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WEC - S.Buemi: "I am happy for the win, it has been a very long time and it is great to start the season like this"

16.04.17

WEC - 2017 6 Hours of Silverstone - Post-race press conference

WEC, 6 Hours of Silverstone, FIA, Motorsport, Endurance

Sebastien Buemi - 1st

No8 Toyota Gazoo Racing TS050 Hybrid

“In a way it scares a little bit as we expected to be quicker than them (Porsche) so it would have been a shame to lose it. In the end the car was quick and in the last stint they had to keep their old tyres and I was on fresher tyres so we knew we had a bit of an advantage and when it rains it helps when you have more downforce.

“They were quick on the straight so I had to try something and Brendon was kind enough to leave just enough room for me. I am happy for the win, it has been a very long time and it is great to start the season like this.”

Anthony Davidson – 1st

No8 Toyota Gazoo Racing TS050 Hybrid

“I think from even being from around these parts I wasn’t quite prepared for what the weather had for us today. To drive with slicks in those conditions was pretty tough and some of the toughest driving I have ever had to do!

“I saw the Porsche guys flying past and I didn’t know they were on intermediates at that stage. But we knew that if we could survive the rain and not put it in the gravel or wall it was going to look good for the strategy. Then the Safety Car came out and all our hard work was pretty much for nothing. For the show it was great but from our side it was a nail-biter right to the end.

“It was a testament  to Kazuki to then keep the gap to the Porsche behind and then Seb put in the best drive I think I have ever seen him drive in sportscars. It was an amazing effort.”

Kazuki Nakajima – 1st

No8 Toyota Gazoo Racing TS050 Hybrid

“It was very difficult after we lost the time with the Safety Car and then we had to make a gap. At the end of my stint we thought the gap was enough and actually it wasn’t. Seb’s drive was really amazing and we believed it was enough.

“I am really happy that since I joined these guys we have finally won a race together.

Brendon Hartley – 2nd

No2 Porsche LMP Team Porsche 919 Hybrid

“I was optimistic before we came here after testing the low-downforce kit at Monza. I was a bit surprised by the pace of Toyota yesterday in qualifying. We didn’t get it right but we put all the emphasis on race pace as it was the only way we stood a chance.

“Toyota deserved the win and they had just a little bit of an edge. The first stint went well for me and I managed to get around the sister car and we managed to save a couple of laps of fuel which puts us in a strategically good position. At the time the intermediate tyre was really good for Timo but the track dried out quicker than we expected.”

Nick Tandy – 3rd

No1 Porsche LMP Team Porsche 919 Hybrid

“You get a bit of practice when you race in changeable conditions like this in the UK. The problem we had was that we had to come in for fuel about two laps before it started to rain so went back out on slicks and then had to change again. We were getting back in to the game and we were just being safe and we didn’t expect that after six hours to be so close. The main priority was to keep it safe and bag some points.

“It was good fun and we split strategies between the cars and we took some left side tyres but we dropped back too much to be in the fight at the end.”

Oliver Jarvis – 1st LMP2 / 4th Overall

No38 Jackie Chan DC Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson

“We sacrificed the start of the race so we could be strong at the end so we could save a couple of sets of tyres. It meant the start was quite difficult for myself and Ho-Pin but we just stayed out of trouble and this set up the fight with Rebellion at the end.

“We were able to push on the new tyres and we closed down the gap. They had to pit and fortunately we were able to maintain a big enough gap at the end to win. I think they (Rebellion) had to do some fuel saving which made my life easy for the last ten laps.

“It’s a fantastic victory and the team worked very hard. With a new car you never know with reliability but to come away with a win is a great achievement by the whole team.”

Ho-Pin Tung – 1st LMP2 / 4th Overall

No38 Jackie Chan DC Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson

“I’ve been working with David Cheng for many years now and I am really, really proud what he has put together for us and giving us the opportunity for us to be here. The co-operation between JOTA Sport has been fantastic since the very beginning, so a big thanks to them too.

“It was a really clean race especially as they are all brand new cars in LMP2 with any issues at all. It is a real testament to ORECA.  I’m also really proud to see the Chinese flag on the top of the podium here for the first time ever.”

Thomas Laurent – 1st LMP2 / 4th Overall

No38 Jackie Chan DC Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson

“I really can’t believe it. It is like a dream to be here in first place in the WEC. For me the stint was really good and I had to deal with the Full Course Yellow and the Safety Car. It was a little bit complicated with old tyres. Thanks to Ho-Pin, Oliver and also the team for this result.”

Andy Priaulx – 1st LMGTE Pro / 13th Overall

No67 Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK Ford GT

“We were looking down and out but we never gave up. On my second stint I left nothing out there at all, it was 100% and we kind of got in to our rhythm. We were very fortunate with the Safety Car and it helped to reset and make it exciting at the end. Let’s hope we have more of those this year, it really livens up the racing.

“These guys next to me did a mega job, Harry was awesome in that last two and a half hours. Pipo also drove a brilliant first race and it was great to convert the pole yesterday to the race win.

Pipo Derani – 1st LMGTE Pro / 13th Overall

No67 Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK Ford GT

 “Obviously I am really happy to be here and to win in LMGTE Pro. It wasn’t an easy race for me, everything was new and I had to learn a lot of things like the tyre management, which is a little different in GTE to LMP2.

“It is good to have the first race under my belt and I can keep working hard and move forward to do well in the next one at Spa. It was a really, really nice race and we didn’t expect to be here after the beginning and the problems we had. It was a phenomenal job by the team and my teammates Andy and Harry.”

Harry Tincknell – 1st LMGTE Pro / 13th Overall

No67 Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK Ford GT

“I just can’t believe we did it today after we were down in seventh and seemingly down and out. I was actually sat in the office with Andy and we heard that there was a Full Course Yellow. I had to running to the garage and two minutes later I was strapped in to the car for a two and a half hour stint.

“In the car everything was quiet and I was just nailing it. The last few laps were amazing and I soaked it all up. We had a lot of friends, families and employees from Ford here so to get this comeback win is fantastic today, we never gave up and it was a massive team effort.”

Matt Griffin – 1st LMGTE Am / 20th Overall

No61 Clearwater Racing Ferrari 488 GTE

“It was a wild race but it was also excellent. We exited the pits before the last stint and we were short on fuel but I was able to attack Pedro (Lamy) and I had an amazing fight with him. It was really clean, hard but fair racing. I fired it up the inside at Copse and overtook him.

“I then got my head down and built a gap because I knew I had to take a splash with a few laps to go.

“I exited the pits and saw Molina coming around turn one. My engineer just said ‘Go get him’. I caught him and also Pedro again who was in the lead on the last lap.

“Going down the Hangar Straight on the last lap I was perhaps half a second back. I braked late for Stowe and planned to gun it on the exit as they were on the inside. Then all of a sudden there cars everywhere and smoke everywhere and I just got through it.

“I crossed the line and asked my engineer ‘How long to go, how long to go?’ and he said it was over and that we had won!”

Weng Sun Mok – 1st LMGTE Am / 20th Overall

No61 Clearwater Racing Ferrari 488 GTE

“I am so proud of Matt and Sawa-san and the job that whole team have done. It is a dream debut for us. To come to WEC for the first race we were really looking for a podium but to get the top step here at Silverstone is a dream come true.

“We have come up the ladder from the Asian Le Mans Series to the WEC. The organisation and atmosphere is great and we are already looking forward to Spa next month.”