The last event of the 2014 Blancpain Endurance Series was held on the Nürburgring this weekend and it offered a unusual show with a race subjected to severe weather but then rewarded with vigorous fights at the front, which constantly involved the crew of the McLaren MP4 / 12C No. 99 (Kevin Estre / Korjus / Andy Soucek). The No. 99 eventually crossed the line for a satisfying fourth place finish in the Pro Cup category. Meanwhile, the No. 98 of Alexandre Premat / Alvaro Parente / Grégoire Demoustier was forced to retire after 69 laps.
Fifth on the grid, the # 99 took command during the first stint with Kevin Estre behind the wheel. Despite the torrential rain, which forced race direction to order a start behind the safety car, Kevin combined speed and confidence during his stint to hand the wheel to the other Kevin on the team, Kevin Korjus, in first position. The first few kilometers for No. 98, which started from 12th position, saw a collision with the Audi # 26 that forced Alvaro Parente to return to the pits and wait there for 22 laps, the time needed for the team to change the hub carrier on the front right of his McLaren. Alexandre Premat then took over from the Portuguese driver, but on lap 69, the No. 98 was forced to retire with mechanical problems.
Throughout the race, the weather alternated between rain and enough wind to bring about a drying track. With one hour to go when the No. 99 driven by Andy Soucek was in third, he became the first to put on slick tyres. Unfortunately, teammate Kevin Estre made a head-to-tail slowed the progression of the crew. Kevin Estre assured the final stint by recording the fastest lap on several occasions; however the Frenchman was unable to get his Mercedes up into third for a podium finish.
The Nürburgring 1000 km marks the end of the 2014 Blancpain Endurance Series for ART Grand Prix and the team is now focused on their other commitments in ELMS and the curtain raiser for F1, the GP2 and GP3 championships.
Kevin Estre:
“The weekend could have been better but it also could have been worse, because the conditions were completely crazy with low visibility and even lower grip. It was very easy to make mistakes and overall we had a very good race and an excellent qualifying. Thank you to ART Grand Prix for their outstanding work and for providing us with a very competitive package. It’s a little frustrating because we would have liked to have finished the year on the podium, but the team can be proud of a great season.”
Alexandre Premat:
“Starting outside of the top 10, we had to climb up through the field to fulfill our objectives. The collision on lap 1 ended our hopes, but that’s part of racing, it was a racing incident. It’s a shame though as we were very fast in the rain and the performance of the No. 99 shows that ART Grand Prix had good potential at the Nürburgring.”
Frédéric Vasseur:
“In hellish conditions, we can highlight the performance of the No. 99 and there are no regrets, even if failed to satisfy the drivers in their quest for a podium. The performance of all three drivers was outstanding and the team managed the race perfectly, especially during the pit stops. In 2014, ART Grand Prix continued their learning of the Blancpain Endurance Series and I am proud to say that we increased our knowledge significantly. Even if all the conditions were not always met so that ART Grand Prix could have finished on the podium in the championship, our victory at Monza and our 4 podiums from five races demonstrates the extent of progress made by the team during their third year in this category.”