Before the 6 Hours of Fuji, the 7th round of the FIA WEC, OAK Racing enjoyed a full day testing at the track. The WEC offered this opportunity to the teams so that they could discover the track and prepare the cars. Everything went on well without any major issue for both cars.
This morning Bertrand Baguette and Takuma Sato shared the wheel of the #15 OAK-HPD LM P1 car as Dominik Kraihamer‘s turn came in the afternoon. The three drivers of the #24 Morgan-Nissan 2012 LM P2 car went aboard alternatively during the whole day.
A part from Takuma Sato none of the drivers had ever run on the Fuji Speedway. So this session was very usefull.
Several aerodynamic options have been tested on the #15 LM P1 car that the team welcomes back now powered by the Honda Performance Development engine after having missed three events. Regarding the #24 LM P2 car the ingeneers and drivers focused on the balance to suit the fast as well as the slow parts of the track.
Takuma Sato, #15 LM P1 OAK-HPD car: « It was my first time with the whole team and it was a great pleasure to share my feelings and feedbacks with my team mates, Dominik and Bertrand. I really enjoyed the day that turned to be very productive. But it was of course a tough day too when we learnt much and gathered a lot of data and we will have to keep working hard to be ready for the race. The track is very technical and we must find some low downforce and mechanical grip as well as the good balance. I had not been running here for five years and it is an interesting challenge. »
Jacques Nicolet, #24 Morgan-Nissan 2012 LM P2 car: « As a passionate and non professional driver I always enjoy discovering new circuits at the other side of the world ! Here at Fuji Speedway you can find all the different aspects that make a track attractive: a very very long straight, fast and technical curves, a slow part in sector 3 very that is very uneasy to handle and where it is very difficult to be sure you have made your best possible time ! »
Tomorrow on Thursday the administrative checks and scrutineerings will take place. Free practice sesssions will start on Friday at 11 am local time.
Source : OAK Racing