The first two rounds of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship take place on two of Europe’s most historic and storied circuits: Silverstone in Great Britain and Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. Here’s a quick review of what has happened at these tracks over the last two years, beginning with the race that will open the 2014 season.
The 6 Hours of Silverstone in 2012 took place in the month of August, the fourth round of the season, and saw Audi clinching the LMP1 Manufacturers’ World Championship thanks to overall victory by that year’s World Champions, André Lotterer, Marcel Fässler and Benoît Tréluyer in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro. Audi repeated the victory in 2013, at the opening round of the season in April – Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Loïc Duval taking the victory laurels.
In LMP2, ADR-Delta’s ORECA-Nissan won in 2012, and Delta-ADR in 2013…a double for the Silverstone-based team, despite the slight change of team name. Malaysia’s Tor Graves was the common link between the two years, alongside John Martin and Jan Charouz in 2012 and Antonio Pizzonia and James Walker last year.
Spectators at the 3.667 miles / 5.901km long track, a former WWII airfield and home of the British F1 Grand Prix, have seen some great battles in the LMGTE Pro and Am classes. 2012 was Ferrari’s year, with victories in both the Pro and Am categories thanks to AF Corse’s Ferrari 458 Italia of Gianmaria Bruni and Giancarlo Fisichella (Pro) and AF Corse-Waltrip’s Marco Cioci, Matt Griffin and Piergiuseppe Perazzini (Am).
Eight months later Aston Martin Racing’s Darren Turner, Stefan Mücke and Bruno Senna started the marque’s centenary year in great style, their Vantage V8 dominating the British round in the Pro class. Aston Martin’s success was echoed in the Am class by the Danish trio of Allan Simonsen, Christoffer Nygaard and Kristian Poulsen who were equally convincing throughout the race.
The April weather played its part in the lead up to 2013’s race day, and the grid was set for the first time using the new-for-2013 aggregated qualifying system.
FIA WEC Fastest Laps
2012
LMP1 A. McNish Audi R18 e-tron quattro 1m42.767 206.3kph
LMP2 M. Conway ORECA 03 - Nissan 1m49.087 194.4kph
LMGTE Pro P. Lamy Aston Martin Vantage V8 1m59.593 177.3kph
LMGTE Am J. Campbell-Walter Aston Martin Vantage V8 2m00.874 175.4kph
2013
LMP1 N. Lapierre Toyota TS030 1m44.059 203.6kph
LMP2 O. Pla Morgan-Nissan 1m50.439 192.0kph
LMGTE Pro R. Lietz Porsche 911 RSR 2m01.718 174.2kph
LMGTE Am M. Cioci Ferrari 458 Italia 2m03.848 171.2kph
CLICK HERE for the results from the 2012 and 2013 seasons
Fiona Miller
Photos: SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT (TOWCESTER, NORTHANTS), 6 HOURS OF SILVERSTONE. TOP: Start of the 2012 race, won by the No.1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro. BELOW: The No.97 Vantage V8 which won the LMGTE Pro category in 2013.
