2016 WEC Silverstone

Porsche fastest in P1 and Ferrari fastest in GTE Pro.

Silverstone WEC: Hartley flyer displays Porsche?s true pace

BHW

 

And now it's snowing....

 

Porsche's true pace isn't good enough ...

I expect them to win though.

 

Despite complaining that the new R18 TDI quattro isn't suited to Silverstone, Audi
locks out the front row in qualifying.

6MJ hybrid with diesel power seems to be working.

Silverstone WEC: Audi stuns Porsche to lock out front row

 

- Audi wins first WEC round at Silverstone
- Victory and lead of the standings for Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer
- Audi Sport Team Joest celebrates 16th race victory in the FIA WEC
- Debut win for Audi’s most efficient LMP1 race car

Audi managed an opening round in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) that was made to measure. Following a riveting battle with Porsche at Silverstone, the new Audi R18 won at its first fielding in a race. Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer (CH/D/F) secured pole position on Saturday and celebrated victory with a 46-second advantage on Sunday.

Audi put a clear mark on the season opener in the United Kingdom. Following grid positions one and two in qualifying, the two Audi driver squads were battling for the top spot from the first lap on. After the start, André Lotterer in the number “7” Audi R18 maintained the lead. Shorter pit stops by the competitors meant that the German lost a little ground and dropped to third place. When Benoît Tréluyer took over the cockpit, he battled his way back to the front at the race’s mid-point that was marked by caution periods. Marcel Fässler drove the Audi R18 in the final stage and soon built an advantage of more than ten seconds. Like last year, the Swiss battled for victory at Silverstone with his compatriot Neel Jani – and again kept the upper hand. In the end, the driver trio of Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer celebrated its eleventh joint WEC victory with Audi and, as a result, remains the most successful driver squad in the racing series’ history.

“Sincere congratulations to our three drivers and to our whole team,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “This team, not only at Silverstone but also in the weeks and months before, gave everything to make our most sophisticated and efficient race car to date a success.” The Audi R18 diesel hybrid sports car uses 46 percent less fuel than Audi’s first diesel-powered sports car, the 2006 R10 TDI.

The sister car with Lucas di Grassi/Loïc Duval/Oliver Jarvis (BR/F/GB) started the race from grid position two. Following the first pit stop, Oliver Jarvis in position two was the best Audi driver some of the time at his home round. Lucas di Grassi took over the cockpit, but was forced to retire on lap 70. A malfunction of the hybrid system put an early end to the race. Consequently, Audi, like the other two manufacturers in the LMP1 class, suffered a setback with one of its two race cars.

Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer are the first leaders of the standings at the beginning of the fifth FIA WEC season. The trio has scored 26 points in the United Kingdom. As a result, the Audi drivers will be traveling to Belgium in three weeks time with an eight-point advantage. On the circuit at Spa, the FIA WEC will be holding its second six-hour race on May 7 before the season’s pinnacle event in June – the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Race results

1 Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer (Audi R18) 194 laps

2 Dumas/Jani/Lieb (Porsche) +46.065s

3 Conway/Kobayashi/Sarrazin (Toyota) –1 lap

4 Imperatori/Kraihamer/Tuscher (Rebellion) –11 laps

5 Heidfeld/Piquet/Prost (Rebellion) –13 laps

6 Albuquerque/Gonzalez/Senna (Ligier-Nissan) –15 laps

7 Cumming/Dalziel/Derani (Ligier-Nissan) –15 laps

8 Berthon/Rast/Rusinov (Oreca-Nissan) –15 laps

9 Lapierre/Menezes/Richelmi (Alpine-Nissan) –16 laps

10 Kane/Leventis/Watts (Gibson-Nissan) –17 laps

 

This looks very much like an AUDI communique for the media.

Because it only speaks about AUDI, without mentioning that they inherited the win because of an accident eliminating the leading Porsche. AUDI was completely dominated up to that point, when Porsche driver Hartley crashed into a backmarker when he was 40 seconds ahead!

Porsche's Hartley reprimanded over 'shocking' Silverstone WEC crash

Porsche's Hartley reprimanded over 'shocking' Silverstone WEC crash - WEC - Autosport

 

Latest: Seen in French media


The AUDI of Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer would have been excluded from the results by the stewards, because of non-conformity after post-race scrutiny!!


The Porsche of Dumas/Jani/Lieb declared winner !!!

 

I believe Barton works as some sort of PR rep for Audi.

(If not he's fanboy of the year!)

 

That would explain, because the post looks very much one-sided to me!

 

Porsche gets Silverstone WEC win as Audi excluded over plank wear - WEC news - AUTOSPORT.com

 

I might be wrong but I was sure Fords were meant to demolish Ferraris

 

Apparently Audi is appealing...

 

I get the Audi Sport press releases and did indeed work for the team for a time.

BHW

 

Brendan Hartley crash...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJS-em2tFRU

BHW

 

I like Brendan but that was just plain stupid. could have had massive consequences too.

 

It looked like a racing incident really.

Can't really put blame on either driver.

As was pointed out, Hartley had a decent lead at the time and could have
just as easy lifted until they both got through the turn but he stayed on the
throttle.

Great race, entertaining to the end, too bad about the issue with Audi being
disqualified.

BHW

 

trying to pass on the outside of a corner when the car in front was already tracking out, sorry that's not a racing incident. it was a stupid move on Brendan's part. lead car was blameless iMO (even if it was a lowly Am in a GTE car )

the announcers on that video agree with me, as does Brendan...https://www.instagram.com/p/BEVTnvCO7AJ/

 

That crash reminded me so much of McNish at Le Mans being taken off overtaking a GT car at the Dunlop chicane in similar circumstances.

The fact is that LMP1 drivers don't really need to joust with slower cars in corners, having already superior speed and acceleration.

They are regularly reminded of the fact that they share the track with slower cars in WEC, and that caution is essential when dealing with slow moving traffic. Some of these GTs are driven by amateurs!

Hartley was in the lead and 40s ahead of the AUDI, so there was really no urgency to pass there. No excuse in my book.

 

yep.

 

Also reminiscent of Ayrton Senna's crash at Monza in 1988.....

 

Yes, and poor Schlesser got the blame for it, when he had nowhere to go !!