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Showing results for tags 'Christophe Bouchut'.
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#31 Kevin Weeda (USA) – Christophe Bouchut (FRA) #32 Thomas Holzer (DEU) – Dominik Kraihamer (AUT) – Jan Charouz (CZE) After a two-month break, Lotus Praga LMP2 was back in action at the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Sao Paulo. The weekend started off very promising during both free practice sessions on Friday. The team completed a total of 78 laps on the 4,309 kilometer long circuit in Interlagos. The target in both sessions was to collect data about the different tyre compounds in preparation for the race. Thomas Holzer (Driver #32) commented: “We were running trouble free on Friday and were able to do many laps. We could improve the car and the setup continuously and I was quite happy with the balance of the car.” In the third and final free practice before qualifying, Lotus Praga LMP2 continued its upwards trend and improved its lap times. The hilly and bumpy track suited the Lotus Praga T128 LMP2 cars and everyone in the team was confident of showing a good performance in the qualifying session. Christophe Bouchut and Kevin Weeda were behind the wheel of car #31, Dominik Kraihamer and Thomas Holzer were in the hot seat of the sister car #32 during qualifying. With an average lap time of 1:28.556, car #32 qualified fifth in LMP2 class and with an average lap time of 1:30.169, car #31 qualified in position 7. Lotus Praga LMP2 was happy with the result and the performance of the drivers. Kevin Weeda (Driver #31) showed a strong performance and improved his lap times in all practice sessions. The American did his best lap time in qualifying and was very happy: “It is good to be back in the race car after a long break. The sessions on Friday and Saturday were good for us and we didn’t have any problems. We tried different set-ups and tyre compounds and the car was well prepared for the race. It is a shame that my team mate Christophe Bouchut only could do one fast lap in qualifying as he was traffic. Maybe we could have had a better result. But I am very happy with our progress and that I did my best lap time in my first qualifying.” The 6 Hours of Sao Paulo started off well for car #32 and after some laps, Dominik Kraihamer was running in fourth position in LMP2 class. After 35 minutes, however, the race ended prematurely for car #32 after a crash with a LMP1 car. Dominik Kraihamer commented: “I turned into curve 3 and lost the rear of the car. I tried to catch it and I went straight, but then it happened. It was a pity that the LMP1 car was next to me at that moment. I am very sorry for the team as we could have had a good race.” Christophe Bouchut in car #31 had to do an unplanned pit stop early in the race. The car was taken back inside the garage after a gearbox issue. The team tried to fix it and Bouchut was able to go out on track again. Unfortunately, the Frenchman had to box again and it took until 90 minutes before the end of the race, until the gearbox was fixed and Kevin Weeda could go out again. The American did some laps to check the car, but the team lost too much time in the garage. As a consequence, car #31 was not classified. Christophe Bouchut commented: “It is a shame that we had problems with the gearbox during the race. In the sessions before, the balance of the car was good and we could improve ourselves continuously. We wanted to run as much as possible to collect mileage and valuable data for the next races. However, with the issues in the race, it was not possible to have a good result.” Lotus Praga LMP2 is disappointed with the outcome of the race but pleased with the performance and progress of the car and drivers over the weekend. At the fifth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Austin (22nd September), the team wants to fight back and to improve again. -
#31 Kevin Weeda (USA) – James Rossiter (GBR) – Christophe Bouchut (FRA) #32 Thomas Holzer (DEU) – Dominik Kraihamer (AUT) – Jan Charouz (CZE) Race #31 retired #32 retired Lotus Praga LMP2 was at the start of the 90th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Christophe Bouchut was the start driver for car #31 and made up some position in the first laps. Thomas Holzer was at the wheel of #32 for the start and was on a good pace. After about two hours into the race, Kevin Weeda in car #31 spun and had to stop the car at the track. During the night, Dominik Kraihamer (#32) did very good laps and set good and constant lap times after an Audi made contact with him. A failure on the bellhousing consequently caused damages on the fitted auxiliaries and forced the team to retire. Lotus Praga LMP2 showed a good performance at its only second start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and with the new Lotus Praga T128 LMP2. The team showed a great effort and was working hard during the whole week. Christophe Bouchut, Race Driver #31: “It’s a shame that we had to retire. I would have preferred to finish my 20th race at Le Mans, but that’s racing. We had a good pace during the week and the car has got a lot of potential. I would like to thank the team for their great job.” Thomas Holzer, Race Driver #32: “We had to retire this morning. Nevertheless, we had a good car and we were on a good pace. It’s a shame we didn’t cross the finish line. But we will keep on working hard and fight back at the next races.” -
