FIA WEC Le Mans 24 Hours 20.06.2012 Motul . Sport . News # 24 ENGLISH VERSION Motul . Sport . News # 24 FIA WEC Le Mans 24 Hours / Le Mans Round 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 FIA WEC Le Mans 24 Hours / Beche - Tinseau - Thiriet / Thiriet by TDS Racing Motul teams bag several podiums The 80th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans met diumed, Thiriet By TDS Racing and Pecom Racing, people’s expectations, with no shortage of tussles, both with Oreca-Nissans which arrived just behind sudden new developments and cars that came off the winner Starworks Motorsports. For Thiriet by TDS the circuit requiring the intervention of the safety car. Racing, this 2nd place was unhoped for: occupying On 16 and 17 June, the Le Mans circuit witnessed this position shortly after the departure, the car fell happy and sad but always gripping moments. back as far as 16th position following punctures and Motul has been involved in this legendary race for mechanical problems. It regained second place by many years and was particularly well represented this battling forward spectacularly, which made team ma- year. Indeed, no less than 10 teams (i.e. 14 cars) were nager Xavier Combet say: “This result is an excellent supported technically by the company. Furthermore, surprise for a first participation and a fine reward for in addition to the “Raccordement” corner bearing its all the team and above all our partners who believe colours, Motul partnered for the first time grid girls, in the project. It’s a converted try!” Meanwhile, the there being 28 on the starting grid. Argentinian team Pecom Racing proved to be very On the circuit, in LMP1 category, the premature wi- regular, without ever going beyond 7th position and by thdrawal of the Toyotas left a clear field to Audi which clinching a fine 3rd place. clinched a splendid 11th win. Pescarolo Team’s two In GTE Pro, Luxury Racing, supported by Motul, clim- cars, Pescarolo no. 03 and the Dome, unfortunately bed the 2nd step of the podium, behind AF Corse’s could not express all their qualities as they did not Ferrari 458 Italia. It’s a very fine result when you bear finish the race. in mind that the Monegasque team was participating As expected, LMP2 category was much more fiercely in the Le Mans event only for the second time. contended, with a great number of competing teams. Last, in GTE Am, Larbre Compétition secured its The teams supported by Motul did well since two po- third consecutive win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. News and videos also available on : www.youtube.com/motul www.facebook.com/motul Motul . Sport . News # 24 FIA WEC Le Mans 24 Hours / Le Mans Round 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 Julien Canal - Patrick Bornhauser - Pédro Lamy / Larbre Compétition / Corvette C6.R GTE Am Having left from 8th place, the Corvette driven by Results Canal, Bornhauser and Lamy rapidly advanced to LMP2 3rd place, before fighting for the category win with Imsa Performance’s Porsche. After a fierce overta- 01 / Starworks Motorsports – Honda HPD king manoeuvre, Larbre’s faultless performance and 02 / Thiriet by TDS Racing – Oreca Nissan its experience at Le Mans finished by paying off.“The 03 / Pecom Racing – Oreca Nissan last half hour of race was very stressful for me”, com- mented Bornhauser, “the two leading cars were very LMGTE Pro close. We could lose the win in a few seconds.” 01 / AF Corse – Ferrari 458 02 / Luxury Racing - Ferrari 458 With 240,000 spectators, the Le Mans race confir- 03 / Aston Martin Racing – Vantage V8 med its status as the world’s greatest endurance race. The next WEC meet will be on 26 August at LMGTE Am Silverstone. 01 / Larbre Compétition – Corvette C6.R Take a peak at a photo album on 02 / IMSA Performance Matmut – Porsche 911 www.facebook.com/motul 03 / Krohn Racing – Ferrari 458 News and videos also available on : www.youtube.com/motul www.facebook.com/motul Motul . Sport . News # 24 Japanese Super GT / Sepang Round 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 Super GT / Takashi Kogure - Carlo Van Dam / Honda Weider Racing / Honda HSV-010 GT Honda Weider Racing gives a faultless performance! The third round of the Super GT Championship took R&D Sport (Subaru BRZ) came 8th. place on 9 and 10 June at the Sepang circuit, Ma- The fourth round of the Super GT Championship is laysia in typical weather for this region of the world scheduled on 29 July at the Sugo circuit. – scorching sun and a high humidity rate. In GT500, the Honda of team Honda Weider Racing, suppor- Team standings ted technically by Motul, gave a faultless performan- GT500 ce with Takashi Kogure and Carlo Van Dam. After 01 / Lexus Team Zent Cerumo - 76 pts clinching the best times in the trials, the Japanese- Dutch duo mounted the highest step of the podium 02 / Team Kunimitsu - 70 pts on Sunday! Having left in the lead, the Honda stayed 03 / Lexus Team SARD - 60 pts among the first cars throughout the race, managing 04 / Honda Weider Racing - 52 pts to hold off the attacks by its fiercest contenders. 