With just three races to go, the run to the end of the 2017 FIA WEC season is in full swing as the series heads to Asia with 26 cars on the entry. The first of the two races in the continent is the traditional 6 Hours of Fuji, which for the runners in LMP1, will be a pivotal test.
Last year, Toyota managed to win on home soil, a much needed result after the disappointment of Le Mans and the pace shown at the other six-hour events. This time around, the feeling is much the same. Since Le Mans, the Porsche 919s have been near untouchable after the team switched to its high-downforce aero kits, creating a points deficit for the Le Mans-winning #2 crew that’s near insurmountable now.
In the Driver’s Championship, Timo Bernhard, Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley now lead the Toyota #8 duo of Kazuki Nakajima and Sebastien Buemi by 51 points, after the former crew scored their fourth straight victory after team orders intervened late on at CoTA.
The story is much the same in the Manufacturer’s battle, with Porsche on 242 points, and Toyota on 168.5. All is not lost though, as Toyota’s form at Fuji is strong over the years, winning four of the five WEC races held at the Speedway. The TS050 also looked more competitive in Texas than it did at Mexico City, the Japanese team mixing in at the front in the first half of the Lone Star Le Mans. The Toyota team needs a good result this weekend though, to have any chance of keeping its hopes alive.
In terms of changes in the four-car class, Stephane Sarrazin will step aside once again, as the team welcomes back Anthony Davidson, who pulled out of the race in the USA due to personal reasons. By missing a round, his is effectively out of the title race – as his teammates now have move points than him – but he’ll be just as motivated to put the #8 back on the top step of the podium.
While we are now in October – the month which Toyota is set to decide the fate of its WEC programme following this season, the maruqe has revealed that its decision is not necessarily (indeed not at all likely) to be made at Fuji this weekend.
The Toyota team needs a good result this weekend though, to have any chance of keeping its hopes alive
“The target (at Fuji) is to add another Fuji winner’s trophy to the collection this week as the Toyota versus Porsche battle in LMP1 takes place for the final time in Japan prior to the German manufacturer’s withdrawal from that category in WEC,” Toyota Gazoo Racing’s pre-event statement reads.
“Toyota’s discussions regarding its own future participation in WEC are proceeding with all stakeholders. These have been the subject of various media reports, of varying degrees of accuracy, and a decision is expected within October, although not necessarily during the Fuji event.”
LMP2 title fight still hot
The LMP2 class sees eight cars entered, with only one change in the driver ranks. Alex Lynn has stepped back from his G-Drive Racing seat, and is not due to race with the Russian-flagged team again this season. “My plan is to compete in Formula E (with DS Virgin Racing) and WEC side-by-side next season, sportscar racing is still very much on my radar,” Lynn told DSC.
He’ll be replaced by James Rossiter, who will be making his third WEC start this year after racing with ByKolles at Silverstone and Spa. A Japanese racing specialist, due to his Super GT programmes with Lexus, Rossiter is a more than capable fill-in for Lynn, partnering with Roman Rusniov and Pierre Thiriet, who are searching for a second win this season.
Elsewhere, the #24 CEFC Manor TRS Racing ORECA line-up of Matt Rao, Jean-Eric Vergne and Ben Hanley remains untouched, after their podium performance at Mexico and solid run at CoTA.
Alex Lynn has stepped back from his G-Drive Racing seat, and is not due to race with the Russian-flagged team again this season
Up front in the title race, Jackie Chan DC Racing’s ‘Mighty 38’ crew of Ho-Pin Tung, Oliver Jarvis and Thomas Laurent still hold a 20-point lead over Vaillante Rebellion’s Julien Canal, Nicolas Prost and Bruno Senna. After winning at CoTA, Signatech Alpine’s Gustavo Menezes – the only driver in the French team’s full-season A470 to compete in every race – is now also in the title battle. He’s just 28 points back from the DC Racing leaders.
Wide open in Pro
In GTE Pro, like LMP2, it’s close in the points standings, with Porsche the only manufacturer yet to win a race this year.
At the head of the field, Ferrari has a 40-point lead in the Manufacturer’s standings over Ford. Aston Martin and Porsche GT behind are separated by only six points after the events last month in Texas.
AF Corse Ferrari’s James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi, who won last time out, and have become the only GTE Pro duo to win twice in 2017; despite that, they still sit fourth. Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell in the #67 Ford lead the GTE Pro Driver’s title by just six points after consistent finishes throughout the year, with Porsche’s Fred Makowiecki and Richard Lietz second, and over AF Corse’s Davide Rigon just half a point off in third.
In the Team’s title race though, the order is different, with the #51 Ferrari holding a four-point lead over the #67 Ford and #71 AF Corse Ferrari.
James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi, who won last time out, and have become the only GTE Pro duo to win twice in 2017
Expect it to be a close battle between all the runners, the Automated BoP continuing to prove a real success as its first season in use continues.
There’s only one change of note in the entry. Le Mans winner Daniel Serra will not race alongside Darren Turner and Jonny Adam in the #97 Vantage, which was expected, as team principal Paul Howarth explained to DSC earlier this year that he would not complete a full-season due to clashes during the flyaways.
His absence means that for the first time in 2017, the entire GTE Pro class is made up of two-driver line-ups.
Can Aston Martin pull away in Am?
The tightest title races are found in GTE Am, with the lead in the tally changing three times in the last three races.
Heading into Fuji, the #98 Aston Martin crew of Paul Dalla Lana, Mathias Lauda and Pedro Lamy hold a slim lead in the Driver’s and Team’s championships, with Dempsey Proton and Clearwater close behind.
This weekend provides them with a chance to create a buffer for Shanghai and Bahrain, though expect the competition from behind to be tough.
Clearwater especially will be looking to capitalise; team owner Mok Weng Sun and Keita Sawa have spent the entire season so far learning the circuits from scratch; now they’re in familiar territory, racing in Asia where they’ve won titles before. It’ll be interesting to see just how much prior knowledge helps them when they hit the track.
Like the other three classes, there’s also a single driver change. Gulf Racing UK boss Mike Wainwright will not be taking part in 6H Fuji due to business commitments, and instead, hands over the wheel to PWC regular Mike Hedlund.
While Hedlund is relatively new to GTE racing, driving the 911 RSR won’t be a completely alien experience, after he competed at Le Mans in Proton’s example this year. He’ll also have two very capable teammates to help him get up to speed, Ben Barker and Nick Foster continuing their full-season campaign, aiming for a second podium finish here.
