The second event of the FIA World Endurance Championship witnessed KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) secure the third spot on Spa-Francorchamps’ podium and grab its first WEC pole position in the #47 Oreca – Nissan over the weekend.
The Chinese LMP2 team’s strong performance was highlighted by Richard Bradley, Alexandre Imperatori and Matt Howson’s prowess in variable conditions on the legendary circuit situated in the Ardennes Forest. Following a successful debut in the Oreca 03 – Nissan at Silverstone last month, KCMG continued its aggressive pursuit to place the #47 LMP2 at the front of the field in Belgium.
KCMG went through its test plan in Friday practice and completed the two 120-minute sessions in P4 and P5. As dusk fell, Bradley and Imperatori claimed an historical pole position in the LMP2 class, after setting the fastest 4-lap average of 2’12.103 during the 30-minute qualifying run in damp conditions.
Fine weather graced Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday, with Richard Bradley starting the six-hour round in the #47 Oreca 03 on pole position. The British driver maintained a steady gap from opposition in the first half hour of the race.
Unfortunately, the blue and white Oreca’s front left dive plane was damaged after being struck by bodywork debris coming from Toyota’s #7 LMP1.This incident caused debilitating aerodynamic issues for the #47 Oreca 03 and lost the lead to the #26 Morgan.
Bradley completed a two-hour stint in third place before handing the #47 Oreca 03 to Alexandre Imperatori. The Swiss driver rejoined the race in fifth position and steadily fought his way back into contention. Imperatori drove a superb triple stint and defended his position after a fierce battle for second place against Jota Sport’s Marc Gene until the start of the four-hour mark.
KCMG dropped two places to fourth position after a pit stop for driver change to Matt Howson. In the final 90-minutes of the 6 Hours of Spa, Howson’s efforts to recover second place from the #38 Zytek was impeded by a puncture. After claiming its second podium finish in the World Championship, KCMG heads to France for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in second place in the LMP2 points standing.
Richard Bradley, KCMG WEC Driver: “It was a great weekend at Spa and truly an amazing feeling to claim KCMG’s first WEC pole in very difficult conditions. We showed that we are tough competitors by leading, before a flying piece of bodywork struck the car and caused some damage. After everything that we’ve learned at Silverstone and Spa, I can say that we are ready for our biggest challenge in Le Mans!”
Alexandre Imperatori, KCMG WEC Driver: “I’m leaving Spa with mixed feelings. Of course, I’m happy that we scored the team’s first pole position and the point that goes with it. The race was compromised early on, as we were leading, when some debris from another car damaged our front bodywork. We lost a lot of downforce and also upset our strategy, as we had to pit prematurely. We decided to try and triple stint the tires to save time at the stop. It worked to some extent as I could get back up to second place but a puncture for Matt at the end meant we had to settle for third. If we can have a clean race, I’m sure we will be in the mix. Nonetheless, I take a lot of positive away from the weekend: the team did a terrific job and it is coming nicely together. I am cautiously optimistic ahead of the big challenge of the year: the 24 Hours of Le Mans! I’m very excited at the idea to be going back there and try to win it!”
Matt Howson, KCMG WEC Driver: “The weekend at Spa was a team improvement in every department and we demonstrated that by securing pole position. Unfortunately, debris from Toyota’s LMP1 damaged our aero and that affected tyre degradation significantly. Alex drove an impressive triple stint to get us back in contention, so the puncture during my stint was frustrating as it looked like 2nd position was possible. Overall, we have much to be excited about heading to Le Mans. A big thanks to the whole team and our supporters.”
Paul Ip, KCMG Managing Director: “It was a good weekend for the team, with that first WEC pole position and another podium finish on one of the most difficult circuits in the world. The team continues to improve and we are working hard to finally score that first WEC victory. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the highlight of our year and we head to La Sarthe with confidence.”
For more information about KCMG, visit www.kcmg.com.hk. To keep track of latest updates, please like KCMG’s Facebook page or follow @KCMotorgroup on Twitter and Instagram.
