Preview: Interlagos WEC finale

Courtesy of Daily SportsCar.com

LMP1

There have been some real changes of course since Bahrain in LMP1.

The Drivers title is won, and lost. Anthony Davidson and Sebastien Buemi are deserved World Champions whilst at Audi the Interlagos race marks the end of an astounding era for outgoing Champion of Champions Tom Kristensen.

The Manufacturers title is (just) still alive though Toyota need simply to finish and be classified with a single car to convert their 40 point lead over Audi into a Championship win (there are 44 points still available but a sixth place class finish scores 8).

Even if Toyota fail to score, Audi need to finish 1,2 – If that comes to pass it would be almost beyond a fairytale finish to Tom Kristensen’s career!

Certainly the #8 crew will start this one as favourites, they looked set fair once again to be the dominant force in Bahrain, the #7 crew taking the win only after an alternator issue blunted the razor sharp edge that the 2014 World Champions elect have honed all season.

They are both confirmed as returning to defend their title in 2015.

The #7 once again has Mike Conway joining Alex Wurz and Stephane Sarrazin, the trio will be looking to double up their winning total for the season, and Conway will have the unexpected bonus of a third race outing, this time courtesy of the Interlagos race organisers, who DSC understand procured an incorrect set of visa documentation for the Japanese driver to sign. By the time the error was discovered it was too late to recover the time lost – A sad end to Nakajima’s WEC season, and Conway’s opportunity to nail down his expected 2015 full season race contract.

A good result for the #7 could see the full season duo clinch second place in the points standings

Porsche were much more impresssive in Bahrain, within touching distance almost of the undelayed Toyota in Bahrain, but frustratingly unable to deliver the aggressive chase needed to make it a head to head battle to the flag.

They’ve proved they have the speed and reliability now to sustain a competitive full race run, but need that extra 1% to add the edge required at this level to deliver race winning opportunities.

That said there are factors emerging which will likely evolve as the programme matures. Much as Audi has long had a factor within their programme that carried it forward, a very real competition between the fastest men in the team to push each other onwards, the same seems now to be emerging at Porsche, with Neel Jani emerging as the standard bearer, his single lap speed in Practice and Qualifying in Bahrain was stunning, the car by the time he climbed aboard in the race though seemed past its best – Might we see the Swiss as a starting driver in Brazil?

The #14 crew will now definitely finish above the sister #20 squad in the Drivers points but in truth whilst there has been some standout pace from the #14, there has been some dreadful luck for the #20. Brendon Hartley has consistently delivered solid pace, as has Timo Bernhard, and Mark Webber is now fully dialled back in to his Endurance mojo. It’s a sensible move from Porsche to re-sign all of their full season sextet for 2015 as the team look to build on this learning year.

Great news too of the confirmation of the third car for Le Mans that the team was seeking, likely now to include some of the current factory GT drives on the driver roster together with the potential addition of a 2014 F1 driver too (no not THAT one!!)

Audi meanwhile are on the back foot – doing the very best they can with a package that is far less than the optimum solution. There was real speed from both Audis in the race at Bahrain, both held the fastest race lap at points during the 6 hours before finally being bettered by a stunner from Buemi, but the cannot sustain the stint long pace to get onto terms with the gasoline-powered cars, their straight line disadvantage is profound, and for that they are now struggling towards a 2015 solution.

They’ll finish the season without a World title for the first time in the WEC’s three year history, another Le Mans win will be a comfort of sorts, but this is a team that expects success.

Expect a few surprises away from the driving squad in Brazil and a couple afterwards too. It is, truly, the end of an era for the dominant team of our time.

For now though its about points, about ensuring that Toyota don’t get an unfettered run to the Manufacturers title, and about pride.

They’ll be aided and abetted on track by Tom Kristensen for the very last time. A race weekend packed with emotion for sure, the great Dane has been a part of this outfit almost from the beginning and his grace, and pace, will be sorely missed by them, and by all of us.

Here’s hoping for a career ending performance to remember from Tom, and a fighting finish to 2015 from all of the factory teams.

In the Privateer stakes it has been a whitewash for the Rebellion boys, five wins for the #12, and a pair for the #13. They’ve all shown resilience in what must have been a frustrating season.

