Young Driver AMR targets podium in China
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
The 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship enters its final stage and this weekends 6 hours of Shanghai in China mark the start of a very busy November. Three races in November in China, Bahrain and Brazil will decide the championship and Young Driver AMR is a very good position. The Aston Martin Racing entered Young Driver AMR-Aston Martin Vantage GTE is leading the GTE-Am class teams championship, while Kristian Poulsen und David Heinemeier Hansson are not only points leader in the GTE Am drivers championship, but are also the highest placed Aston Martin drivers in the World Endurance Cup for GT drivers. The „Danish Express“ is strengthened in China by rapid New Zealander Richie Stanaway, as Young Driver AMR regular Nicki Thiim is on Porsche Supercup duty. Stanaway will race for the third time this season for Young Driver AMR after the Spa and Austin rounds of the FIA WEC.
Young Driver AMR aims for another good result in China, to get closer to the ultimate goal, the win of the World Championship. Last year Young Driver AMR took the class Pole Position at the 5,4 km long and technically challenging Formula 1 track in China and dominated the race, but came short of a finish.
„It is looking very promising at the moment, as we have clear lead in the championship and have been very quick at Shanghai last year, but we still have to be very careful“, Young Driver AMR´s Jan Struve says. „After the two most recent rounds at Austin and Fuji I expect the biggest competition in China from our Aston Martin Racing sister car, they gave us a hard time during the last two rounds. We have to stay focused for the remaining three round and have to work on every detail, as we have still 18 hours of racing ahead of us.”
Poulsen is optimistic to finish on the podium for the sixth consecutive time this season: „This weekend, two of the regular competitors in our class are missing, so in terms of our championship ambitions, this is not too bad. It would be nice to finish another race of the podium, but this is not the main goal. At this stage of the championship, we have to score points. We have to finish the race, this is the most important thing this weekend.”
David Heinemeier Hansson knows the Shanghai International Circuit from the seat of a Le Mans prototype and has yet to turn his first laps in a GT car: “Shanghai is a fun track that's a real challenge to learn and drive fast. I haven't driven it in a GT car yet, so adjusting from the LMP lines and break points will be the first objective.“
Heinemeier Hansson has a clear vision how to approach the Chinese round of the WEC: „We are in a very fortunate position in the championship, where the key really just is to make it to the finish line. We take absolutely no risk. But that doesn't mean we are not going to be pushing for another win. With fewer cars on track, and such a long track, it's a lot easier to drive fast without risking the car in traffic. We are not going to Shanghai just to cruise around on a sight-seeing drive.”
Eurosport will broadcast the final 90 minutes of the six-hour race live on Sunday morning starting 08:30 hours. The entire race will be streamed online live on the series websitewww.fiawec.com starting Sunday at 04:00 hours (paid content).
Standing FIA Endurance Trophy for GTE Am drivers:
1. Poulsen/Heinemeier Hansson (Young Driver AMR), 136 points
2. Thiim (Young Driver AMR), 100
3. Nygaard/Dalla Lana/Lamy, (Aston Martin Racing), 97
4. Ried/Al Qubaisi/Bachler (Proton Competition), 87
5. Perez-Companc/Cioci/Venturi (AF Corse), 76
Standing FIA Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Teams:
1. Young Driver AMR (Aston Martin Vantage GTE), 136 points
2. Aston Martin Racing (Aston Martin Vantage GTE), 97
3. Proton Competition (Porsche 911 RSR), 87
4. AF Corse (Ferrari 458 Italia), 86
5. 8Star Motorsports (Ferrari 458 Italia), 40
Source - Young Driver AMR
