Looking ahead to the 6 Hours of Shanghai - bigger and better than ever

The chequered flag for the 6 Hours of Fuji has just been put away, and attention is already turning to China and the "Pearl of the Orient" – Shanghai, the city which will provide the backdrop to the sixth round of the 2014 season in three weeks’ time.

With Toyota Racing’s Anthony Davidson and Sébastien Buemi having won in Fuji and strengthened their lead at the head of the Drivers’ Championship to 29 points over rivals at Audi who, together with Porsche, will be even more determined to get revenge.  Porsche’s strong performance and podium finish in Japan will be encouraging to them and they will be going all out for their first win of the year.

While Aston Martin Racing won the fourth round in the USA, Ferrari regained the upper hand in Japan to take a 1-2 finish in the LMGTE Pro category. Porsche’s two GTE challengers had a tough day at Fuji but will be looking to re-assert themselves and win again as they did at the season-opener at Silverstone. 

Aston Martin Racing’s ‘Dane Train’ was something of an ‘express train’ in Japan as the Danish-crewed LMGTE Am crew took their third victory of the season…Ferrari and Porsche will, however, be working harder than ever to get onto the top step of the podium in China.   There was little to choose between the entries in this class in the fifth round and this is unlikely to change for Shanghai.

Shanghai is the most populated city in China with 23 million inhabitants in total, and it is sometimes called the "Paris of the East".   The Spirit of Le Mans has grown in popularity greatly over the last two years, and we are expecting more fans in 2014.   One thing is certain – they will be treated to a bigger and better show than ever before, with more entries, more support races and more entertainment on offer.

Fiona Miller