One of the key underlying principles of the FIA World Endurance Championship is the provision of entertainment: for its rapidly growing global fan base and also for its multi-national grid of top class entrants who are all competing for World Championship titles. Teamwork is another key element of endurance racing – if teams of two or three drivers race together, then why not have more than one qualify the car.
A new system of qualifying was introduced for 2013 which sees cars on track at all times during the specified sessions, providing excitement, tension and entertainment for spectators and fans around the world. In the past, teams have for strategic reasons often tended to delay their attempts to set the fastest lap times, and the result has been grandstands full of fans watching…nothing.
The regulations state that two nominated drivers – the nominations being entirely at the discretion of the team – from each car crew must set at least two timed laps during qualifying. The average of the four best lap times (the best two of each driver) will serve as the reference time for establishing the grid.
Fiona Miller
CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS (AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA), 6 HOURS OF CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS, PRE-RACE GRID, 22 SEPTEMBER 2013.
