Hoping for a Shanghai surprise!

As we get through the second half of the 2017 World Endurance Championship at an alarming rate of knots, this weekend sees the Championship's penultimate round from the Shanghai International Circuit in China.

With Aston Martin Racing's GTE Pro Championship aspirations all but washed away in the deluge that was the six hours of Fuji two weeks ago, all eyes will turn towards their GTE Am championship contending #98 car as they look to reclaim their position at the head of that championship table going into the final round in Bahrain after their equally bad run at Fuji.

The #98 Paul Dalla Lana, Mathias Lauda and Pedro Lamy go to China just three points behind the new championship leading #61 Clearwater Ferrari and one point behind the second placed #77 Dempsey Proton Porsche with the season finale in the deserts of Bahrain just two weeks after China. GTE Am winners last time out in Fuji, the #54 Spirit of Race Ferrari are already out of the championship hunt but  could be there again as a spoiler to others should Shanghai be another wet race.


The wet is of course where the three AMR's cars lost out to their Michelin shod class advisories with the latters full wet tyre being far more useful than that of the teams Dunlop tyre in the wet of Japan.

We believe that the rain shortened race in Japan will also negate any possibility of any Auto BoP adjustments to any of the cars in the two GTE classes so any wet race could prove itself to be another race of tedium for the team.

Indeed, Shanghai has traditionally proved itself to be something of a frustrating circuit for the AMR Pro cars with none ever finishing higher than mid way in their class in the last three visits to the circuit whilst the teams GTE Am entries have generally finished on the podium - so at least that is the right way round for what is still achievable this season and what is not.


Bearing in mind that Shanghai is eight hours ahead of GMT, track action shall begin as usual with Friday Free Practice at 11:00hrs (local) before a second session at 15:30hrs (local). Final Free Practice is at 10:00hrs (local) on Saturday morning before Qualifying that starts at 14:00hrs (local)

The six hours of Shanghai starts at 11:00hrs (local) on Sunday.

Photo credits - AMR