6H Spa, Qualifs : Pecom Racing gives the ORECA 03 another pole position!
After G-Drive Racing by Delta-ADR at Silverstone, Pecom Racing gave the ORECA 03 LM P2 a second pole position in as many races in the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship. On track during the qualifying session, Nicolas Minassian and Pierre Kaffer dominated the pack in a particularly disputed class : the top three are less than four tenths apart. The two men will be joined by Luis Perez Companc on Saturday for the 6 Hours of Spa. The two other ORECA 03, entered by G-Drive Racing by Delta-ADR qualified 5th and 6th.
Nicolas Minassian (Pecom Racing) : « We finally proved ourselves in qualifying! »
Winners at Bahrain last year, and third in the season opener at the 6 Hours of Silverstone, Pecom Racing had until now shown all of their qualities in the race. This time, the Argentine team also proved their top speed. Nicolas Minassian and Pierre Kaffer were the fastest in the new qualifying proceedings – the average of the two fastest laps of at least two drivers – but also on a single lap.
« It’s been a while since I had signed a pole position and it’s of course a pleasure » said Nicolas Minassian. « We were able to find the right setup with the new Michelin tires, which are a real advantage. At Silverstone, we started further back in the field, and we saw how it raised our chances of being involved in an accident. It’s good to be starting from the front. The ORECA 03 is always fast, and it’s a reliable car. With Pierre and Luis, we worked well during the practice sessions. We finally proved ourselves in qualifying after being so competitive in the races. It’s good for the whole team. »
The Marseille-born driver’s sentiments were echoed by his teammate Pierre Kaffer : « I’m very happy with this pole. It’s a nice reward for the team, who have always worked so hard. The LMP2 category is more and more competitive and we’re expecting a hard battle. Like Nicolas said, it’s positive to start from the first row. Five or six can win, but our objective will be to take the spoils ! »
The two other ORECA 03 at the start of the 6 Hours of Spa will also be fighting for the top spots. Second and fourth in the first practice on Friday morning, and fifth and sixth in the second session, G-Drive Racing by Delta-ADR monopolize the third row in the LMP2 class : fifth qualifying time for the No. 25 of Tor Graves, Antonio Pizzonia and James Walker just ahead of the No. 26 of Roman Rusinov, John Martin and Mike Conway. Winners at Silverstone, the British team will defend their status as LMP2 championship leaders on Saturday.
A the warmup from 9 a.m. to 9:20 a.m., the start of the 6 Hours of Spa will be given at 2:30p.m. Follow the race live on www.fiawec.com.