Circuit this is good not only a fairly complex pattern track, but also quite unusual form of construction, where the central part of its shape resembles the stadium, and bears this name.
Moreover, FIA WEC in its modern incarnation is not yet visited Mexico, and she appeared in front of the teams and drivers in all its beauty and originality. This weekend has sold more than 50 thousand tickets, the audience flooded circuit. Organizers rasstaralis make such a discovery, which would be a long time no one is forgotten: the bright Mexican girl, mariachi, music and dance — all in a traditional style and incredible Mexican coloring. During the autograph sessions, many pilots donned costumes and masks in the tradition of Mexican masquerade. Those who have ever been in this country — it will never be forgotten!
Do not forget it, and many of the participants of the last stage of the WEC, for the more unpredictable and capricious race of last season, and remember difficult. None of the possible predictions for the race has not come true, all that counted teams and drivers — gone head over heels. Oh and the unpredictability of the final and did it goes beyond all limits usual.
In general, it features Mexican highway, not only in its relief, but also in the location: the circuit is situated at an altitude of 2285 meters above sea level, which means that the flat atmosphere affects both the power of the engines not equipped with superchargers, and the downforce cars. That is why the teams here have been allowed to use body kits in their maximum configuration for improved downforce and special aero parts, which create the possibility of additional cooling for the engine prone to overheating at such heights.
The surprises began even during practice on Thursday when Stéphane Sarrazin, who plays for the Toyota team on the prototype №6, had an accident and crashed the car badly. In addition, at the start of stage I could not go out and the pilot crew №5 Anthony Davidson, who had an accident at Magny-Cours and has not yet been rehabilitated. Toyota, which so recently and not too lucky (finish Le Mans remembered to this day), just dropped the spirit and called this weekend in one of precc catastrophic releases. However, they could not have imagined how it will end.
Qualifying has been very successful for Audi, which showed the first and the third result, Porsche pushing into the background. Toyota had to be content with third place of the grid, but judging by their mood, they took it for granted. Two private LMP1 category of the prototype are located on the 7th and 8th field grid, thus it is necessary to note that the Rebellion team since the Mexican stage reduced its involvement to one car, since all the remaining funds sent back for revision a prototype for next season — to somehow remain competitive.
In the LMP2 class qualification I was not too successful — this time for the Russian crews. G-Drive Racing qualified only third in the category, losing not only its permanent rival Signatec Alpine, but the «national» crew to Ligier as part of Felipe Albuquerque, Bruno Senna and the Mexican pilot phase and direct organizer Ricardo Gonzales.
Two crew SMP Racing (Nicolas Minosyan / Maurizio Meliani and Vitaly Petrov / Cyril Ladigin / Victor Shaitar) took 7th and 8th place in the category, respectively.
In the GT class the best two Aston Martin steel. Ferrari AF Corse qualified only third.
Start 6-hour race was extremely successful for Audi, who were able to double and immediately break away from his pursuers. However, Brendon Hartley on Porsche # 1 absolutely not going to give up — on the contrary, he became aggressively to attack from the start, and after half an hour after the start of the race has moved to the second position. René Rast, who started the stage driving Oreca # 26, also fairly rapidly regained second place in the category.
Victor Shaitar prototype BR01 №27 already at the start of breaks with the eighth position in the fifth and continues to gather momentum. But, unfortunately, 50 minutes after the start, he touches the curb on the exit of turn, does not have time to «catch» the car and smashes it against the wall fence. From Shaitar boxes is commanded to try to get to the pitlane, but the prototype is broken too, and Victor is forced to stay on track. The crew leaves the stage.
On the racetrack, announced Virtual Machine security mode, and many crews use these to make his first pitstop. Mark Weber replaces Brendon Hartley at the wheel, René Rast — Roman Rusinov also occur replacement and Team Toyota, but Audi are working on a different strategy, their pilots are still on the road in the same composition.
Unfortunately, in the first third of the race forced to retire due to problems with the hybrid setup crew Toyota # 5, and it's even more impact on the mood of the team in the pits.
At the end of the second hour of the race ensued beautiful struggle between prototype G-Drive Racing team and crew №43 RGR Sport. Roman Rusinov and Ricardo Gonzalez in the past acted in the same carriage, but now they are fighting for position in the race, among them even had contact ended №43 flight of the prototype, and the winner of the bout came Rusinov. Thus, №26 was the leader in the class, and after a while the existing gap between the rivals even more increased Alex Brundle, who replaced Roman driving.
