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Magny Cours

Eurosport Super Racing Weekends

01/05/2001

Race

Report

Raceday dawned dry and fairly bright! What a welcome change.

The Listers were fastest in the warm-up, which seemed to be confirmation that their base (dry) set-up was pretty close to optimum, despite no dry running here. Belmondo ran in fresh engines in nos. 10 and 12, the mechanics having worked until 5am to fit the pair of V10s. The #64 Coca-Cola Porsche (broken engine) and #14 Redolfi Orlando Porsche 911 GT2 (accident damage) would not start the race.

Lister Cars ended up taking a conclusive GT win, but there were moments when their two British drivers put on an excellent show – racing against each other. In N-GT, the #62 JMB Ferrari 360 took a maiden non-Porsche win in the class, the first since the start of this format a year or so ago.

“It was a really nice race, considering the little time we had in the dry,” concluded JC-W. “We used a variation on last year's set-up and chose a hard tyre. Actually, if we'd worked for six hours on the set-up, we'd have most probably ended up with the one we had today! There were no real difficulties, although I was unlucky with traffic at the start, and lost some time. But although Hezemans and Bouchut pulled away, and I couldn't match their fastest times, their softer tyres seemed to go off, and I was able to catch them and stay at the same pace throughout.” Tom Coronel drove just the middle stint. “The first three laps were very difficult, finding the braking points and finding which corner was in which gear, because it was my first time here in the Lister in the dry. I just saved my tyres and did a good stint. We managed a consistent pace, and it gave us a nice win. I've never been off the podium at Magny Cours - for me, we could race every race round here!”

The JMB lead pair were equally happy. “The race was OK,” said David Terrien. “I did not have a lot to do because Christian did a fantastic job in the beginning in the race, so when he left me the drive I only had to stay in front. The team told me to slow down to conserve fuel, so that we could finish the race without a second stop.”

“I much prefer to drive than to watch and worry,” said Christian Pescatori.

Christophe Bouchut led from the lights, but within half a lap, he’d been hounded and passed by a fiery Mike Hezemans. The Dutchman set the fastest lap of the race, pulled away from Bouchut - and the two Listers were third and fourth, just waiting for the opposition to run into any tyre trouble. Larbre were suffering with oversteer.

Bailey led the race by lap 14, was passed by JC-W – and the pair of them provided some top class entertainment as they diced in a highly professional manner. Was there one slight touch? A sort of, ‘Get over Jamie, I’m having the line at the Hairpin this time’?

They pitted together, Tom Coronel pulling right away from Nicolaus Springer. Second was in dispute between the Vosse, Belloc and (Jeroen) Bleekemolen Vipers, but the latter was out with fuel pressure troubles (« We could have been third with no problem, even second,. Said Jeroen B.”). Larbre comfortably defeated Belmondo for French V10 honours, the other two blue and yellow cars not finishing. JC-W finished a minute and 13 seconds ahead of Bouchut. The #5 Rafanelli Ferrari was fourth (Schiattarella only driving the car for the first time here on race morning), Bailey / Springer fifth and the Bleekemolen / Bleekemolen Viper sixth.

“The no.10 car had an engine problem, and stopped after 22 laps , » said Paul Belmondo. « As for me, I slid on a patch of oil and spun off the track, and had to stop due to gravel in the engine."

In N-GT, things looked to be going the way of Luca Riccitelli. He led from Sebastien Dumez in the #50 Larbre Competition Chereau Porsche 996 GT3-R – with Pescatori in the Ferrari third. Nothing unusual so far. Stephane Ortelli roared up from the back, while Tomas Enge moved up to third before spinning.

Fuel strategy – it was as simple as that. Pescatori’s car was on a one-stopper, and he moved into the lead as the 911s stopped twice. He crossed the line 15 seconds ahead of the #77 RWS 9111, with the Enge / Wilson Porsche third. “My last stint was like a qualifying session, I was under pressure for one hour, and I did my best to catch the Ferrari, » explained Luca Riccitelli. « I knew it was not so possible, because they were a long way ahead, but you never know, something can always happen. In three races we have finished three times on the podium, which is good for the Championship and that is our objective this year.”

Ortelli and Kaufmann finished fourth in the no.57 Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R, with the second Larbre and RWS cars filling the top six.

RWS move further ahead in the N-GT points table, with star man Luca Riccitelli ahead on driver points.

Lister Storm Racing re-take the lead in GT, with JC-W taking the drivers points lead.

Olivier Beroud.