24h Le Mans
The top step on the overall podium at the third race of the 2019-2020 FIA World Endurance Championship season was claimed by Rebellion Racing and its non-hybrid prototype driven by Senna-Nato-Menezes. The private team had also clinched pole position at the 4 Hours of Shanghai, a first for a non-hybrid car in this championship.
This wasn't Rebellion Racing's first win in the FIA World Endurance Championship: last year in August the Swiss team claimed the top step on the overall podium at the 6 Hours of Silverstone. However, Rebellion was only crowned the winner following the disqualification of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing's cars at the post-race technical checks. Today, Menezes-Senna-Nato and Rebellion Racing were finally able to enjoy a proper podium ceremony on the top step, complete with national anthem and trophy in hand after the non-hybrid prototype triumphed over the two Toyota TS050 Hybrids. Having started from pole position, the #1 soon experienced clutch problems with Nato at the wheel and three direct competitors – Team LNT's two Ginettas and the #7 Toyota – took off, earning themselves a drive-through penalty.
The race soon distilled into a heated battle on the track and in pit lane thanks to Rebellion's solid recovery against its formidable rival, the #8 Toyota two-time winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The prototype of trio Buemi-Hartley-Nakajima had to adapt to the most significant Success Handicap since the beginning of the season.
- Rebellion Racing won the 4 Hours of Shanghai with more than a minute on the #8 Toyota and the #7 Toyota finished third with Team LNT's two Ginettas trailing in fourth and fifth places.
- The top step on the LMP2 podium was reached by Jota Sport's #38 ORECA 07 equipped with Goodyear tyres and driven by Davidson-Félix da Costa-Gonzalez. Despite having started from the pole, Cool Racing's ORECA 07 was forced to retire.
- The LMGTE Pro class at the 4 Hours of Shanghai saw the win of the #92 Porsche after AF Corse's #51 Ferrari was disqualified for breach of the minimum ground clearance of 50mm. It would have been the Italian marque's first win in the class on Chinese soil.
- In LMGTE Am, the win was clinched by TF Sport's #90 Aston Martin.
The next round of the FIA WEC is the 8 Hours of Bahrain on 14 December.
For more info and the full classification, go to the official FIA WEC website.
PHOTO (Copyright 2019 - John Rourke/AdrenalMedia.com)
Check out this on board video taken in the winning car on Sunday at Shanghai.
