KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) returns to winning ways as they claimed a sensational victory in FIA World Endurance Championship’s (WEC) seventh event at Bahrain International Circuit on Saturday. In dominant fashion, the #47 Oreca 03R – Nissan shod with Dunlop tyres crossed the finish line three laps ahead its nearest rival to clinch its second World Championship win under Sakhir’s night sky.
The Hong Kong-based outfit emerged victorious after a dramatic six-hour affair, which witnessed Richard Bradley, Matt Howson and Alexandre Imperatori deliver race-winning stints in the blue and white #47 LMP2. Following a tough outing in China, the team was back in strong form and consistently logged competitive lap times during the free practice sessions early this week.
On Bahrain’s brightly-lit 5.412 km F1 track, Imperatori and Bradley posted a four-lap average of 1’51.375 during Friday evening’s qualifying run. The #47 Oreca qualified in fourth position on the LMP2 starting grid after employing a different strategy, which saved the team a fresh set of tyres for Saturday’s six-hour challenge.
The action-packed start of the 6 Hours of Bahrain saw Imperatori move up from fourth to second position, after an incident between two other LMP2s occurred during the first lap. The Swiss ace went on to challenge SMP Racing’s Nicolas Minassian in a close battle for the lead and completed an impressive double stint before handing the car over to Richard Bradley.
As the race entered its third hour, the British driver was just within two seconds behind SMP Racing’s car. On Lap 92, Bradley pulled a classic overtaking move into Turn 1, which ultimately grabbed the LMP2 lead from opposition. Dusk had descended upon Bahrain when Bradley wrapped up his first stint in the lead.
Howson took over driving duties as the race entered its four-hour mark. The British driver maintained the LMP2 top spot and managed to widen the gap over the rest of the field. After completing 49 laps, Howson passed the #47 Oreca 03R back to his British compatriot with less than an hour remaining on the clock. With an overwhelming advantage over their rivals, Bradley crossed the finish line triumphantly, securing KCMG’s second LMP2 victory in the World Championship.
Richard Bradley: “Firstly, the best thing is that we were able to come to Bahrain after the accident in Shanghai and so, a big thank you to the mechanics for the hard work they put in. After a fantastic race, we were able to take the win in Bahrain! This bodes very well for the next round in Sao Paulo, so I can’t wait!”
Matt Howson: “I’m thrilled KCMG took their second world championship win this season in Bahrain and our first with Alex. Both he and Richard drove perfectly and the team made no mistakes all weekend. We had some fortune, but that’s motorsport and we capitalised on it fully. Thanks to all the crew for giving us a reliable car and to Greg our engineer, for making sure it was a fast one!”
Alexandre Imperatori: “It’s an amazing feeling to win the race here in Bahrain! After the massive disappointment from Shanghai, it’s fantastic to come back and win. It’s a victory for everyone in the team who did a great job to put us on the grid here. On a personal note, it is nice to finally get a first win in WEC after missing the team’s previous victory in Austin.”
Paul Ip, KCMG Managing Director: “KCMG’s success in Bahrain is a testament to the team’s hard work and determination. The boys have worked hard not only to rebuild the car, but made sure that we have a race-winning car. We head to the World Championship’s final round with renewed confidence and we hope to carry over this momentum to the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo.”
KCMG heads to FIA WEC’s season finale in Sao Paulo, Brazil in third place with 105 points in the LMP2 Team Classification. To know more about the FIA World Endurance Championship, please visit: www.fiawec.com
For more information about KCMG please visit www.kcmg.com.hk. To keep track of all the latest updates ‘Like’ KCMG’s Facebook page or follow @KCMotorgroup on Twitter and Instagram.
