The thrilling finale of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) witnessed KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) engage in an epic class battle and round off the 2015 season of the world championship as LMP2 Vice Champion at Bahrain International Circuit over the weekend. Represented by Richard Bradley, Matt Howson and Nick Tandy, the Hong Kong-based outfit finished in second place after a gripping assault for the LMP2 title transpired throughout the closely contested six-hour affair under Sakhir’s night sky.
Two 90-minute practice runs kicked off the series’ final round on Thursday, with the Dunlop-shod #47 Oreca 05 – Nissan completing free practice one and two in fourth and second positions. The stunning metallic blue and silver LMP2 logged a total of 58 laps on the first day of running on Bahrain’s 5.412km F1 track. Final practice session the following morning saw the #47 ORECA coupe finish in second place. Howson and Tandy then went on to secure second position for the #47 Oreca in qualifying. However, a track limits penalty demoted the team to third place on the LMP2 starting grid.
Nick Tandy grabbed the class lead after a superb start in the 6 Hours of Bahrain. His performance was flawless and kept the #47 car at the front of the LMP2 field throughout his first stint. After 23 laps, the British ace handed over driver duties to Matt Howson ,who made an impressive overtaking manoeuvre on G-Drive Racing’s Roman Rusinov. This move saw Howson retake the lead and complete his stint at the front the pack.
Richard Bradley then took over the #47 LMP2 as the race reached its halfway mark. Fans were once again on the edge of their seats as a frantic battle for first position took place between him and G-Drive Racing’s #26 car. Bradley managed to keep opposition at bay before handing over the Oreca coupe to Tandy for the final stint. Another riveting battle ensued as the #26 Ligier chased Tandy during the final hour of the race. However, opposition’s efforts paid off and after 183 laps and six hours of sensational racing, the #47 car crossed the finish line in second place, with KCMG concluding its second full season competing in FIA WEC as LMP2 Vice Champion.
Richard Bradley: “We had a good race in Bahrain and the team did an outstanding job all weekend. We had an amazing year and everyone in the team did a superb job throughout the season. When we look back and think of all that we’ve achieved this year, we can all be very proud and ready to come back stronger in the future.”
Matt Howson: ‘It’s difficult not to be a little disappointed with second place this weekend and in the championship, but on reflection KCMG have been remarkable this season. We have been given an excellent car from Oreca, an ever improving team and I’ve had the pleasure of sharing it with some of the world’s best drivers, Nico Lapierre, Nick Tandy and my long term team-mate Richard Bradley. Winning Le Mans and leading the championship for much of the year was special, and we’re now one of the big forces in LMP2 in the world. Thanks to all the team and especially team owner Paul Ip for a memorable season, much more to come in the future!’
Nick Tandy: “To finish second in the race and in the championship was not what we aimed for coming to Bahrain, but the team gave a good fight until the end. It’s been an amazing season in WEC and a fantastic experience to compete in LMP2 with KCMG.”
Erich Kolb, KCMG WEC Team Manager: “Second place wasn’t what we were eyeing but overall, the results we’ve produced only underlines the strength of the team. The boys worked hard over the weekend, but largely, everyone did an outstanding job the entire season. For us to wrap up the year with a Le Mans victory and emerge as class Vice Champion in WEC is result that we can definitely be proud of.”
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.
