Reigning British GT Champion Wins on WEC Debut
Darren Leung, the reigning British GT champion, secured a victory in just his second WEC start, leading a 1-2 finish for the crack Belgian squad Team WRT in Sunday’s six-hour race.
Crucial in setting up the run to victory was the timing of Leung’s second pitstop. The Briton completed his minimum drive time of 1hr45m mere seconds before hitting the pitlane to hand over to Sean Gelael. This strategic move allowed the team to optimize their fuel usage and gain an advantage over the competition.
“The team had instructed Leung to slow down to ensure he would be able to pit after 1hr45m had elapsed, but they ‘weren’t pegging him back enough,'” revealed WRT’s GT programme manager Kurt Mollekens. The team then told Leung to lose six seconds on that lap, which he managed to do with a five-second margin.
The pole-sitting #92 Manthey-run PureRxcing Porsche, driven by Alex Malykhin, had come in on the same tour but with just under a minute of his drive time remaining, forcing him to return to the wheel later on. Several other cars were unable to extend their energy allocation and thus kept their bronze drivers for a third stint, which offset them from the eventual winner.
The two-time Spa 24 Hours winner Augusto Farfus praised WRT for staying “calm” in the changeable weather conditions, with the track far wetter in certain parts than others. The team’s decision to stick with slick tires during a mid-race shower proved to be the correct call, which Mollekens believes ultimately secured the victory.
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