Quotes

Richard Williams – No.6 Trackspeed Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S: “I only managed six laps in the afternoon session, so I’m feeling very relaxed! This morning, we had a water pipe come off, which restricted us to just ten laps, and the problem recurred in the afternoon. It’s very frustrating – it would have been nice to have found more time to dial the car in. The circuit is fantastic, especially since it’s been resurfaced. It’s a very rewarding circuit to get right.”

 

Andew Shelley – No.7 Trackspeed Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S: “I was quite happy at the end of the first session – this is my first visit to the circuit, so being within a second of the sister Trackspeed car was a good result. But then I didn’t find any more time this afternoon, while Richard [Williams] took 2 seconds off his time! The track is a joy to drive – it’s a mixture of Donington Park and Spa, it’s beautiful.”

 

Julien Rodrigues – No.9 Hexis Racing Aston Martin DBRS9: “The practice sessions were good – the Aston Martin is very strong on this track. I think we will do very well in the qualifying session and the races, too. There are a number of long sweeping corners here, and that suits the Aston Martin very well.”

 

Ian Khan – No.20 Matech GT Racing Ford GT: “It’s quite a challenging technical circuit, so you have to be neat and precise. I went for a quick lap, then did a slower lap to cool things off, then tried for another lap, but not as hard as the first – and yet I went quicker! It’s strange how it goes, sometimes. I’m very happy with the car – it’s much better without the weight. It’s lost a bit of power down the straights, and although the smaller rear wing hurts us in the corners, it helps counteract the loss of power on the straights.”

 

Eric de Doncker – No.22 Matech Mustang Racing Ford Mustang FR500 GT: “It’s not easy jumping from a GT4 car into a GT3. They look the same but they are totally different – engine, gearbox and brakes. This morning I had a problem with the brakes, but the car was better this afternoon. I’m losing a second a lap, which I should be able to find as I get used to it. The car is still off the pace, and there’s not much we can do to change that because of the homologation. So for tomorrow, I’m praying for rain!”

 

Martin Rich – No.26 Team Berlanga Ascari KZ1R GT3: “Our practice sessions weren’t too bad; the track is very dusty and dirty, and on the outside of corners it’s worse where people have dragged more on. We were using old tyres while we think others were using fresher rubber, so we don’t think the timesheets are that representative of true pace. We’re comfortable with where we are, and we’ll look to improve tomorrow.”

 

Phil Quaife – No.33 APEX Motorsport Jaguar XKR: “We struggled this morning – we had a few little problems with the engine, and we couldn’t get maximum performance. But after the session the team got that problem sorted out, and this afternoon we made good progress. We found a lot of time, the handling of the car has made a big step forward. We’re going to make a few more changes, and we’re hoping to make another step forward.”

 

Charles Morgan – No.30 AutoGT Racing Morgan Aero 8 GT3: “The practice sessions were reasonably uneventful; I’m learning the circuit, so I was pretty slow to start with, but I found 3 seconds as I improved, so I’m hoping to qualify fairly well amongst the ‘gentleman drivers’. I think the Morgan suits the circuit, although we were discussing tweaks which would move us up – lighter forged wheels, some aero tweaks, that sort of thing. This is a super circuit, I love it – the organisation is perfect.”

 

Maurizio Fabris – No.46 Tech 9 Motorsport Lamborghini Gallardo GT3: “Our practice sessions didn’t go too well, which is a consequence of the two accidents we’ve had at the last couple of meetings; we haven’t had enough time in the car, so we’re playing catch-up on the set-up. This morning we set it up slightly softer, but that didn’t work as we’d hoped, so we went back to our Silverstone settings, because we really know those. It’s getting better, but we’re a long way down the field, so this weekend will really be a test session, so we can try for a good result at Nogaro and Dubai.”

2008-09-12
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