Report: Race 1 Quotes, Dubai 2008

Quotes

Arnaud Peyroles – No.1 Martini Callaway Corvette Z.06R GT3, 1st: “My aim was to run a consistent, steady first stint with no mistakes and hand the car over to James in a good position. When opportunities arose I took them. I’m really happy to have won the Championship – I was really nervous last night, so I can relax tonight!”

 

James Ruffier – No.1 Martini Callaway Corvette Z.06R GT3, 1st: “The car has been just amazing, right from the beginning of the weekend. Arnaud did a great job in qualifying, and then he drove an excellent first stint. He drove like a real professional, with no mistakes – we won this race because of the places he gained at the start. When I took over the car I had time so that could ensure I got past the cars in front safely. The Martini Callaway team has done an incredible job – the car has been good for the entire season – we are really, really happy to finish the season like this. We have won the last two races –we could have won races earlier in the season, but we had problems and incidents that no one noticed. It will be good not to have to worry about the fight tomorrow, especially with these six guys fighting over second place. So perhaps we’ll just watch it from the pit lane!”

 

Thomas Accary – No.8 Hexis Racing Aston Martin DBRS9, 2nd: “Congratulations to James and Arnaud, they have had a really good season. It was very difficult to negotiate the first corner, but I managed it, and after that I just looked to do the maximum I could. I’m a little disappointed over the title, but it’s my first season – tomorrow we intend to have a good race and make sure we finish the Championship in second.”

 

Pierre-Brice Mena – No.8 Hexis Racing Aston Martin DBRS9, 2nd: “Well done to James and Arnaud, they drove a great race. The Corvette was very fast today, and there was nothing I could do. I’m both happy and sad, because we lost the title, but we finished on the podium – it’s a strange sensation. Tomorrow we will be all-out fighting for second place.”

 

Bradley Ellis – No.21 Matech GT Racing Ford GT, 3rd: “I don’t really know what happened at the start – I was holding the pace until the lights went green, and I thought I had got away well, but then the No.8 Aston Martin just came down the outside and overtook everyone. After that I just tried to follow them, but I lost a bit of time behind back-markers and that gave the No.3 Ferrari the chance to overtake. After that we dropped back from the race leader; and just before I pitted the intercom to the team didn’t work properly, so I lost more time on the lap before they brought me in.”

 

Alex Mortimer – No.21 Matech GT Racing Ford GT, 3rd: “I can’t say enough about Bradley’s lap in qualifying, it was amazing. I had a good battle with the No.8 Aston Martin, the gap would vary by a few tenths either way each lap. It just makes tomorrow’s race even more exciting – tomorrow we’ll be first on track, and second in the Championship.”

 

Marc Basseng – No.40 Mühlner Motorsport Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S, 7th: “That was good – the car ran very well. I was fighting with a Corvette, and we had some really good racing. We did our best – I hope we can have an ABS system for next year.”

 

Johan-Boris Scheier – No.29 AutoGT Racing Morgan Aero 8 GT3, 13th: “It was very hot in the car! That was a good race for us. We have been working on the car all season, it’s a continual development; after this, we will start working on the car ready for next year’s season, and we will be looking to improve.”

 

Martin Rich – No.25 Team Berlanga Ascari KZ1R GT3, 16th: “We’re still two or three seconds slower than most of the field, but it was still a good race. Once the race got under way I was battling with the cars around me while the cars at the front just disappeared into the distance. Eric [Zwart] drove a great stint, and it’s good to be up here on the podium collecting the Manufacturer’s trophy.”

 

Stuart Hall – No.33 APEX Motorsport Jaguar XKR, 17th: “I got a good start, and the Jaguar is very strong in a straight line, so I could pick off one or two cars. I was up to ninth before the pit-stops started; Chris took over, and with Gold drivers in for the second stint he wasn’t able to hold them all off. Still, it’s a good result for us; the team has been through a lot, and we intend to have a good winter, prepare properly for next year and we’ll be a lot stronger next season.”

 

Chris Dymond – No.33 APEX Motorsport Jaguar XKR, 17th: “We were lapping very consistently, which is what we needed to do, so we will be aiming to do the same in the second race. Next year’s car is already coming along well, so roll on next season!”

 

Dominik Kraihamer – No.14 S-Berg Racing Lamborghini Gallardo GT3, 18th: “The start of the race was very strange, because some of the cars in front of me left a big gap, then got on the power early, where I had stayed where I should have been, close to the car in front. The good thing was that I got faster and faster as the race went on, and I gave 100%, which is what counts.”

 

 

2008-12-05
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