Problems at Williams give win to Lotus in Isle of Man Endurance Race
Daniel Harvey opened the racing with a very fast first stint ahead of Jim Laad. A slow driver change, however, swapped the orders as Williams driver Ben Utzer was able to come out just ahead of Omer Said at Lotus. Mark Lintner from Ferrari kept both teams honest as he kept his car in the mix for his entire ride. In fact, it was Ferrari who had the combined fastest first two stints after switching to Oorjit Mishra at the 4hr mark. Although a bit late in the off, McLaren also was keeping very fast in the opening stages.
The second stop for McLaren was painful, however, as they discovered a complete engine change was necessary. This set them far enough behind the other teams that they couldn't finish higher than 4th. More sadness at Williams, as well, as they discovered an oil leak that kept them in the pits far longer than they hoped. Lotus took back first place, and Hugo Rosello drove it home for the win.
Interviews
@Millsy24 a great effort from the whole team today, and a very exciting race between you and the Williams. How does it feel to win at home?
@Benutzername a bit frustrating for you having to wait in the pits an extra half hour. Hopefully this isn't going to be an ongoing problem...?
@Sasha Jednak a very promising race from Ferrari until the last stint. Was the car giving you troubles?
@TTupsi fans were hoping for a good outcome today, and the first stint gave them hope. But the engine change came as a bit of a surprise, especially since it still didn't seem to work well through the rest of the race. Have you considered yet a switch to Renault power?
Next Race
Home race for Team Ferrari and Williams driver Andrea Dovisioso. And it will be a familiar site for both as it will be at their own proving grounds in Fiorano! See you soon in the beautiful Italian countryside!