The LMGTE Am title battle is set to continue at Fuji this weekend with SMP Racing, AF Corse and Aston Martin Racing teams and drivers all still capable of taking the championships honours.
The battle for supremacy in the Pro-Am mix of GT aces saw a pivotal shift in the final hour of Le Mans in June when an accident for the No.98 Aston Martin, and a win for the SMP Ferrari ensured a gap opened up between the closely fought contenders. With the Russian-entered Ferrari 458 Italia of Victor Shaytar, Andrea Bertolini and Aleksey Basov then following that up with victories at Nurburgring and COTA, it means they now enjoy a 36 point lead heading in to Fuji.
“I am not thinking about the championship at all,” said Shaytar. “For me, it is this race I think about, nothing more. Yes, it is good to have a run of wins like this, but the championship is not won until it is won. Yes, this has been a great season but it is not over yet,” continued the Russian. “The Ferrari has a good history at this track. We will fight again and maybe we can continue the great results from the last races.”
Second in the title hunt is the Emmanuel Collard, Rui Aguas and Francois Perrodo crewed AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia. This trio has been remarkably consistent in 2015 with podium positions in each of the five races held so far this season.
“We have had a good year and the spirit in the class is good,” said Rui Aguas. “It will be a big surprise if the SMP Ferrari can be caught, but this is endurance racing so the impossible can sometimes happen.”
For Pedro Lamy, who along with team mates Paul Dalla Lana and Matthias Lauda in the No.98 Aston Martin, sits 50pts behind the leaders, there is nothing to lose. But the experienced Portuguese knows that they will need luck if there is any chance of re-igniting a title challenge.
“I never say it is impossible because it is not,” said Lamy. “I will approach the race this weekend as I do all of them and that is with the intention of winning it. Until there is no chance we can get in front on the points, then we will not give in. But, as you can see in black and white on the points table it will take some bad luck and at least one non score for them (SMP)."
Sam Smith
Photo: CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS (AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA), LONE STAR LE MANS, SATURDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2015. The LMGTE Am grid at Round 5, from left to right: Abu Dhabi Proton Racing's Khaled Al Qubaisi, Christian Ried, Earl Bamber; the class-winning SMP Racing crew of Aleksey Basov, Andrea Bertolini and Victor Shaytar; Francois Perrodo, Emmanuel Collard and Rui Aguas.
