News
Preview
The title fight in the Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC heads into round six at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin on 16 September. The
The race
Austin is known for its motor racing – but even more for its music: No other city in the USA has as many clubs and bars with live music. The Texas capital on the Colorado River is a young, vibrant city, with 50,000 students attending the University of Texas alone. The Circuit of the Americas was built for Formula 1 and opened in 2012. In the last two years,
The
Four works drivers compete for the
The
The schedule
The six-hour race in Austin starts on Saturday, 16 September, at midday local time (19.00 hrs CEST). The TV channel Sport 1 joins the action live from 21.30 hours. The complete race can also be viewed free-of-charge via live streaming from 18.30 hours on www.sport1.de. On pay-TV, the race can be watched from 18.45 to 01.15 on Motorsport.TV. Eurosport telecasts the race live from 18.50 to 22.55 hrs and from 23.30 to 01.15 hrs. The FIA WEC app is free in its basic version, and offers live streaming of the complete race as well as the time-keeping for a fee.
Comments before the race
Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars: “In Mexico City we made a successful start into the second half of the WEC season with third place. We’d like to build on this in Austin and bring home another top result with the reliability of our new 911 RSR as well as a perfect driver and team performance. This would also keep the world championship title fight open and exciting.
Marco Ujhasi, Director GT Factory Motorsports: “The Circuit of the Americas is a very interesting racetrack. It has slow and fast corners with makes it difficult to find the perfect setup. We’re expecting high temperatures so the tyres will play an important role. I hope that we can make the most of the free practice to line up on the grid with a 911 RSR that is perfectly prepared and set-up.”
Richard Lietz (911 RSR #91): “I very much enjoy racing in the USA. Austin in particular is a very interesting racetrack and we’ve celebrated several top results there over the past years. I hope that we can continue this tradition and bring home our first WEC win with the new 911 RSR against the strong opposition.”
Frédéric Makowiecki (911 RSR #91): “I’m looking forward to racing again in the USA. Austin is a great circuit. In previous years the race started in the late afternoon and we drove into the night. This time we’re contesting the entire race in the daytime. But I think we will cope well with the modified circumstances and be at least as competitive as we were recently in Mexico.”
Michael Christensen (911 RSR #92): “Driving in the USA is always great fun. And that is especially true for Austin. This circuit features very fast sectors with zones where you have to brake hard. It’s never boring there. We’re now very familiar with the new 911 RSR, and the team also know the procedures well. I hope that we can maximise this potential in Austin.”
Kévin Estre (911 RSR #92): “I look forward to this race all year. Austin is a fantastic city with a lot to do there and the Circuit of the Americas is one of the most interesting tracks on the calendar. I hope we find a good setup, and then we can run at the front with our 911 RSR. In any case, it’ll be an exciting event.”
Matteo Cairoli (911 RSR #77): “I have good and bad memories of Austin from my time in the
Balance of Performance (BoP)
The “Balance of Performance” applies to the GTE-Pro class of the WEC Sports Car World Endurance Championship as well as the GTLM class of the IMSA SportsCar Championship. “BoP” was introduced by the FIA with the aim of achieving a level playing field for the different vehicle concepts, and thus ensuring balanced and fair races. The intention is that it should not make a fundamental difference if a vehicle is powered by a turbocharged or normally aspirated engine, or if the engine is mounted on the front axle or in front of the rear axle. The basic aerodynamic shape of the vehicles should also not play a decisive role. After an initial grading by the FIA, the balance of performance is adjusted at the races by means of telemetry - not only using lap times, but also acceleration profiles and engine mappings. This data input is automatically analysed and incorporated into the “Balance of Performance”. The most frequently used means of adjusting the performance level is through adding or subtracting weight. In keeping with the rule-makers’ intention, the key to success on the racetrack is not about the individual potential of a vehicle, instead it’s about the performance of the drivers, the race strategy, a perfect setup or the skill of the team with their pit stops.
The Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC
Sports prototypes and GT vehicles contest the Sports Car World Endurance Championship (WEC) in four classes: LMP1 (eg.
All reports on the previous season can be found in our archive.