The Rebellion R-One is a pretty thing, but for once that isn’t enough, the car lacks raw speed. Will we hear what lies in store for 2015 from the team in Brazil? There will be changes for sure, but whether they emerge as mechanical, conceptual, organisational or all of the above remains to be seen.

For 2014 Messrs, Heidfeld, Prost and Beche end the season as Champions, and deservedly so, but they are taking little joy from a season that they believed could deliver more in return for their team’s investment.

We hope to confirm too by the weekend news of an exciting addition to the LMP1 Privateer ranks for 2015, certainly an effort that looks likely to provide more of a full season target for the Rebellion boys than their 2014 LMP1-L opposition.

That’s because the CLM/ Lotus project has flattered to deceive, the car has looked lost since its rebuild post Fuji fire, terrible reliability and a profound lack of pace can, in part, be attributed to a lack of any opportunity for mid-season testing but the effort looks horribly reminiscent of the same team’s 2013 LMP2 programme that simply lost its way.

The future for the #9 car is uncertain, the AER’s punch simply not enough to offset the issues elsewhere in balance, handling, and in Bahrain, a gearbox that simply wouldn’t play ball.

After quite a battle with the bean counters Porsche has this evening confirmed that they will enter a third 2015 spec 919 Hybrid for next year’s Le Mans 24 Hours and the now traditional 6 Hours of Spa curtain raiser.

Porsche have already confirmed that all six of their current factory LMP1 drivers will return for the full 2015 FIA WEC with no final decisions yet made over the trio for the third car.

Porsche have tested most of their current GT factory drivers in the 2014 919 Hybrid with Messrs Makowiecki, Tandy and Christensen apparently impressing most. Porsche are also understood to have made an offer to 2014 Force India F1 man Nico Hulkenberg, though this depends on his ‘day job’ agreeing to a couple of weekends off!

Wolfgang Hatz, Member of the Board, Research and Development, Porsche AG, said: “In 2014 we have been competitive immediately with the most complex and innovative race car Porsche has built so far. To date we have achieved five podium places, three pole positions and two record laps, in Shanghai and Bahrain. These are outstanding results. But this programme doesn’t just produce success on race tracks, but also on the engineering side. The target is the highest performance with maximised efficiency in ever growing dimensions. This is why we will take on the challenge with three Porsche 919 Hybrids in 2015.”

Matthias Muller, Chairman of the Board Porsche AG: “Our decision to compete with a Porsche works team in the WEC’s LMP1 category proved to be the right one. This is what we feel at every race. The highly demanding motorsport programme contributes directly to the development of future sports cars for the road. For the development and testing of future hybrid systems, you can’t ask for any harder test bench than the World Endurance Championship and especially the Le Mans 24-Hours. The same goes for the newly established Porsche LMP1 crew. More than 230 people had to grow together quickly to form a strong team. The human factor is not only crucial for the men at the steering wheel, but for the entire project – and this reflects very much the Porsche philosophy.”

Next page: LMP2

LMP2

The junior LMP class doled out a drama filled encounter in Bahrain that saw the Championship positions swing dramatically from a near title certainty for Sergey Zlobin and the #27 SMP Oreca Nissan to late race disaster and the advantage swinging heavily towards the G-Drive Ligier squad despite two lengthy delays.

With the late withdrawal of the planned debutant Strakka Dome, and he end in Bahrain of the three race entry for the Oak Morgan Judd, its just the full season four here this weekend, the only time we’ve had just four cars in the field this year since the opening race of the season.

The quartet are all Nissan engined, and neatly split 50:50 between Dunlop and Michelin rubber.

The Championship leaders task is simple – finish the race. There are 26 points up for grabs and G-Drive lead by 8 – A win or second place therefore guarantees the title with or without the pole position that has gone to G-Drive at every round except Spa and wherever the #27 car finishes.

If the Ligier doesn’t finish then the #27 MUST finish second or win. Assuming the next worst scenario for G-Drive, if the #26 finishes fourth or third then the #27 MUST win. With a pole and third for G-Drive, and a win for the #27 SMP the titles would go to the Michelin shod Oreca and Sergey Zlobin by a single point!

The form book suggests that the Dunlop shod Ligier should do it but after Bahrain’s dramas nobody in this class will be in an assumptive mood!

Whilst the #37 car played a part (in particular with the contact in T2 and T3 on the first lap with the Ligier) last time and has showed much, much better pace and consistency of late if the two title contenders stay reliable it is destined to be a bit part player here.

