ART Grand Prix has demonstrated its strength in adversity once again. Unfortunately, the two McLaren MP4-12C’s No. 98 and 99 were forced to retire overnight when they were finally up and into the top 10.
Serenity and growth in the rhythm and in the search for optimum settings are the key factors when it comes to preparing for the biggest race of the GT season. Unfortunately the 24 hours of Spa-Francorchamps did not start in the best way for ART Grand Prix. Alvaro Parente was avoiding a competitor at Pouhon during free practice, was unbalanced by a bump and hit the rails at high speed with his McLaren MP4-12C No. 98. The violence of the crash that followed was such that the car was virtually destroyed and Alvaro Parente was diagnosed with three sprains.
The damage to the car required a thorough and lengthy rebuild that took forty hours during which mechanics have provided outstanding work. The No. 98 was unable to participate in qualifying, leaving only the #99 to defend the colors of ART Grand Prix. Korjus/Andy Soucek/Kevin Estre set the fastest time in pre-qualifications, 3rd in qualifying and 8th for the Super Pole.
Repaired in time for the start, which was given under an uncertain sky, the No. 98 darted off from the 61st and last place. Half an hour later, Alvaro Parente had risen to 36th position. At the same time, Kevin Estre entered the pit lane without reaching his box. The French driver began repair to a sensor before he resumed racing 3 laps down. Fifteen minutes later, the No. 98 was hit by a serious setback, a rear puncture when he had just started a new lap of the 7km circuit. Alvaro rallied back around to the pits very carefully and emerged 2 laps behind the leaders in 55th position.
At the end of the first quarter of the race, the two McLaren ART Grand Prix cars were in 15th and 16th places. Both crews performed strong relays and continued to rise up the ranks by the time the 24h of Spa entered its nocturnal phase. After a third of the race was gone, the top 8 had become a realistic goal for the McLaren tandem. On the rise, ART Grand Prix was again struck down with bad luck, this time permanently. A mechanical problem ended the run of the No. 99 when Kevin Estre was driving, and the No. 98 driven by Nicolas Lapierre lost a wheel at high speed, for an unexplained reason.
ART Grand Prix and its two crews will now prepare without delay for the 1000 km at the Nürburgring to be held from September 19th to 21st.
Kevin Estre:
“We have worked very well on the car and have developed its performance because the balance was not perfect at the beginning of the week. We were successful in qualifying knowing that balance performance was not really in our favor in comparison to the rest of the year. 8th place with the Super Pole, it was still a good start to the weekend for No. 99, but the team obviously had big problems with the crash of 98. Early in the race, a turbo sensor broke, but the team had prepared the shot showing us how to do it before starting the repair. Then, Andy, Kevin and I made very good relay and the car became more efficient with lower temperatures. Andy did a terrific second stint and we were able to fight for the top 5 in the heart of the night. And then there was the final blow, the technical failure that we must work out the origin. I am very sad for the mechanics and for the team as they deserved better after some fantastic work done in recent weeks. I hope that the bad luck is now behind us and will leave us alone for the 1000 km Nürburgring.”
Nicolas Lapierre:
“For the No. 98, the 24 Hours of Spa got off to a very bad start with this stupid accident that we were not responsible for. We had very little track time before the race and there was little more than the monocoque left to keep after the accident. With sprains, Alvaro had the courage to start, and the talent to perform as effectively as ever. And then there was the puncture which made us lose two laps and a collision with a latecomer that forced us to change the radiator in the middle of the night. Finally, I lost a wheel and I was unable to return to the pits. I missed it by 100 meters … It is very hard for ART Grand Prix and the mechanics because nobody did anything wrong, quite the contrary! The performance was there, everyone remained calm and professional despite all our worries and I am proud to be part of this adventure.”
Frédéric Vasseur:
“It is a huge frustration because our performance was interesting and the team and its drivers deserved a better reward than a double retirement beyond our control. Both crews were superb and it did not go unnoticed, but a succession of mishaps ruined our weekend. I hope that we will reap the fruits of our labor at the Nürburgring.”