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Lotus Rebellion Racing closes the 2012 FIA WEC
with their 6th win!
Results:
- 6th win of the season in FIA Endurance LMP1
Trophy (Spa, Le Mans, Silverstone, Sao Paulo,
Fuji and Shanghai)
- 4th place overall at the 6 Hours of Shanghai
- Winner of the 2012 FIA Endurance Trophy for
LMP1 Teams
In the last race of the 2012 FIA
World Endurance Championship, Lotus Rebellion
Racing secured first place in FIA WEC Endurance
LMP1 Trophy at the 6 Hours of Shanghai. Andrea
Belicchi, Harold Primat and Cong Fu Cheng, drove
their #13 B12/60 Lola-Toyota to 4th place
overall.
Starting from seventh place on the grid, the #13
Lola-Toyota was able to overtake both HPD-Hondas
with strong driving and smart strategy. At
mid-race Belicchi, Primat and Cheng were in a
strong 6th place overall (and third in the FIA
Endurance LMP1 Trophy). They kept pushing and in
the last hour of the race, Andrea Belicchi had a
head-to-head battle with David Brabham aboard
the JRM car #22. On lap 169, with less than
thirty minutes remaining in the race, Andrea
Belicchi, after numerous attempts, managed to
pass the JRM driver to take fifth place overall
(and second place in the in the FIA Endurance
LMP1 Trophy behind the Lotus Rebellion Racing
team’s sister car, #12).
Cung Fu Cheng was a successful addition to the
regular driver pairing in the Lola-Toyota #13,
he quickly adapted himself to the car and drove
two very strong stints during the race, being
both quick and safe.
Starting the race from 5th place on the grid,
the sister Lola-Toyota #12 had a nearly perfect
race, but Neel Jani and Nicolas Prost were
robbed of the victory just 8 minutes before the
end of the race. The Swiss/French pairing were
dominant from the start of the race, leading the
FIA Endurance LMP1 Trophy from the third lap (fourth
overall), building a one lap lead over the
sister car #13. But unluckily, the car was
forced to retire only a few laps from the end
with a transmission failure that deprived the
two drivers from a deserved win, instead handing
the win to Andrea Belicchi, Harrold Primat and
Cong Fu Cheng. It was the first time one of
Lotus Rebellion Racing’s Lola B12/60 Toyotas has
had to retire all season.
Andrea Belicchi – Lola-Toyota #13 :
"I feel mixed emotions. I'm happy for me, for my
teammates Harold and Cong Fu and for all the
team who have done a great job through the whole
season. I'm sad too for the team of the #12
Lola-Toyota and for my friends Neel and Nico.
Harold, Cong Fu and I had a very strong race. I
won my duel with David Brabham. I had a risky
decision to take because there were not a lot of
places that I could overtake, but it worked. I
would especially like to thank and congratulate
Cong Fu. He has been really great during the
week-end. He has quickly become part of the team
and adapted very well to the car. He drove
really strong stints during the race."
Harold Primat – Lola-Toyota #13 :
"I'm satisfied by our season. All the team has
worked hard for the last years to achieve good
results and it has paid off especially this
season. Of course, we share the disappointment
of our teammates in the #12 car, Nico and Neel.
They would have deserved the win and to have
claimed third place in the FIA WEC drivers
classification, but things like that happen
sometimes. Anyway, we will celebrate together
our victory of today and the success of the
season !”
Cung Fu Cheng – Lola-Toyota #13 :
"The challenge of driving the REBELLION Racing
Lola-Toyota LMP1 was not so easy. I hadn't
driven much before the race and I had not a lot
of time to learn and understand the car, but we
did it! I'm sorry for Neel and Nico, but happy
to have contributed to the success of the team.
I really appreciate being able to come and race
at REBELLION Racing, there is a great spirit in
this team."
Nicolas Prost – Lola-Toyota #12 :
"It was like another perfect race for us until 8
minutes before the end. We made the gap during
the race and won the duel against the JRM #22
car. But the gearbox broke just a few laps
before the end of the race, preventing the car
from being able to move and forcing us to retire.
As a consequence, we lost 3rd place in the FIA
World Endurance Championship driver
classification. We had bad luck in beginning of
the season and we are finishing with bad luck.
It's a bit sad to finish on this note, but we
can be very proud of our results this season."
Neel Jani – Lola-Toyota #12 :
" It's a kind of story that only sport can tell.
We were P4 overall and P1 in the LMP1 privateer
field. We had just over seven minutes before the
end of the race and the car broke. The main
consequence of all of this is that we lost the
third place in the FIA World Endurance
Championship drivers classification. And that's
what is the harder thing to take for me. However,
we proved once again that we were the fastest
LMP1 privateer car this season. And the very
good memory of our victory at Petit Le Mans last
week is still in our heads. Yes, I am are
satisifed by my 2012 season."
Bart Hayden Lotus Rebellion Racing Team Manager
:
"This win in Shanghai rounds off what has been a
very successful season, 6 wins in the FIA
Endurance LMP1 Trophy (Spa-Francorchamps, Le
Mans, Silverstone, Sao Paulo, Fuji and Shanghai)
including 6 pole positions and not forgetting
the overall win at Petit Le Mans, at the finale
of the American Le Mans Series.
I feel sorry for Nico (Prost) and Neel (Jani) as
they were unable to claim third place in the FIA
WEC World Drivers championship. They have been
dominant all season and today they were within
sight of the just reward that they deserved.
For car #13, they drove really well to get the
car up ahead the HPDs and they were there to
pick up the win when #12 had to retire. Cong Fu
contributed massively to that result, he
integrated really well with the team and
supported Andrea and Harold, so I’m happy for
those guys that they took the win.
We are now heading home and will have, during
the next coming weeks, time to try to realise
what we have achieved, and some time to spend
with our families ... and prepare for next
season !
The team has grown and strengthened again this
year. We will enjoy the moment and then start
looking ahead to the next season" |
