Peter Kox – IPB Spartak Racing (1st LMGT1) : “We started from the back and closed up because of safety-cars. We had a really good car and good tires, enough to win the race!”
Luc Alpand – Luc Alphand Aventures (2nd LMGT1) : “I made a mistake and I spun. There are not many cars in the class, but we had a good fight and the race was interesting. Dunlop helped us a lot with tires.”
Marc Lieb – Team Felbermayr-Proton (1st LMGT2) : “After the start on hard tires things weren’t going well at all. But then we had some luck and could come into the pits during a Safety Car Phase. That worked because due to our lower fuel consumption our Porsche could drive two more laps compared to our rivals. That’s how we caught up to the leaders. And then we fought, bit by bit, to eat away at the advantage of the others and finally take the lead.”
Richard Lietz – Team Felbermayr-Proton (1st LMGT2) : “The race was incredibly exhausting, but that makes victory taste even sweeter. We’d actually found a super set-up. But the circuit today was so slippery that even with a perfect car you had to fight and use your head.”
Rob Bell – JMW Motorsport (2nd LMGT2) : “That’s a fair start for the first race of the year. We are learning all the time and the team were fantastic. Prefect pit stops, the boys did a great job. I predicted the Lietz/Lieb pairing in a Porsche would come out strong and I was right! We’ll do our homework now and then roll on Spa!”
Jim McWhirter – Team Principal JMW Motorsport : “I’m very proud of the team. They worked exceptionally hard and have come together to form a strong crew. As always Rob and Gimmi have given 100%. The GT2 class is looking very competitive this year. We know and relish the fact that we will have be at the top of our game at all times.”
Antonio Garcia – Team Modena (5th LMGT2) : “Towards the end I could lap fast, but not fight for position. At the start we were as quick as anybody, I was battling with the other Ferrari, we were finding the best way through traffic, and I was the one who made the move and got away. We have learnt a lot about the car, we have learnt how to manage the tires, how we need to drive the car, and we have learnt what we need to do with the race strategy.”
Leo Mansell – Team Modena (5th LMGT2) : “That was my longest ever race stint in a race car. Near the end I got hit from behind by an LMP2 Lola in turn six or seven, it sent me spinning, but I managed to recover without losing to much time- it was unfortunate, but at least we weren’t into the gravel. We’ll be a lot stronger in the next race, I need to take away what I’ve learnt from this race and build on it for the next event.”
Christian Ried – Team Felbermayr-Proton (7th LMGT2) : “We had some problems early on because the radio didn’t work properly. Then, through no fault of his own, our Portuguese junior Francisco spun when a faster prototype hit the rear of his car. So all in all we are satisfied with our team’s result – and of course because our two race professionals climbed to the top of the podium. We are also very proud that our pit stops ran smoothly. The many practice sessions in winter have paid off.”
Paul Drayson – Drayson Racing (8th LMGT2) : “The most fun I’ve had in a race car. Really pleased with our result today. The Team did an excellent job and it was great to have a trouble free race with no contact and no reliability problems which meant I could settle in and enjoy myself reeling off the laps. The car was as good after six hours as it was at the start and this is a massive step forwards towards the Le Mans 24 Hours.”
Jonny Cocker – Drayson Racing (8th LMGT2) : “A little bit scary at the start really with the issue. I accelerated out of the pit lane and when I went to get back on the gas out of the first corner there was no throttle. That was a bit of a worry. It would start and then just shut-off straight away. I was trying my best to keep the marshals from pulling me off the circuit and out of the race. I think there were about eight guys at one point trying to pull the car while I was hard on the brakes. I guess it was a sensor in the air box and we got that straightened away. The car was really quite quick. We could run near the pace of the leaders. That’s really encouraging. We just need to work on ultimate pace. We have learned a lot with six hours of running in such a close and competitive championship. It was a good race and nice to get a finish. I felt like the car was as strong at the end as it was at the beginning. We are definitely getting there. It feels like now we can take part in a race.”
From teams press release and Cécile Bonardel