Motorsport: First WEC podium in 2016 for Buemi
After the eighth and penultimate round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Shanghai, Porsche has been crowned world champion in the manufacturers' standings. Neel Jani still has one race to go to become the drivers' world champion. Sébastien Buemi finished third with Toyota. Sébastien Buemi has not been on the podium of a race for more than a year and a half [...]
Sébastien Buemi has not been on the podium of a World Endurance Championship race for more than a year and a half, and his last result was a third place in Shanghai on April 12, 2015 in Silverstone. Little consolation for a professional like him who is used to success, because unlike its sister car, the Toyota TS050 Hybrid with the Vaud native did not have the pace for victory despite setting the second-best time in qualifying.
For the fourth time in the last five races, Porsche emerged victorious with reigning world champions Mark Webber, Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley. If they had not had a pitch-black series up to and including Le Mans, they would have been in the best position for the world championship title as the most consistent team in the second half of the season. However, their teammates Neel Jani, Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb have their eyes on the title. As the second Toyota with Kamui Kobayashi, Stéphane Sarrazin and Mike Conway finished second, the title favorites' lead was reduced from 23 to 17 points.
Jani initially held second place as the starting driver, but his partners were unable to keep up with the pace of the leaders due to balance problems with their Porsche 919 Hybrid, as was the driver from Biel in the final phase. As a result, he slipped behind the two Toyota cars, which means that the title decision in the drivers' championship will be postponed to the finale in Bahrain (Nov. 19). If the Toyota team lurking in second place in the championship wins there, fifth place will be enough for Jani.
Class victory for Simon Trummer from Bern
Marcel Fässler experienced a frustrating race when his car was damaged in a collision with the sister car while lapping and had to be repaired. He had never come close to the front before. More than 6th place was all he could manage in his second-last works outing for the Audi LMP1 team.
For the first time in a year, victory in the premier class for private teams did not go to the Swiss-flagged Rebellion Racing team, but to the German CLM with Simon Trummer from Bern as one of the three drivers. In the GT-Am class, where non-professional drivers must be part of the team, Joël Camathias from Ticino finished third in a Porsche 911 RSR for his fourth podium in a row.
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Photos: Archive