Getting ready for the race and looking forward to representing the black and gold colours on the legendary circuit. #31 Kevin Weeda (USA) – James Rossiter (GBR) – Christophe Bouchut (FRA) #32 Thomas Holzer (GER) – Dominik Kraihamer (AUT) – Jan Charouz (CZE) Qualifying 2 #32 Position 9 (LMP2) Lap time 4:12.327 #31 no time Qualifying 3 #32 Position 15 (LMP2) Lap time 3:46.490 #31 Position 16 (LMP2) Lap time 3:47.920 Lotus Praga LMP2 hit the track on the second day of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Thomas Holzer, Dominik Kraihamer and Jan Charouz in car #32 will start from position 15. Kevin Weeda, James Rossiter and Christophe Bouchut (#31) qualified 16th for the legendary endurance race. There have been a lot of red flag periods during all qualifying sessions which didn’t make it easy. The weather has also played an important role in finding the right timing to go out on track. Due to heavy rain showers before the start of the second qualifying, it was quite tricky to drive at the Circuit des 24 Heures. The track was still damp during the third and final qualifying, but dried up until the end of the session. Lotus Praga LMP2 is now getting ready for the race and looking forward to representing the black and gold colours on the legendary circuit. The race will start on Saturday, 22nd June, at 15:00 hours local time. Christophe Bouchut, Race Driver #31: “We had good practice sessions and the car has a big potential. It is always a special feeling to race at night and also quite challenging for the driver. At Le Mans, racing at night is simply amazing. I know this circuit quite well and I am very looking forward to the start of my 20th race at Le Mans.” Thomas Holzer, Race Driver #32: “It was great to be back at Le Mans and driving the new Lotus Praga T128 LMP2. We have made another step forward and I am quite happy with the car. I think that we can have a good race and I am very confident. It is going to be a long race and I am looking forward to fighting with our competitors.” -
Lotus Praga LMP2 is looking forward to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The endurance classic at the Sarthe celebrates its 90th birthday this year and Lotus is proud to be part of this special event. The new Lotus Praga T128 LMP2 did its first laps on the 13,629 kilometer long Circuit des 24 Heures at the obligatory test day last week. Lotus was able to gain a lot of data on this challenging race track and completed a total of 124 laps. With twenty starts at the endurance classic, Christophe Bouchut counts among the endurance racing experts. The Frenchman is very proud of this achievement and is looking forward to his anniversary. It will be Kevin Weeda’s first participation at Le Mans and the American did the minimum of ten laps at the test day to be eligible for the race. Dominik Kraihamer, who had an accident at the Le Mans test, is fully recovered and eager to race. The event at Le Mans will kick off with free practice (16:00-20:00) and the first qualifying session (22:00-24:00) on Wednesday, 19th June. Two more qualifying sessions will take place on Thursday, 20th June from 19:00 to 21:00 and from 22:00 to 24:00. Race start is on Saturday, 22nd June at 15:00. Christophe Bouchut, Race Driver #31: “This year, I am celebrating my 20th participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with one of the biggest names in motorsport, Lotus, which is a real honour and privilege! It is an achievement and fine recognition from the motorsport world to return to this exclusive race that I had the honour to win in 1993. Only ten drivers in the history of Le Mans have taken part in the event more often than I have, which shows how difficult it is to remain at the highest level for so long. There is no other race that I await with such anticipation every year, and there is no other circuit in the world where I enjoy racing to the limit as much as I do on the 24 Hours circuit. I am very proud to celebrate this anniversary with Lotus and I am sure that with my co-drivers Kevin Weeda and James Rossiter, we will do an excellent job in order to have a good result.” Dominik Kraihamer, Race Driver #32: “The 24 Hours of Le Mans is an event that every racing driver and racing fan is waiting for the whole year. It is a great honour for me and also a big challenge to participate in this spectacle with Lotus. I am looking forward to compete with the new Lotus Praga T128 LMP2 and to share the car with Thomas Holzer and Jan Charouz. I am very confident for the race and that we will have a strong performance.” -
