BES - 24h Spa 5 questions to Rudi Penders ProSpeed Competition enters two Porsche 911 GT3-R and one Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for ten very fast drivers. The team’s objective is to play at front, both for the overall classification and the Gentlemen Trophy Class. We present you everything you want to know about the race, the team, the drivers and the cars... Rudi Penders, how will ProSpeed Competition be taking on the 24 Hours of Spa 2013? “When ProSpeed Competition takes on a competition, Luc Goris – the team’s Technical Director – and myself only have one ambition for our colours, success. This ambition is the main requirement to be able to fulfil our projects: to build a solid future for ProSpeed Competition via, amongst others, a top quality sporting window. Championship upon championship, race upon race, our ambition is evaluated through our own commitment… as also through that of the quality of our rivals. Certain victories are achievable others prove to be more hypothetical. This evaluation is ongoing. It is important because by transmitting the correct ambition to each team member, be it an engineer, technician, driver or partner, we try to remain humble and focussed on the work in hand. ProSpeed Competition will enter three cars. The Porsche #75 driven by Hennerici-Maassen-Soulet, regular entrant in the Blancpain Endurance Series competition, has to play a leading role within the championship. Be attentive to the final promoter awards… “double” points! After the race the 2013 Blancpain Endurance Series hierarchy will have revealed its definite face. At the wheel of the Porsche 911… #911, Holzer-Tandy-Mapelli retain all the qualities to constantly play up front. The #48 Porsche 911 Cup entered in the “Gentlemen Trophy” will be driven by Didier Grandjean, Carl Rosenblad, Martin Rich and Mathijs Harkeman.” What is the analytical framework regarding your ambitions for these 24 Hours of Spa 2013? “ProSpeed Competition retains undeniable assets to clinch victory. The team is well versed for this event, and more specifically taking into account the possible sudden and numerous climatic changes. We can also count of the reliability of the Porsche 911 GT3-R, a level of reliability that has also become a trademark of our technical team over the years. As further assets, I would add the reinforcement of two drivers from the Porsche Motorsport works. And all the more so since the ties between Marco Holzer, Nick Tandy, Porsche Motorsport and ProSpeed Competition are truly solid. Last but not least, the arrival of Marco Mapelli, test driver with Pirelli, which should allow us to really fine tune our understanding of the tyres put at our disposal during the race. These assets, as I have just stated, we will need to set them up and compare them with the potential deployed by our rivals. It goes without saying that both the quality and the quantity of entrants demand respect. The work schedule that we will be defining with each of our three teams will be the guideline we must not digress from. The race and its hazards will decide the rest.” Are you fully aware of the race hazards? “Yes, we know the hazards which could crop up: mechanical damage, punctures, the unpredictable weather, collision with another competitor, an unfavourable balance of “tyre wear performance per lap”… to just mention the main ones. Our work is to prevent these. Unfortunately within the team nobody has a crystal ball. And to add spice to the event, apart from the race hazards, there is also the fierce competition from the others. How will our rivals react during “key” moments of the race? What about managing the “Super Pole” exercise? Who will make it a priority to gather points to be scored for the championship throughout the race? How and in what form will the major efforts provided by various constructors be used to assist their representatives? Motorsport is a complex science!” The consequent investment emanating from various constructors appears to be “the” novelty for this 2013 edition, right? “The development of the GT3 category is a remarkable undertaking. In fact we need to congratulate Stéphane Ratel and his entire team. As Belgians, we must appreciate the fact that the “must” of these regulations has come about during “our own” 24 hours. Porsche Motorsport will be present at our side, allowing us principally to work closely with two of their works drivers. Porsche Motorsport is not the only constructor to have invested in this way. It’s a well thought out support, as it allows the teams to be on an equal footing at the heart of the competition. But the current balance is subtle. And precious.” Three cars, three different ambitions? “No not at all, it’s three opportunities to reach the team’s objective, namely success. At the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3-R… #911 – an amusing touch regarding the 50 anniversary of the Porsche 911 – Marco Holzer, Nick Tandy and Marco Mapelli retain all the qualities to constantly play up front; However we do not consider the Porsche #75, regular entrant in the Blancpain Endurance Series competition, to be the team’s second car! Marc Hennerici, Xavier Maassen and Maxime Soulet have been team partners for two seasons now. Amongst these drivers achievements, an incredible victory at the Nürburgring last year, and a presence on the front row of the grid during the inaugural round at the beginning of the year, in Monza. The third car, a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, is entered in the « Gentlemen Trophy » category, a specific classification in which Didier Grandjean, Carl Rosenblad, Martin Rich and Mathijs Harkema have every chance of succeeding.”
Posted on: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 19:26:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015