05 / Nissan Motul Autech – 44 pts For Motul Autech’s Nissan, things were a bit more 13 / Lexus Team Keeper Kraft – 2 pts difficult, with a car that began to understeer imme- diately after the start. They crossed the arrival line GT300 in 8th position, which allows them to remain in the 01 / Team Taisan Endless – 66 pts Championship top 5. 02 / GSR&Studie with Team Ukyo – 62 pts In GT300, Motul supported two teams: S Road 08 / S Road NDDP - 16 pts NDDP managed to place its Nissan GT-R in 4th po- 12 / Subaru R&D Sport - 10 pts sition, thereby progressing in the Championship and News and videos also available on : www.youtube.com/motul www.facebook.com/motul Motul . Sport . News # 24 FIM MotoGP World Championship / Silverstone Round 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 FIM MotoGP World Championship / Cal Crutchlow / Monster Yamaha Tech3 / Yamaha YZR-M1 Crutchlow’s fantastic charge through the field in his home race Last year, Cal Crutchlow was deprived of participa- For Andrea Dovizioso, who also rides for Tech3, the ting in the British Grand Prix following an ankle frac- race took place in better conditions and he was 3rd ture in the qualifyings. So was the same regrettable by mid-race, before a fall put an end to his hopes of fact repeating itself this year in Silverstone? That was a podium: “It’s a pity because I had the possibility of what was feared by Tech3, the team supported by fighting for nd2 place. I fell just when I had clinched 3rd Motul, and by all the fans of the British rider, when position and I knew I was going to finish on the po- he fell during the final practice session, on the eve of dium. I’m very disappointed because I didn’t expect the race, on 16 June. Despite a fractured ankle, the the fall at all. It happened just when I felt most at ease official doctors passed him fit to ride but, as he had on the bike and I wasn’t pushing myself. I just made missed the qualifyings, from the back row of the grid. a little mistake by losing control of the rear. The team Cal Crutchlow then used all his talent in the battle. In had done excellent work.” That kind of surprise is part two laps he battled forward from 20th to 11th position of the hazards of racing... The next meet will take before reaching 7th position by mid-race. He mana- place on 30 June in Assen. ged to pass Nicky Hayden in the last lap to clinch an incredible 6th place. “I won’t easily forget this wee- Standings kend!” he exclaimed at the arrival. “Yesterday was a 01 / Jorge Lorenzo - Yamaha - 140 pts disaster after my fall, I really thought I was going to 02 / Casey Stoner - Honda - 115 pts miss my national race once more. (…) I never imagi- 03 / Dani Pedrosa - Honda - 101 pts ned I could get sixth position because normally if you 04 / Cal Crutchlow - Yamaha Tech3 - 66 pts start from the third row it’s very difficult to get into 05 / Andrea Dovizioso - Yamaha Tech3 - 60 pts that position...” News and videos also available on : www.youtube.com/motul www.facebook.com/motul Motul . Sport . News # 24 Rolex Series / Mid-Ohio Round 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 Rolex Series / Bill Auberlen - Paul Dalla / Turner Motorsport / BMW M3 Turner Motorsports bags its first win of the season The Grand-Am Rolex Series saw the first win of the their capacities. “We shall continue our fine-tuning work season on 9 June in the GT category by the BMW M3 to be ready for Road America!” affirmed von Moltke. of Turner Motorsport, a team supported technically by The Road America meet is scheduled on 23 June. Motul. Winning the race was however not a foregone Earlier in the day, APR Motorsport also took part in the conclusion for Bill Auberlen and Paul Dalla Lana, who Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Nate Noren- secured 8th time in the trials. Dalla Lana took the start berg and Josh Hurley managing to place their VW Golf of this 2h45 race and moved forward a few places be- GTI in 6e place of their category, a fine performance fore passing the relay to Auberlen who, one hour later, after having left in 24th position.