#31 Kevin Weeda (USA) – Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) – Christophe Bouchut (FRA) #32 Thomas Holzer (GER) – Dominik Kraihamer (AUT) – Jan Charouz (CZE) Race #32 Position 9 (LMP2) 113 laps #31 retired 42 laps The first race of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship took place today at Silverstone Circuit. Lotus Praga LMP2 was starting from the third row in LMP2 class with Vitantonio Liuzzi (#31) and Jan Charouz (#32) at the wheel of the new Lotus Praga T128 LMP2 cars. Charouz was hit by a competitor in the first lap and had to come back to the garage in order to fix the damages. After 90 minutes, #32 was ready to go again and took the chequered flag after six hours. The sister car #31 had to retire from the race after about two hours due to stearing problems. Until then, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Kevin Weeda and Christophe Bouchut completed 42 laps. In total, the team added a total of 155 laps to its tally and collected a lot of valuable data about the new car in preparation for the next races. The new Lotus Praga T128 LMP2 has shown a good race performance and the team is looking forward to the next races. Christophe Bouchut, Race Driver #31: “It was great to be racing the new Lotus Praga T128 LMP2 here at Silverstone. Unfortunately, we had to stop the car due to problems with the stearing. We wanted to drive until the end of the race however, it was not possible today. I want to thank the team for giving me the opportunity to race here and also for their support and hard work throughout the weekend.” Dominik Kraihamer, Race Driver #32: “I am very happy that I was driving the new Lotus Praga T128 LMP2 today. We completed 113 laps and we learned a lot about the car. I want to thank the whole team for working hard and making this possible. I am looking forward to the next race at Spa and I hope we will show a good performance.” -
Lotus Praga Lmp2 Second Day At The 6 Hours Of Silverstone
Mark H posted a news article in Lotus LMP2
#31 Kevin Weeda (USA) – Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) – Christophe Bouchut (FRA) #32 Thomas Holzer (GER) – Dominik Kraihamer (AUT) – Jan Charouz (CZE) Free Practice 3 #31 Position 9 (LMP2) Lap time 1:59.423 (Liuzzi) #32 Position 10 (LMP2) Lap time 2:13.884 (Kraihamer) Qualifying #32 Position 5 (LMP2) Average Lap time 2:01.55 (Bouchut, Liuzzi) #31 Position 6 (LMP2) Average Lap time 2:02.144 (Kraihamer, Charouz) The first qualifying of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship was underway today at Silverstone Circuit. Lotus Praga LMP2 showed a good performance and qualified both cars in fifth position and sixth in LMP2 class for cars #32 and #31 respectively. It was the debut for the new qualifying format, where two drivers of each car have to do at least two timed laps. The average of the four lap times serves as the reference time for the grid. There was a long wait for the official qualifying result because of problems with the timing system. In the end, it was confirmed that cars #32 and #31 will start from fifth and sixth position respectively. It is a good result for Lotus at the first qualifying of the season with the new Lotus Praga T128 LMP2. The 6 Hours of Silverstone will start on Sunday, 14th April at 12:00 hours local time. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Race Driver #31: “We had a good qualifying under difficult weather conditions. We started on slicks with Christophe Bouchut and changed for intermediate tyres because the track was very wet and slippery. For my stint, we changed back to slicks as the track dried up again. Starting from sixth position into the race with the new car is very good and we are quite pleased about this result. We keep on working hard to improve the car and we hope to have a good race tomorrow.” Jan Charouz, Race Driver #32: “It was a crazy qualifying session today with rain just in the beginning of the session. My team mate Dominik Kraihamer was doing his laps at first and I was out afterwards when the track dried up again. We are fifth in LMP2 class which is a good result for us and we are very pleased about it. The car was better compared to the morning session and it was a step in the right direction. Now we are getting ready for tomorrow’s race and I am looking forward to racing the Lotus Praga T128 for the first time.” -
