kg, the Ferrari is 1235kg and the 991 Porsche is 1210kg. Each now has 90 liter tanks except Ferrari at 85L. Vantage has 29.4mm restrictor Porsche has 29.3mm Ferrari has 28.3mm. The pdf doesnt show the wheel width ruling, though

[Starfish Primer]

If one of the pillars of Le Mans nowadays is the efficiency they should keep the fuel consumption out of the BOP. All of them with the same fuel tank.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by kober

Here's the 2013 LMGTE BOP history, with links to the officials docs, and brief commentary on GTE-Pro:
7 March - adjustments to the rear wing for all cars
22 May - 991, 997 gains 0.3 mm of restrictor; Vantage loses 10 kg
14 June - Corvette gains 10 kg; both Viper and Vantage lose 10 kg
19 July - both 991 and Vantage lose 0.3 mm of restrictor
1 October - Vantage loses 5 litres on tank capacity

Cheers, kober.

Now if they could just stop all of this nonsense at this amendment, please.

[Adam43]

That's what BoP is about. Tweaking to get better and react to changes. It's that or smaller grids and racing that isn't as close.
Personally, I'm easy. I'd get rid of it completely, but hey, I'm over it.

So Fuji, who'll do best with what they've got?

[nasdriv87]

practice 1 is on now!!!

and guess what both GTE Pro Aston Martin are pretty fast!!!

[chernaudi]

And last time I checked the weather, today might be the only dry day at Fuji. Saturday and Sunday has a "healthy" chance of rain.

[TF110]

Only .201 between Audi and Toyota.

Aston into the 1:39's! Thats about what the GT3's were doing in SuperGT.

[nasdriv87]

Originally Posted by TF110

Only .201 between Audi and Toyota.

Aston into the 1:39's! Thats about what the GT3's were doing in SuperGT.

so, will be there another cry-baby from porsche and ferrari????

and a new BoP for Vantage V8

15.1.1.1.(...) Vantages are not allowed win any more races or make any best lap...

[TF110]

No one is even close to them. Mako has SuperGT experience here recently so hes definitely familiar with the track. Probably another reason he did a 1:39.5 whilst the nearest to him is in the 1:40's.

Now Davidson is fastest of all, 1:28.325

[chernaudi]

Duval took a hard spill early in practice--Audi are changing the whole rear of the car, including the engine. Whatever he hit, he whacked pretty hard for Audi to rebuild the whole rear half of the car.

Audi Sport twitter says he spun after a collision with an Aston Martin. I doubt that the collision with Aston would've done that much damage on it's own without the AM getting totaled, too. Obviously hit something hard, probably made out of concrete...

EDIT: DSC say that #95 Aston clipped the #2 Audi and it slid off into a tire wall. No report on where the incident happened, though. Car should be back out sometime in FP2.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

EDIT: DSC say that #95 Aston clipped the #2 Audi and it slid off into a tire wall. No report on where the incident happened, though. Car should be back out sometime in FP2.

Soundbite from Duval in that article says turn 4.