ahead of Zolder
Drivers in confident mood after impressive showing in Abu Dhabi
Nissan got its 2011 GT1 World Championship off to a flying start with great results in both the Qualifying Race and Championship Race in Abu Dhabi nine days ago, but now thoughts are firmly turned to this coming weekend’s race at Zolder, Belgium, with the drivers behind the wheel of the Nissan GT-R in this year’s series hoping to do even better second time out.
The Championship Race at the Yas Marina circuit saw British pair Richard Westbrook and Peter Dumbreck secure an outstanding second place finish driving the no.22 JR Motorsports Nissan GT-R, whilst Jamie Walter-Campbell and David Brabham, sharing the no.21 Sumo Power GT car, also finished amongst the top-ten points scoring positions, in ninth. Meanwhile, in the Qualifying Race, three of the four Nissan GT-Rs on the grid finished within a top-six point scoring position.
The historical course of Zolder, which was built in 1963 and has hosted the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix on 10 occasions, should represent an altogether different challenge to that of the brand new Yas Marina. At 4.011 km (2.492 miles), the track, which is situated within the Hueden-Zolder region to the North-East of Belgium, is almost a mile shorter than its UAE based counterpart, and has many fewer turns (10 to Yas Marina’s 21). The drivers should also find the heat of Zolder much more bearable than the 30+°C temperatures they had to endure in Abu Dhabi, with monthly temperatures for this time of year averaging around 14°C.
Speaking ahead of Zolder, Richard Westbrook said: “There were a huge amount of positives to take out of the opening weekend of the season at Yas Marina, both for the team and for me personally. The car was in great shape throughout the weekend, and it will only get better as the season progresses and any kinks are ironed out along the way.
“Zolder is a track that I really like and which I have plenty of experience and happy memories of – I won there behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 a couple of years ago to secure the FIA GT2 Championship. I really can’t wait to get out there and do my thing this weekend, and a first place is definitely the aim!”
David Brabham added: “I think that at Yas Marina the two Nissan teams as a whole, lead by Richard and Peter in the no.22 JRM, showed exactly what the Nissan GT-R is capable of – it’s a match for any car out there. On a personal level I’m still adjusting to the challenge of GT1, but I feel that even in that one weekend in Abu Dhabi I learned a lot and made real progress. The car is feeling really fast and responsive, and if Jamie [Campbell-Walter] and I can get a little bit of luck this weekend, and stay out of trouble, I see no reason why we can’t be challenging right at the front in Belgium.”
The combined results of the Qualifying and Championship Races after round one sees all eight Nissan drivers already on the scoreboard, with Dumbreck and Westbrook in second place in the Driver’s Championship, and Nissan in second place in the Manufacturers Championship, just behind Aston Martin.
Zolder race timings
Qualifying Race: 16.15 – 17.15pm, Saturday 9th April
Championship Race: 14.45 – 15.45pm, Sunday 10th April
