The Marc VDS Racing BMW Z4 of Markus Palttala (FIN) and Belgian pair Bas Leinders and Maxime Martin recorded their second-straight victory in the 2012 Blancpain Endurance Series with a stunning performance at Silverstone.
As it had done at Monza in the opening round, the Belgian team’s pit stop went like clockwork and the drivers made no mistakes to produce an impressive result.
On a rain soaked Silverstone weekend, 50 cars were lined up for the main event. The battle between the Britons was intense with a total of nine McLarens and 33 British drivers among an international field.
Second was the No.2 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi R8 of Andrea Piccini (ITA), Laurens Vanthoor (BEL) and Edward Sandstrom (SWE) with the sister Audi, theNo.1 of Christopher Haase (DEU), Christopher Mies (DEU) and Stephane Ortelli (MCO).
At the finish, Martin, doing the final stint, was over a minute clear on a rain-soaked Silverstone circuit. In all, it was the fourth straight PRO CUP win for the Marc VDS team. They opened the 2012 season with an equally impressive victory in Monza in the first round. Prior to that, wins also came at Magny Cours and at the season-finale at Silverstone in 2011.
Team manager Leinders was delighted with the win. “It was a great team effort again. Four wins in a row is incredible,” he said. “We worked flat out all winter, concentrating on improving the cars with BMW Motorsport. The team is very concentrated on our aims every single week.
“We don’t always have the fastest car on track although it seems like it. We just strive to bring everything together – the strategy, the drivers, mechanics, the engineers, the pit stops – everything has been pushed to the limit to produce results like this.
“Both Markus and Max did great stints and again we didn’t make any mistakes. The pit stops were excellent again which helped us get to the front. We work hard training to get them right and it shows in the race.”
Victory in the PRO-AM class went to Peter Kox (NLD) and Marc A. Hayek (CHE) in the Blancpain Reiter Lamborghini LP600. The pair were fourth overall.
Second in the class was the No.57 Vita4One Team Italy Ferrari 458 Italia of Italian trio Eugenio Amos, Alessandro Bonacini and Giacomo Petrobelli just ahead of their Vita4One Italy Ferrari stablemates Josh Wakefield (GBR), Andrea Ceccato (ITA) and Michael Lyons (GBR).
In the Gentleman Trophy class, honours went to the No.98 JB Motorsport Audi R8 LMS of Swedes Mikael Bender, Jan Brunstedt and Jocke Mangs.
Second was the Sainteloc Racing Audi R8 LMS No.41 of Robert Hissom (GBR) and Pierre Hirschi (CHE) with the No.73 Kessel Racing Ferrari 430 Scuderia of Paolo Andreasi (VEN), Pablo Paladino (VEN) and Beniamino Caccia (CHE) third.
Our thanks to Eric Fabre. Be sure to check out our 2012 Blancpain Endurance Series gallery HERE
