24h Le Mans
This year, the 6 Hours of Silverstone is a summer round set to take place this weekend on 19 August. The 2018-2019 World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) Super Season is back in action after the 86th round of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
LIke at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, competitors in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and European Le Mans Series (*) will converge on one circuit this weekend. But, at Silverstone they will each compete in their own rounds, one six hours in duration and the other four hours, respectively (read ELMS - Presentation of the fourth round of the season at Silverstone (UK)).
The British race is the last opportunity this year for European spectators to watch competitors in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) as the following three rounds will take place in Asia (Japan and China) and in the U.S. (Sebring). The championship will then return to Europe for the final two races of the 2018-2019 Super Season: at Spa in May then Le Mans 15-16 June 2019.
After the 60-car field at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the starting grid at the 6 Hours of Silverstone will be comprised of 34 cars entered in the full 2018-2019 Super Season, not including CEFC TRSM Racing's two Ginetta G60-LT-P1s (read 34-car grid for Silverstone following Ginetta LMP1 withdrawal).
With the first day of the weekend reserved for the administrative and technical checks, the 34 cars will hit the track for the first time on Friday 17 August at 12:15 for a 90-minute free practice session, then at 16:25 for the same. After a final one-hour session on Saturday at 09:00, the drivers will compete two per car in 20-minute qualifying starting at noon for LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am, and 12:25 for LMP1 and LMP2. Recall that in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), to form the starting grid the average of the fastest time of the two drivers designated by their team to take part in the qualifying session is used.
Fans can then enjoy a pitwalk for one hour on Saturday beginning at 15:30 then again on Sunday at 8:30 during the autograph session (8:45 to 9:15) before the start of the 6 Hours of Silverstone is given at noon local time.
(*) Note, not all competitors in the championship take part in Le Mans.
PHOTO (Copyright - Ben Cherry, AdrenalMedia.com/FIA WEC): The #8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid won both the 2017 6 Hours of Silverstone and the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans.