Meanwhile, in the class of LMP1 Audi gradually losing ground. After the second pit stop, which mechanics Porsche conducted much more quickly and more competently than the team from Ingolstadt, Porsche # 1 finally consolidates its leadership, and the subsequent very unfortunate mistake Audi # 7, where long before the entry to the pit lane runs out of fuel, and the car has to dokatyvayutsya on electricity balances, further plays into their hands. Audi # 8 still hold the second position, but Porsche gap getting bigger. Around the middle of the race on the track for the second time post Full Corse Yellow, and how it is connected with the need to remove from the routes are small fragments after the next contact, and with the impending rain.
All cars in the pitlane I stop again, but if Porsche and Toyota pereobuvatsya on rain tires, the Audi preferred intermediate. Perhaps they hope that the rain will end soon, but there it was. On poluslik Audi begin to slide, save even more time, and then Timo Bernhard in the Porsche # 1 performs amazing: already turning to the road leading to the pitlane, he at the last moment changes the decision and returned to the track, crossing the white line, for which he receives there is a penalty in the form of a Stop & Go.
After serving the sentence crew returned to the track only in third place, however, and in the LMP2 category, not all is going well: G-Drive inferior Signatec Alpine and rolled back to the 2nd place. 37th SMP Racing crew at this point continues to hold 4th place in the LMP2 category.
Meanwhile, the rain intensified; Brendon Hartley, who replaced Timo Bernhard at the wheel, wins back lost ground again and regains first place. Marc Lieb also did not lose time in vain, and, beating the Audi # 8 takes place behind Hartley. But after a while, slipping on the wet pavement, Olivier Zharvis in the Audi # 8 completes the race in the nearest wall.
Two hours before the finish line contact occurs at the Porsche # 2 and leading into the car LMP2 category at number 36. Nothing serious, but Porsche is damaged rear brake light, and for him to repair to get back to the pits.
At the surprises do not end there. About an hour before the finish of the race for violation of a fine passing pitstop procedures pitlane crew gets №36, №37 and BR01 after several contacts with circular significantly rolled back.
Later crash occurs and Andre Loterrera in the Audi # 7, but the car back into the race. Of course this is reflected in the overall situation of crews, and here we will have a major surprise: Toyota # 6, a broken even during practice on Thursday, the crew of which harbored any hopes for the race, is in the 2nd position in the competition! Well who would have thought! Until the finish line is not even close, but in any case it is more than enchanting event for the team as a whole.
Last surprise that Mexico has presented, for us was most unpleasant. Half an hour before the finish line at the leading crew G-Drive Racing takes place in the literal sense of the catastrophe. In explodes right front brake disc when changing René Rast, which is accompanied by a spectacular fiery torch. In the pits the mechanics are doing everything possible to eliminate the damage, but the moment was lost: №26 crew returns to finish the race and only on the 8th position.
«In motorsport there is no minor detail! Any little thing can cost you the race, or the whole season, as it has happened with us in Brazil in 2014. The same reason — the refusal of brakes — and this is my partner was in the wall. Fortunately, neither then nor now no one was hurt, but, nevertheless, the damage was massive. We walked to victory in 2014, we are at full speed rushed to her today, but the brakes failed for half an hour to go, and, of course, a great happiness that we all were able to finish. From such moments are not perfect, but I would like to believe that in Texas we can win back the lost positions, „- commented on the race results Roman Rusinov, pilot car №26 team G-DriveRacing.
As a result, the absolute podium races are the crews of three different manufacturers. Porsche №1 gets first place, the Audi # 7 and the second Toyota # 6 — the third, which means that the overall drivers Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Stéphane Sarrazin again climb to second place, behind only the Porsche crew # 2.
Mark Weber, Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, who is desperately unlucky in the beginning of the season, reducing the gap by leaps and bounds. There are still four races, during which time anything can happen. In the LMP2 category, too, all is not well, but here everything is possible. G-Drive Racing is located on the fourth place, with almost twice behind the first crew Signatec Alpine (74 points against the 130's). At SMP Racing 50 crews and 34 points in the overall standings, but the fate of the season is far from solved.
Ahead of an interesting race in Japan, Shanghai and Bahrain; Well, in two weeks will move to Championship Circuit des Ameriques, which will be another 6-hour race.
Photo: SMP Racing, FIA WEC, Facebook R.Rusinova
