Gregor Fisken and LMP1 team Jota scored an impressive sixth place overall Sundayat the Nurburgring 1000kms, the fourth and penultimate round of the Le Mans Endurance Series (LMES).
A top six finish is a great result considering that the team was last at the end of the first lap, after team-mate John Stack was pushed off the track by an LMP2 car at the first corner. Stack recovered from the spin and although some aerodynamic parts were damaged he rejoined the race. Stack drove an excellent double stint and despite a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane during his planned stop for fuel, he handed the car over to Gregor in a strong 15th place.
A delighted Gregor Fisken commented after the race: “John was unlucky at the start but he did a great job to recover from the trouble at the first corner. We struggled in qualifying with the wrong set-up and it was impossible for team-mate Sam Hignett to set a quicker time. From 13th on the grid, we knew it was going to be difficult for John with the traffic in the first laps. He was pushed from behind but he did a great job to rejoin the race and drove two good stints.
“When I rejoined the race, we were down to 20th place after the pit stop,” added Fisken, “and it was important to continue the recovery started by John but at the same time I didn’t want to make any silly mistakes and destroy John’s work! This was my first race with an LMP1 car and I wanted to be sensible. My double stint went extremely well, I had a great time and set some very competitive lap times. The Zytek is just awesome. Compared to an LMP2 car, the top speed is not that impressive; the main difference is the level of down force and how good the car is under braking. I enjoyed spending the afternoon dive bombing into corners and overtaking car after car.”
An enthusiastic Gregor added: “By the end of my stint, we had moved to 8th overall and Sam Hignett took over. He did a great job, setting competitive lap times and moved us up to 6th overall! The strategy of the team was spot on. Congratulations to JOTA for a superb effort.”
Fisken is delighted with his ambitious move from LMP2 to LMP1 cars: “I really enjoyed my double stint in the race. I had no physical problems and the car was just unbelievable. Compared to a contemporary LMP2 car, the Zytek is just a more accomplished article. LMP2s are impressive under braking but LMP1 cars are just in a different league. What a car! It whetted my appetite for more and I hope that I can get back into an LMP1 soon.”
Team boss and team-mate Sam Hignett was impressed by the performance of the Scott during the weekend: “Gregor did a great job over the three days and he didn’t put a foot wrong. When you consider that he hadn’t driven an LMP1 car before and we didn’t do any testing before the race, it is even more impressive. He built up his pace over the weekend and set regular and competitive lap times during the race. I am really pleased with his performance, he is very quick and I hope that we can work again together in the near future.”
Fisken concluded: “This weekend has been a revelation for me and I enjoyed every minute of it. Jota is a great team, very friendly and very professional at the same time. I haven’t finalised my plans for the end of the season but I am very tempted to continue in LMP1…”
