THE 2009 LE MANS SERIES – HOW THE TITLES WERE WON
A Round up of the 2009 Le Mans season
The concept of the LMS, according to its organisers, is to combine “team spirit with long distance performance, as embodied by the Le Mans 24 Hours”. It has proven to be a popular formula, with more than forty cars starting almost every race this season.
Each race in the five-event calendar follows the classic format for endurance sports car events: 1000kms long or lasting six hours.
LMS ROUND ONE : CATALUNYA (ESP) – APRIL 3-4-5
VICTORY AT FIRST TIME OF ASKING
The Barcelona track, home to the Spanish F1 Grand Prix, marked the race debut for Aston Martin Racing’s new Gulf sponsored LMP1 cars and they impressed from the off, setting the fastest time in the first practice session. Qualifying second and third, both cars started strongly with 007 leading for much of the early part of the race. Running second in the final hour, 007 closed the gap on the lead car and following a safety car period, Stefan Mücke made a brilliant pass to lead with half an hour to run. The Gulf-Aston Martin Racing car eventually won by 14 seconds. Its sister 009 car retired in the final hour while still fighting for a podium place. All in all the team made a superb start to the season for Gulf and Aston Martin Racing.
LMS ROUND TWO: SPA (BEL) MAY 8-9-10
TWO HARD FOUGHT TOP FIVE FINISHES FOR BOTH CARS
The famous Spa circuit in Belgium proved just how competitive the LMS has become with a record 51 cars entered. The beginning of the race proved difficult for the team, as 007 was forced to start from the pitlane, having suffered engine problems in qualifying. 009 picked up a puncture on the first corner, having been hit by another car and it was relegated to the rear of the field. The blue and orange cars then set about battling back towards the top of the order. Some superb driving from both crews, meant that 007 secured a podium spot for third place overall, while 009 finished a highly creditable fifth, in what was an incident-packed race.
LMS ROUND THREE: ALGARVE (POR) 31 JULY, 1-2 AUGUST
007 FINISHES RUNNER UP TO MAINTAIN CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGE
The Portuguese round of the LMS was a first-ever night race for the LMS and proved to be an extremely competitive affair, with the 007 car disputing the lead throughout with its main championship rival, the number 16 Pescarolo. The battle was only decided at the last pit stop and the Gulf car came home a strong second, around a minute and a half behind its French rival. 009 took a fine fifth place to help Lola-Aston Martin establish a healthy lead in the 2009 LMS Manufacturers’ standings.
LMS ROUND FOUR: NÜRBURGRING (GER) August 21-22-23
LANDMARK WEEKEND FOR GULF & AMR WITH 1-2-3 FINISH
The Nürburgring round of the Le Mans Series was one of the most memorable races in Gulf’s recent motorsport history. Aston Martin Racing entered a third car for the race – 008 driven by Miguel Ramos, Stuart Hall and Chris Buncombe. The extra car was entered to help support the team’s title chase. 007, with its usual crew, took pole position and led the race from the off. With the exception of a short period when 009 - crewed by Darren Turner and Harold Primat – took over the front position, 007 was otherwise in front for the vast majority of the race. 008 made its way up through the top ten to finish a fine third and complete a Gulf-AMR clean sweep of the podium positions. It marked Gulf’s first outright win in the Nürburgring 1000kms.
LMS ROUND FIVE: SILVERSTONE (GBR) September 11-12-13
100% PODIUM FINISHING RECORD GUARANTEES LMS CHAMPIONSHIP CROWNS FOR 007 GULF CAR
The LMS finale came down to a two-car battle for championship honours between 007 and the number 16 Pescarolo. The French entry had not finished at the Nürburgring and had a seven point deficit to overcome if it was going to prevent Jan Charouz, Tomas Enge and Stefan Mücke from becoming champions. Aston Martin Racing again entered 008, with the same crew as in Germany to help strengthen its challenge. 007 and 009 started from second and third on the grid, more than 30 places ahead of the Pescarolo, which had problems in qualifying. However, the French car flew through the field and was challenging for the lead before the end of the first hour.
The first half of the race then became a five-way scrap for the lead with 007 and 009 in the thick of the action, before the Pescarolo encountered gearbox problems and lost almost twenty laps. This meant that 007 only had to finish to take the title. This it did in style, coming home third and in doing so achieved the accolade of finishing on the victory podium at every round of the championship. The 009 Gulf car driven by Darren Turner and Harold Primat, was also in line for a podium finish, but a puncture had put it slightly out of sequence on pit stops and a “splash and dash” stop in the last half hour meant a fourth place finish in both the race and the championship.
008 rounded off the day with a top twelve finish.
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