#31 Kevin Weeda (USA) – Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) – Christophe Bouchut (FRA) #32 Thomas Holzer (GER) – Dominik Kraihamer (AUT) – Jan Charouz (CZE) Free Practice 1 #31 Position 9 (LMP2) Lap time 2:13.413 (Bouchut) #32 Position 10 (LMP2) Lap time 2:18.283 (Holzer) Free Practice 2 #31 Position 9 (LMP2) Lap time 1:59.423 (Liuzzi) #32 Position 10 (LMP2) Lap time 2:23.886 (Charouz) The new season of the FIA World Endurance Championship started off today with two practice sessions and Lotus Praga LMP2 was underway with its two Lotus Praga T128 LMP2. The changing weather conditions made it impossible to do reasonable lap times. After numerous rain showers, the sun came out for some minutes and the track dried up until there was rain again. Nevertheless, Lotus took the opportunity to learn about the car under different conditions. The team hopes that the weather will be better for tomorrow’s qualifying. The qualifying format has been changed for this season. Two drivers from each car must set at least two timed laps during qualifying. The average of the four best lap times (the best two lap times of each driver) will serve as the reference time for establishing the grid. The debut of this new format is going to be interesting and will ensure that there will be a lot of track action. The qualifying to the 6 Hours of Silverstone will start on Saturday, 13th April at 12:10 hours local time. Christophe Bouchut, Race Driver #31: “It was an interesting first day at Silverstone and I was happy to drive the new Lotus T128 today. There is still some work to do, but we learned a lot about the car, which will help us to find the right setup for the next days. The team is doing an incredible job and I am very happy to race with Lotus.” Thomas Holzer, Race Driver #32: “It was an amazing feeling to drive the Lotus T128 for the first time. There is a lot of potential and we are working hard to get the best out of the car. In the first practice session, we had some overheating problems due to the long pit lane and running in the pit limiter for a long time. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to tomorrow, when hopefully the weather conditions will be better than today.” -
Lotus Praga LMP2 is looking forward to the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship that kicks off with the 6 Hours of Silverstone this week. The team will contest the opening event of the 2013 season with two new Lotus Praga T128 LMP2. The 5,900 kilometer long Silverstone Circuit will be the first venue where the new Lotus T128 will have its first appearance under race conditions. After some test days, the new sports car, which was built in accordance with the latest 2014 regulations, has impressed with its streamlined design and competitive lap times. Kevin Weeda and Vitantonio Liuzzi will be at the wheel of the Lotus Praga T128 #31. As Lotus Praga LMP2 regular James Rossiter will be on duty racing in Japan at the same weekend, he will be replaced by Frenchman Christophe Bouchut. With 19 participations at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, Bouchut has gained a lot of experience in different sports cars and counts among the endurance specialists. The Lotus Praga T128 #32 will be run by Thomas Holzer, Dominik Kraihamer and Jan Charouz throughout the season. The 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship starts with the 6 Hours race at Silverstone on Sunday, 14th April at 12:00 hours local time. Christophe Bouchut, Race Driver #31: “After working four years in the ALMS championship and having won the last two titles, this is another great opportunity for me to work with Lotus this year. Participating in the first race of the Lotus T128 and the opening event of the FIA WEC at Silverstone is simply fantastic. This championship is the reference of the endurance races and since 2012, my goal was to participate. Everyone at Lotus is extremely professional and there is a friendly atmosphere, what I really appreciate. I am very lucky to share the wheel with such good team mates as Tonio Liuzzi and Kevin Weeda with whom we will do a very good job, I am sure. I can’t wait to be at Silverstone driving the Lotus T128.” Dominik Kraihamer, Race Driver #32: “I am looking forward to my first race with Lotus. After a long winter, it is great to be back at the race track and to get the maximum of motivation and determination out of somebody. It will be a challenge to develop and work on the set up of the new car, but this is really interesting for me. I get on well with everybody in the team and also with the other race drivers of the team, which is an important factor for a successful collaboration throughout the season. I am very proud to get the chance to work with them. I am looking forward to racing at Silverstone and doing my first laps with the new Lotus T128.”