What the Drivers said on Thursday in Bahrain
Below is what the drivers said during Thursday’s pre-race press conference at the Bahrain International Circuit, round 4 of FIA WEC.
Gustavo Menezes – No. 1 Rebellion Racing R13 Gibson
“Shanghai was obviously a bit special and we could see that the success handicap was coming into play but I think it is important for the championship and for us to have the motivation and to have the possibility [to win].
“Coming to Bahrain, the characteristics of the circuit suits the car differently and we can feel the success handicap immediately as it shifts the balance of the car. We are still getting our heads around how we can get the car exactly where we want it to be and in FP2 with the temperature shift, it will be more relevant to how the race will be.”
Charlie Robertson – No.5 Team LNT Ginetta G60-LT-P1-AER
“In Shanghai, we showed some really strong pace from both cars with Ben [Hanley] and I streaking away at the front in the opening stints. We learned a lot and especially about managing the tyres because in the second stint Toyota came back at us.
“I think we have a real chance this weekend to challenge for pole in qualifying which is our ultimate target.”
Jean-Eric Vergne – No.26 G-Drive Racing AURUS 01-Gibson
“It will be nice to finish 2019 on a high as it is our first race on Michelin tyres so we can’t wait to see how that plays out. It is very nice to be back in WEC as it has been a long time we have raced in this championship - a championship which I am sure I will see again in the near future.”
Alessandro Pier Guidi – No.51 AF Corse Ferrari 488GTE Evo
“For sure it will be very close as always but Bahrain is a track where I have nice memories [taking the WEC title in 2017] so I think we can work well this weekend. The FP1 session was quite normal as the track was dirty so we did our programme and everything went smoothly.”
Ben Barker – No.86 Gulf Racing Porsche 911 RSR
“The category numbers have gone up from last year so it is very competitive in LMGTE Am which as we know is largely dependent on the competitiveness of the amateur driver.
“Mike [Wainwright] has really stepped it up. We just have to develop a bit more consistency with him. We were very close to a second place [at Silverstone] and lost out on the final lap which was pretty painful but overall our performance as a team is improving through Mike’s pace and hopefully this weekend we can get a good result as the boys and girls at Gulf Racing really deserve."
