It’s been almost two months since the last Blancpain Endurance Series event, the Total 24 Hours of Spa, and Joe Osborne is ready to deliver a title-winning race performance at the Nürburgring in Germany next weekend (September, 19-21).
As Osborne prepares for the Nürburgring 1000km, a race of seismic proportions itself, the Olney-based driver is aware the result of the race has even greater importance. Osborne and MP Motorsport- AMR team-mates Richard Abra and Mark Poole are third in the PRO-AM standings, just 32 points off the current leaders Francesco Castellaci, Stefano Gai, and Andrea Rizzoli.
There is everything to play for in Germany, with 33 points available for a class victory, and the gruelling length of the race will likely generate numerous retirements. Staying out of trouble is something Osborne has proven to be adept at; consistently taking points finishes where it matters on circuits that haven’t favoured the V12-powered Aston Martin Vantage GT3.
“I feel good. We’ve come through and delivered results against the odds on tracks that haven’t traditionally suited us,” remarked the British sportscar racer. “I feel like we’ve gotten rid of the bad luck; we’re running where we should. It’s definitely a long shot and we are relying heavily on the Ferrari guys not finishing at all, but this is motorsport and anything is possible. I certainly feel better about our chances than I did before the Spa weekend; so much rides on having a good result there.”
Osborne, who put in a stunning drive to secure a second-place finish for the Aston Martin crew in its home event at Silverstone in May, has since gone on an enviable points scoring run, taking five consecutive points finishes and impressively snatching fourth in class on his debut in the Belgian epic, Spa 24, back in July.
The only negatives for the MP Motorsport-AMR crew this year were when they were assisted out of the top-ten at the opening round in Italy by an over zealous rival, and an unfortunate penalty in France at Paul Ricard for a minor driving infringement by a team-mate.
Despite having taken numerous wins in other series, next weekend represents the first major title assault Osborne has been involved in since successfully lifting the 2009 European GT4 title, a point which spurs on the BRDC SuperStar.
“I know I’m good enough to compete and beat the factory drivers, I’ve shown that regularly in British GT (where he competes in a BMW). I’m hungry for more wins and titles and I keep developing myself to do better, no matter what car I’m in. Since 2011 I’ve competitively raced Audi, Porsche, BMW and Aston Martins; I’m no one-trick pony.”
His full debut this year in the Blancpain Endurance Series, after a one-off race at Silverstone last year (that resulted in a PRO-AM second place finish), has immediately been strong and Osborne credits his team for this impact.
“There’s little doubt in my mind that we have one of the best engineering crews behind us in the pits. They’re a fantastic group of talented people with a good sense of humour, which is vital in a championship as testing and competitive as this. Similarly, Mark and Richard are great and have come on leaps and bounds this year. There’s no hierarchy in the team, we come in, we work together and we do a good job; it’s refreshing.”
When asked how he rates his chances of taking the PRO-AM crown next weekend, the 25 year-old’s view is unabashed.
“We haven’t come this far to walk away and say, ‘hey, well, third place will do’. We must go for it, drive our own race, stay out of trouble and do everything in our power to ensure we take victory. There are factors that we can’t control and we have to block those out.
“I love the Nürburgring, it’s a great track and the location in the Eiffel Mountains is incredible. One aspect drivers often comment on when they go there is the changeable weather. That’s not an issue for me, I’m used to weather changing in an instant; it’s very similar to a lot of tracks in the UK in that respect! The Vantage should go well there and I’m keen to put on a good show in front of the motorsport heads of a number of manufacturers. I’m at a pivotal point in my career and I don’t want to leave Germany empty-handed.”
The iRacing Nürburgring 1000km event kicks off with free practice at 08:10 BST and 09:55 on Saturday 20th September, quickly followed by qualifying at 16:15 later the same day. The race itself takes place on Sunday 21st September and gets underway at approximately 10:45, wrapping up just before 17:00.