LM P1
Jan Charouz – Aston Martin Racing # 007 Lola-Aston Martin – 1st LMP1
“For us as a team of three this is a good result but for Aston Martin it is even better. We are now leading the Team and Driver Championships and it puts us in a much better position for Silverstone which is a race we are confident will suit the car. I think we are all looking forward to the last race of the season and we hope we can win the Championship.”
Tomáš Enge – Aston Martin Racing # 007 Lola-Aston Martin – 1st LMP1
“This was a really important race for the whole team and also for Aston Martin. We are very happy to be leading by seven points but anything can happen in the last race and the Championship is by no means decided but at least we are in a strong position for the title. I’m really looking forward to the last race which is the home race for the team and the employees at Aston Martin Racing and Aston Martin so I’m sure we will have a lot of supporters.”
Stefan Mücke – Aston Martin Racing # 007 Lola-Aston Martin – 1st LMP1
“It was absolutely fantastic, the team did a great job and we had almost no issues during the race. In qualifying the car was good and at the end of the race the car was perfect. I’m so pleased to have won my home race, it is an amazing feeling.”
Harold Primat – Aston Martin Racing # 009 Lola-Aston Martin – 2nd LMP1
“It was fine with just two of us in the car as it gave us more driving time and more time to work on finding the best set-up. Darren is a very good solid driver so I’m happy to be partnering him because he is pushing me to improve. It’s great to finally be on the podium, it’s a good feeling and great for improving confidence.”
Darren Turner – Aston Martin Racing # 009 Lola-Aston Martin – 2nd LMP1
“It’s an amazing feeling to finish on the podium, to be up there with our team-mates and George, the three cars below and the whole team cheering us on was just a great feeling. It’s a great testament to the team to get three cars home in any race but to get three cars home and on the podium when the competition is so strong in this series is a real achievement. It has been a great day for everyone.”
Chris Buncombe – Aston Martin Racing # 008 Lola-Aston Martin – 3rd LMP1
“This is a fantastic result. A podium finish was always the aim but we didn’t know how achievable it would be. To be here driving for Aston Martin this weekend is a dream. I’ve learnt a lot and I treated it as a learning weekend so to come away with a podium is just fantastic. This was the first time I have driven the car and now I know what to expect, I can’t wait for Silverstone.”
Stuart Hall – Aston Martin Racing # 008 Lola-Aston Martin – 3rd LMP1
“It’s great to be back in the car and it’s great that Aston Martin had faith in me. I couldn’t really ask for more. It is the first time that myself, Chris and Miguel have driven together. We are a good team and we jelled very well. It’s been a while since I last drove the car but I think we showed great pace. I’m going to enjoy this result for the next week or so and then look forward to Silverstone. It’s my favourite circuit and there is no better place for a British driver to race than Silverstone. I know the circuit really well so you never know, hopefully we can get another good result there too.”
Miguel Ramos – Aston Martin Racing # 008 Lola-Aston Martin – 3rd LMP1
“A podium finish is a great result for me and my new team-mates. We all put in solid performances and we had a great race.”
George Howard-Chappell – Aston Martin Racing – Team Principal
“Absolutely brilliant! I couldn’t have dreamt of a one, two, three. The result is a real tribute to the team, the drivers and the whole organisation. I would particularly like to thank Michelin for their support and their valued help. All round it is just fantastic and the flags will definitely be flying at the Aston Martin Racing headquarters in the UK tomorrow morning.”
Pierre Ragues – Team Signature Plus # 12 Courage-Oreca – 5th LMP1
“I am a bit frustrated with our mysterious lack of performance this afternoon. Up to and including the qualifying session, the car felt really good and I was able to put the car sixth on the grid after just one lap. We have to look into what might have happened to cause the understeer. Overall, I am happy to take fifth place in spite of our various difficulties. The team has again performed outstandingly well and we have proven our consistency with another valuable finish. Let’s hope we can take the positives from this weekend forward to the last race of the year in Silverstone.”
Andrea Belicchi – Speedy Racing Team Sebah Lola-Aston Martin n°13 – 6th LMP1
“We started in third position and I could fight with the official Lolas-Aston Martin all along my first stint. Darren Turner increased the gap a little bit because of traffic, but I could catch up. I could have passed him, but as I was done with my driving time. I decided to stay wisely behind because the race was still early. The car was very good and I could double stint with my tires, which remained consistent. I am so disappointed with the result.”
Nick Leventis – Strakka Racing #23 Ginetta-Zytek – Retired LMP1
“Danny did a great job all weekend. He helped to put together a car that was a dream to drive, and he was consistently one of the quickest out there. Danny’s an incredible driver. He knows exactly what he’s doing and his performance today simply demonstrates what a talented racing driver he is.”
LM P2
Olivier Pla – Quifel-ASM Team #40 Ginetta-Zytek – 1st LMP2
“We fulfilled our contract in Germany. We confirmed our victory at Portimão and increased our championship lead. We could not expect a better result. We now have to focus to end on a high note at Silverstone. Beforehand, I want to dedicate this victory to somebody who has helped and supported me a lot for these last months.”
Matthieu Lahaye – OAK Racing # 35 Pescarolo-Mazda – 3rd LMP2
“We have shown our potential during the past few races so it’s nice to get a podium. We were fast in the race and I hope that this will continue at Silverstone. I also think that I have found something for the starts! As in Portimão, I had a superb opening stint and was soon running in the top three. I pushed hard throughout and did not have any problems. From the middle of the race, we were able to double stint the tyres which allowed us to climb back up the order. I am delighted for the entire team who deserve this result.”
Karim Ajlani – OAK Racing # 35 Pescarolo-Mazda – 3rd LMP2
“My first stint was going well until the moment the engine bip, when changing down the gears, stopped working and I had to switch the mapping to ‘safe’. That meant I did not have any antilag and was slower exiting the corners which cost me some time until the end of the first stint. We decided to continue, waiting until the driver change for the mechanics to fix the problem. This paid off as we only lost six minutes in the pits. I finished the race with a double stint, bringing the car home to score this fabulous podium. We had high hopes for this race and it has paid off. I must say a big thank you to the entire team.”
Jacques Nicolet – OAK Racing # 24 Pescarolo-Mazda –4th LMP2
“This is an excellent result for the team, with a podium for the #35 and Richard and I just behind with an excellent fourth place. Both of us have made a step forward in performance since our podium at Le Mans, and that’s been confirmed by the result here. We raced with a good, consistent rhythm and drove faster than normal which has helped us to finish just off of the podium. I cannot wait to be at Silverstone.”
Jonny Kane – Speedy Racing Team Sebah # 33 Lola-Aston Martin – 6th LMP2
“To start at the very back and after two stints, be position two I think was very good. Everything was looking ok. The LMP1 car was running very well also, third overall. It looked like we would maybe have two podiums. But unfortunately, within a very short time, both cars had problems. We finish seventh now, which is a couple of points, but this is not the result we wanted.”
Thomas Erdos – RML AD Group #25 Lola-Mazda – Retired LMP2
“The whole team is devastated by yet another non-finish. We’d had such a very good start to the race, and were running so strongly. We may not have had the outright pace of the Zytek, but we were a worthy second top Lola, top Mazda, and very competitive. Right through to the end of my stint, there was no indication of any issues with the engine at all. It’s a very discouraging end to what had been a promising day.”
Cécile Bonardel