Fässler: Enthusiastic about new GT Corvette 🎥
RETURN AFTER NINE MONTHS Marcel Fässler contested his first race in the USA since the 24 Hours of Daytona in January. He was thrilled by the leap forward in development of the new Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. Ten hours of racing in four and a half minutes - the action-packed highlights from the 2020 Petit Le Mans, which ended with the overall victory of a Cadillac DPi. Primary was [...]
Ten hours of racing in four and a half minutes - the action-packed highlights from the 2020 Petit Le Mans, which ended with the overall victory of a Cadillac DPi.
Primarily, it was nice for Marcel Fässler to sit in a race car again. Apart from his involvement in American endurance races with Corvette Racing, the professional from Schwyz no longer has a racing program in this exceptional year.
Noticeable pause in racing
As a professional athlete who has to take special precautions, he is not subject to quarantine regulations. Therefore, Fässler was able to travel to the USA and back to Switzerland without any further restrictions for his second mission this year.
The "Petit Le Mans" at Road Atlanta was therefore only Fässler's second time in the new mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. He was able to familiarize himself with the factory car again during test drives in the run-up to the event.
Marcel Fässler: "My speed was good during the test. But in the race I needed some time with this new car to get back into a good rhythm. From that point of view, I noticed the long break from racing. The fact that I then turned the fastest lap with our Corvette was then a pleasing and important confirmation."
Just past the podium
Unfortunately, he narrowly missed the podium in fourth place together with Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner. Victory in the GTE-LM class, which is made up only of works cars, went to the Porsche GT Team ahead of the other Corvette trio and the better of the two BMW M8 GTEs. Because the race had to be neutralized at the end, the top four finished within a few seconds of each other after ten hours.
Marcel Fässler: "In the meantime, the pace is enormous. You can see that there are fewer cars and fewer amateur drivers on the grid this year. That's why there are also fewer caution phases. Tommy didn't have a yellow in the last stint for two and a half hours until shortly before the end, which is untypical. If I had known that, I would have been more aggressive in traffic beforehand."
For Marcel Fässler (with his blue and red MF helmet) it was nice to sit in a race car once again. The Corvette C8.R, which had been further developed in many races after Daytona, thrilled him.
Back to Sebring
For him, however, the season is not over yet. At the last IMSA race, the 12 Hours of Sebring, which has been postponed from mid-March to mid-November, the Swiss will again be needed as the third man in the Corvette #4.
The 2013 overall winner, then with Audi Sport, is looking forward to the reunion with Corvette Racing for a special reason.
Marcel Fässler: "The new C8.R is the best GT car I've ever had the pleasure of driving. Compared to the C7, it's much more like driving a race car. The way it lies and works - the leap in development from Daytona to Road Atlanta is gigantic."
On course for the title in all categories
This is also reflected in the championship. With five wins in nine races so far, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor are at the top of the standings with 293 points ahead of their Corvette teammates Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner (265) and the BMW pair Jesse Krohn and John Edwards (261), who have so far only won at Daytona.
Corvette Racing is ahead in the team standings with both cars, as is Chevrolet ahead of BMW and Porsche among the brands.
Before the decisive finale at Sebring on November 14, another race lasting over the normal distance of 2 hours 40 will be held at WeatherTech Raceway in Laguna Seca on November 1.
