[12-11-2016]
PIERRE RAGUES AIMS TO BOUNCE BACK IN BAHRAIN SEASON FINALE
The 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) will come to a thrilling conclusion next weekend as the 6 Hours of Bahrain hosts the season finale.
French race ace Pierre Ragues will be hoping to put a tough Shanghai race behind him as he looks to fight for a podium finish in the competitive GTE-Am class in Bahrain.
Pierre will once again take to the cockpit of the #50 Corvette C7.R with Larbre Competition alongside Ricky Taylor and Romain Brandela.
Despite their disappointment, the 6 Hours of Shanghai still represented the seventh race in which the team had picked up points in the GTE-Am class, which sees them still in the fight for a top-three finish in the Championship.
Pierre will also be looking to enhance his own position in the GTE-Am Drivers’ classification. The Bahrain International Circuit is a familiar track to Pierre, who has twice competed at the venue in LMP categories previously. The 5.471km layout should be more suited to the performance of the Corvette, which has already shown its podium potential this season.
The race itself will be held on Saturday, running into the evening with a mix of day and night conditions. The circuit will be fully illuminated as the race enters the night-time hours with the stunning Bahrain sunset offering a poignant image to end the season. Pierre will again benefit from the support of his personal partners GroupAuto, Sparco and Ellip6.
Pierre commented: “Bahrain will be an important race for me and for the Larbre Competition team as we look to finish the season in the best way possible. We had a tough weekend in China but we are determined to fight back and to improve our position in the GTE-Am teams and drivers’ Championships. It’s a circuit that I enjoy and one that I think could suit our car. We have shown that the Corvette is a versatile machine; capable of battling for the podium, so that has to be our aim for Bahrain. It would be nice to finish the season strongly, and to reflect on what has been a competitive year for our team. I’d also welcome a podium to thank my partners, who have been so supportive throughout 2016. I am certainly hoping to end this season on a positive note. In Bahrain, I’ll be having discussions about next season; I see WEC very much as a firm part of my future.”
Schedule
Thursday 17 November
15:00-16:30 Free Practice 1
19:30-21:00 Free Practice 2
Friday 18 November
11:30-12:30 Free Practice 3
17:00-17:20 Qualifying GTE
Saturday 19 November
16:00-22:00 6 Hours of Bahrain
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