The KCMG Oreca Nissan though is likely to play a part. They can’t take the title but they’ll certainly be keen to take a third race win of a season that, without the issues at either Le Mans or Shanghai, would have seen them take this season down to the wire. It’s been an impressive first full season from a team that is rightly ambitious. The difference between the #47 and the title contenders is that they have nothing to lose, and only a top step of the podium to gain!

Then there’s the #27 SMP Oreca. Bahrain’s dramas saw the car, and Sergey Zlobin, lose their Championship leads for the first time since June. The formbook suggests they will start this one as major underdogs but a fired up Nic Minassian is a thing to behold, Maurizio Mediani has been a strong support act and Sergey Zlobin is perfectly capable of duking it out if push came to literal shove.

Here’s hoping this one goes to the flag as a real race for the Championship.

Originally on DailySportsCar.com

GTE Pro

The full season six will do battle again this week with the drivers’ and teams’ Championships already settled in favour of Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander And AF Corse respectively.

The all important manufacturers championship though still remains to be settled, though once again AF Corse’s Ferraris hold a significant 25 point advantage with a maximum of 44 points still available.

A win or second place would be enough for either of the Ferraris realistically to clinch the title and it Is going to take a very bad day for the Italian team to prevent them doubling up on all three titles this year.

The form, Particularly for the #51 car, has been exceptional this year and with the #71 car and its less experienced crew now coming on strong too Amato Ferrari and his team will have a good cause for cautious optimism.

A predictable result though is no fun! So let’s imagine for a moment some of the other possibilities.

The weather forecast for São Paulo this weekend shows a distinct possibility of rain. If that happens on race day then the pendulum could easily swing heavily in Porsche’s direction. The levelling factor of a wet track replace very much to the traction strengths of the 911 RSR.

If, And it’s very big if, the Porsches could pull off a 1/2 and the Ferraris finished only fifth and sixth then Porsche will take the title by a single point. Whilst that’s a rather extreme mathematical outside bet it does demonstrate that Ferrari cannot afford to cruise to this title.

The potential spoiler of course is Aston Martin. The team were unlucky again in Bahrain with a minor issue leaving them less than two seconds short of a direct challenge for the class win.

The pace is certainly in the #97 car, and in both Darren Turner and Stefan Mucke too, whilst the #99 Craft Bamboo AMR car too has shown that another crew on a learning year could play a part.

Darryl O’Young rejoins the team after missing Bahrain to race in Macau.

The situation then is both simple and complex. Ferrari hold the advantage, Aston Martin have the dry weather pace, Porsche know that they must get the season’s best results to give them any chance of Championship silverware this season.

If all of those ingredients mix well then there’s no reason at all why we shall see repeats of the astonishing GTE action that was a major feature are fabulous of a fabulous race in Bahrain.

GTE AM

The title is done here, a dominant year from the Young Driver AMR #95 squad rightly taking the honours.

If this race runs to form then the advantage would again be with the championship winners and the sister #98 Aston Martin which would, but for a pitlane speeding penalty for Paul dalla Lana have taken the win in Bahrain.

There is though another major headline in Brazil in the class. That is the addition of race organiser and living motorsport legend Emerson Fittipaldi to the crew of the #61 AF Corse Ferrari.

Emmo should certainly know his way around Interlagos, and a podium finish for the Ferrari would be a great headline for a race that needs to impress the WEC management.

It has though been a frustrating year for the Ferrari and Porsche teams in the amateur class and perhaps, just perhaps a weather affected race here might just offset some of the growing grumbles over a lack of balance between the competing marks in the class.

AF Corse will finish the year with all three cars in the class on the grid, the Italian team has made an enormous contribution to the show and to the all importance numerical credibility of the FIA WEC package.

They’ve been rewarded thus far with a less than impressive points tally for all three cars but the team are, nonetheless, confident of returning with three cars in the class again next year.

Porsche meanwhile look set to return with at least one car each from both of the current customer teams (Proton (with Patrick Dempsey) and Prospeed) again despite the frustrations of the year with both through showing huge progress but failing to find the all important stint and race long consistency from their new cars.

The GTE am class has provided entertainment throughout the season with the pro drivers getting involved more than ever with the overall GTE battles and the racing, particularly in the midfield, looking better and better, it’s a worthy addition to this world championship field

Originally on DailySportsCar.com