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Should championship leaders Earl Bamber (NZ), Timo Bernhard (DE) and Brendon Hartley (NZ) bring home their
Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1, is not a fan of such “if” possibilities: “Arithmetic doesn’t help anything in a six-hour race. The long straight in Fuji will challenge our engines to the end and lapping traffic in the winding parts of the circuit is a permanent high risk. We are on track to defend both our championship titles again and should keep our head down. So far the
The race in Japan will start on Sunday at 11 am local time and will be broadcast worldwide on the internet and television.
The
The class 1 Le Mans Prototype (LMP1) develops a system power of around 900 HP (662 kW) that comes from a compact two-litre turbo charged V4-cylinder (nearly 500 HP/368 kW) engine and two different energy recovery systems – brake energy from the front axle combined with exhaust energy. The combustion engine drives the rear axle while the electro motor boosts the front axle with an output of more than 400 HP (294 kW). The electrical energy that comes from the front brakes and the exhaust system is temporarily stored in a liquid-cooled lithium ion battery.
The
Team Principal Andreas Seidl: “In terms of aerodynamics, Fuji Speedway requires contradicting qualities of a race car. 1.5 of the 4.5 kilometre long lap is simply straight on and asks for minimum drag. But the 16 corners require downforce. The regulations allow for two aero kits per season: One is the low-drag Le Mans package and the other one is the high downforce kit. We have carefully analysed data and simulations and have decided to go for our high downforce kit. Within the prescribed possibilities, we will tune it towards medium downforce.”
Drivers
Neel Jani (33, Switzerland): “Our first 2017 Asia round will be a very difficult one. Most recently in Austin, Toyota was very strong again, and traditionally they tend to go well in their home race. I think they will be faster than us on the straight. In 2016 lap times were extremely close in qualifying and in the Fuji race. After six hours we had the prototypes of three manufactures reaching the finish line within 17 seconds. On another topic: To view Mount Fuji from the track is just beautiful.”
André Lotterer (35, Germany): “In 2003 I had a life changing experience in Fuji. Back then I did a Formula Nippon test and after that stayed for three years, living in Gotemba. Today I still race Japanese Super Formula and have a home in Tokyo. I like Japan a lot and so was delighted when Fuji was included in the WEC calendar for 2012. The fans are great and have an absolutely outstanding knowledge. Fuji Speedway is a great track, embedded in a terrific landscape. I especially like the circuit’s fast corners two and three. Unfortunately I haven’t won a race there yet in a LMP1. It’s now time to get that changed.”
Nick Tandy (32, Great Britain): “To me the Fuji race track is an iconic circuit and Japan has such a huge motorsport heritage, this round is always a very important event in the world championship. Obviously the fans are also very enthusiastic and come out in big numbers. I also hope we have a lot of support due to having a ‘local hero’ with André in our car.”
Drivers
Earl Bamber (27, New Zealand): “I have mixed memories of Fuji. In 2014, I won both
Timo Bernhard (36, Germany): “The motorsport culture in Japan and the fan’s expertize is amazing. We often get small gifts which I like. On track it will be a tough fight with Toyota and it will be exciting to see which car concept proves to be best there and who manages the better compromise for the track’s various requirements. Sectors one and two are really fast. The start-finish-straight is the longest of the season and the downhill part after corner six also goes flat. But in sector three you have a series of narrow corners that are inter-connected. This sector is also the crucial one when it comes to tyre wear.”
Brendon Hartley (27, New Zealand): “We all love returning to Japan. Toyota won last year and I have the feeling they will again be strong at their home race. We will have to give it everything we have got to take home a fifth win of the season.”
Schedule (local time):
Friday, October 13 2017
11:00-12:30 hrs 1st free practice
15:30-17:00 hrs 2nd free practice
Saturday, October 14 2017
10:30-11:30 hrs 3rd free practice
15:00-15:20 hrs Qualifying LMP1, LMP2
Sunday, October 15 2017
11:00-17:00 hrs Race
TV and live streaming:
- The official WEC App can be downloaded free of charge with an extended (not free of charge) version available which includes full live streaming and full timing. The live stream is voiced by the FIA WEC TV team including live interviews from the pits.
- The WEC races can be followed on various international TV channels in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, North and South America as well as in the Middle East and Africa.
Facts and figures:
- The WEC efficiency regulations limit the amount of energy that can be used per lap. On the 4.56 kilometres long lap of the Fuji International Speedway, the
- At normal race speed, the 919 Hybrid is due for refuelling after 37 laps.
- Refuelling and changing tyres may only be done sequentially, not at the same time. Only four mechanics may work simultaneously when changing tyres and also may use only one wheel gun at a time. That takes a lot longer than in F1, for example.
- The drivers are normally only changed when new tyres are needed.
- These different types of tyres can be used: three different compounds of slick tyres for dry conditions, a hybrid tyre (no profile either but softer cover) for mixed conditions and wet weather tyres. Four sets of dry weather tyres are available per car for qualifying and the race, this is two sets less than in 2016.
- A lap on the Speedway has ten right handers and six left handers.
- The circuit opened in 1966 and had a reputation of being dangerous until its modernisation in 2005. In 1976 and 1977 it was the venue of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix. In 1976 Niki Lauda gave up in heavy rain, James Hunt becoming world champion. One year later saw a terrible accident. Only in 2007 and 2008 did Formula One return again racing at the new track.
- From 1982 to 1988 the sportscar world championship held a round in Fuji. In 1983 Stefan Bellof, driving a
- Mount Fuji is an active volcano that last erupted in 1707. It is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 metres and is regarded as a holy mountain.
- The circuit is located about 100 kilometres southwest of the capital of Tokyo on the Japanese main island of Honshu.
Review:
- In the 2016 qualifying, Timo Bernhard and Mark Webber came second. The Australian had chosen this weekend to declare he would step back from his professional driver career at the end of the season. The average time of their fastest lap in the 919 Hybrid was 1:23.595 minutes. Neel Jani and Marc Lieb (DE) qualified sixth with the sister car (average 1:24.134 minutes). The overall fastest qualifying lap was achieved by Kamui Kobayashi in his Toyota (1:23.239 minutes). Pole position went to Audi with an average time of 1:23.570 minutes.
- Bernhard/Hartley/Webber finished third in what was an extremely exciting race. Dumas/Jani/Lieb, the 2016 world champions, finished fifth. Race winners after a distance of 244 laps on a consistently dry track with ambient temperatures of 20 degree Celsius were Toyota drivers Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Stéphane Sarrazin.
All reports on the previous season can be found in our archive.