Aston Martin dominate LMGTE classes in qualifying for 6 Hours of Fuji
Aston Martin Racing dominated in qualifying this afternoon for tomorrow’s 6 Hours of Fuji, taking pole position in both the LMGTE Pro and Am classes, and locking out the front row completely for the senior Pro category. The result echoes the 2013 qualifying results when Aston Martin also clinched both GTE pole positions, and is the team’s 11th in the Pro category of the FIA WEC.
Brazil’s Fernando Rees and his British team mate Alex MacDowall claimed their first pole position in the FIA World Endurance Championship, combining to set an average fastest lap time of 1:39.686 in the No.99 Aston Martin Vantage V8. The delighted duo headed their team mates in the No.97 – Darren Turner and Stefan Mücke, winners of the fourth round in Texas three weeks ago.
Just half a second separated all six entries in the class, and it was the No.92 Porsche Team Manthey 911 RSR of Patrick Pilet and Frederic Makowiecki, the latter using his local experience from Super GT, which claimed third in class with a time of 1:40.145. Only three hundredths of a second behind was the No.71 Ferrari 458 Italia of AF Corse’s Davide Rigon and James Calado, the Italian-British pairing out-qualifying their team mates in the No.51 for the first time this year, the latter struggling with an ill-handling car. Richard Lietz, making his return to competition for the first time after breaking his arm in a racing accident at the end of August, combined with Joerg Bergmeister to close out the class with a best time of 1:40.283.
For the first time this weekend the LMGTE Am cars were all slightly slower than their Pro team mates, and it was a very happy Pedro Lamy who claimed his first FIA WEC pole position with team mate Christoffer Nygaard in the No.98 Aston Martin Vantage V8. It was Aston Martin Racing’s 10th pole position in LMGTE Am since the start of the FIA WEC in 2012.
The combined average lap time of the two drivers’ two fastest laps was 1:40.230 and this put the Portuguese-Danish pair ahead of a hard-charging No.81 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia of Andrea Bertolini and Michele Rugolo. Behind the Ferrari was the No.95 Aston Martin of David Heinemeier Hansson and Nicki Thiim, and the No.61 AF Corse Ferrari of Jeroen Bleekemolen and Mike Skeen…0.052 seconds separating the three cars which is a great indicator of an exciting and tense battle ahead in tomorrow’s race.
The 27 entrants for the 6 Hours of Fuji will be back on track tomorrow for the race which begins at 11h00 local (04h00 CET). Stay tuned for what is likely to be an amazing race with battles being fought out on track in all classes.
CLICK HERE to watch the post qualifying press conference
Live Facts
13:47:29 In GTE PRO #99 Aston of Rees/MacDowall on pole fastest from #97 Aston of Turner/Mucke and #92 Porsche of Pilet/Makowiecki
13:45:47 Chequered Flag
13:42:44 1.39.686 4 lap average fastest for #99 Aston
13:41:32 All 13 cars have now done a 4 lap average
13:40:56 Astons lead in both PRO and AM
13:39:57 1.39.769 now fastest 4 lap average for #99 Aston
13:38:33 1.39.875 average now fastest for #99 Aston
13:37:44 1.40.145 average fastest now for #92 Porsche
13:36:05 1.40.394 average for #98 Aston - first to complete 2 laps by both drivers
13:34:37 Porsche #92 now leads on average laps with 1.40.349
13:33:25 Second drivers now going out
13:32:19 Halfway through GTE Qualifying
13:30:47 1.39.784 by Aston #95 fastest in GTE Am
13:30:02 All 13 GTE cars on track
13:29:02 1.39.192 4 lap average for #99 Aston
13:28:20 1.39.297 av after 3 laps for #99 Aston
13:27:27 1.40.125 av after 3 laps for #95 Aston
13:25:56 1.40.397 for #88 Porsche
13:25:11 1.40.784 by #98 Aston
13:23:11 Aston #98 onto first flying lap
13:22:16 22C air temperature 25C track temperature
13:21:25 Green Flag
13:20:42 1 minute to pit opening
13:20:24 Aston #98 first in the queue
Full results can be found HERE.
Photo: FUJI INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (SHIZUOKA PREFECTURE, JAPAN), 6 HOURS OF FUJI, SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER 2014. Aston Martin Racing's No.99 Vantage V8 of Fernando Rees and Alex MacDowall claimed pole position in LMGTE Pro. Pedro Lamy waits with his team mates in the pits, watching his team mate Christoffer Nygaard in the No.98 Aston Martin Vantage claim pole for LMGTE Am.
