Heading in to the last three races of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship the points tables make for interesting reading after the latest round at Fuji last weekend.
Victory for Anthony Davidson and Sébastien Buemi ensured that they have extended their World Endurance Drivers Championship gap to 29 points on their nearest adversaries – the No.2 Audi Sport Team Joest trio of Marcel Fässler, Benoît Tréluyer and André Lotterer.
With a maximum of 78 points to play for before the chequered flag at Interlagos on November 30 it will be interesting to see if and when any championship points’ strategies come in to play within the three manufacturer teams.
In the LMP1 Manufacturers Championship, the Fuji result was significant in that Toyota overturned the points’ deficit to Audi and now lead the standings by a margin of eight points.
The No.12 Rebellion Racing crew of Nick Heidfeld, Nicolas Prost and Mathias Beche wrapped up the LMP1-L Drivers title in Austin with a perfect score of 125pts after winning the opening four rounds. Rebellion Racing is also now confirmed as FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP1-L Teams champion.
With G-Drive taking a third victory of the 2014 season in Japan, Roman Rusinov, Olivier Pla and Julien Canal has closed the gap in the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Drivers Championship to SMP Racing’s Sergey Zlobin. Now just 16 points apart, G-Drive’s French/Russian alliance is hunting down the leader as they head to Shanghai. The same positions and margins apply for the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 teams.
Gimmi Bruni and Tony Vilander’s perfectly judged third LMGTE PRO victory of the season at Fuji moved them further toward sealing the World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers. With a 49.5 lead to Porsche Team Manthey’s Frederic Makowiecki, the AF Corse pairing could, if they wished, afford to play the percentage game in the final three races. Bruni is eyeing a successful defence of the title he won in 2013.
A 36-point advantage in the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGTE PRO Teams sees AF Corse again in control over Porsche Team Manthey. Aston Martin Racing is just three points behind its German adversary after gaining two points on it at Fuji.
In the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGTE AM Drivers, Aston Martin Racing’s Danish pairing of David Heinemeier Hansson and Kristian Poulsen enjoy a 39-point lead after securing their third victory of the season last Sunday. With their nearest challengers being Paul Dalla Lana, Christoffer Nygaard and Pedro Lamy from the sister No.98 Aston Martin Racing entry, it looks certain that the title will have a pale blue and orange shade to it this season.
The World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers is currently led by Ferrari on 200pts, 29 ahead of Porsche who, in turn, have a 25 point cushion over Aston Martin.
Fiona Miller
Photos: FUJI INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (SHIZUOKA PREFECTURE, JAPAN), 6 HOURS OF FUJI, SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER 2014, RACE. 1) Anthony Davidson of Toyota extended his championship lead with victory in Japan; 2) Rebellion Racing and Aston Martin Racing's Danish-crewed Vantage; 3) AF Corse's winning No.51 Ferrari 458 Italia of Bruni-Vilander.
