Porsche Supercup: Specialist team is runner-up
PODIUM IN MEXICO It wasn't quite enough for Alex Fach's Porsche team. At the Supercup finale in Mexico, Nick Yelloly celebrated another podium. But the title goes to German Michael Ammermüller, as it did in 2017. The starting position was difficult for Nick Yelloly. Michael Ammermüller, who arrived with a five-point lead, secured the title for both [...]
The starting position was difficult for Nick Yelloly. Michael Ammermüller, who arrived with a five-point lead, secured pole position for both final races of the 2018 Porsche Supercup in Mexico City. Meanwhile, the Briton in Fach Auto Tech's Porsche 991 GT3 Cup had to line up ninth on Saturday (after being penalized from P6) and fourth on Sunday.
Yelloly made the best possible of both situations. He finished the first race after Formula 1 qualifying in fourth place with the fastest race lap, two positions behind Ammermüller. On Sunday before the Mexican GP, Yelloly finished second ahead of the 32-year-old veteran from Bavaria.
Fach belongs to the top teams
Ammermüller and the Lechner Racing Team celebrated winning the title just as they did in 2017. However, the quiet disappointment of narrowly missing out on the championship was outweighed by the joy of second place in the drivers' standings with Nick Yelloly and in the team standings for the Swiss team from Sattel SZ.
Alex Fach: "We look back on our weekend in Mexico with one eye laughing and one eye crying. We were still hoping for the title right up to the last second. Nick drove superbly, but second place was unfortunately not enough. We were able to show again in 2018 that we are one of the top teams in the toughest Porsche one-make cup in the world. We have to be proud of what we achieved this season."
Regularity pays off
The highlight for Fach Auto Tech in the past season was the 27-year-old Briton's victories in Monaco and Hockenheim. Although Michael Ammermüller only won the first race in Barcelona, he still finished second five times and third twice.
Nick Yelloly's only other achievement was a podium in Mexico. Two fourth and five fifth places were not enough to knock the old and new champions off their thrones. Both scored points in all ten races.
The most successful driver, however, was Thomas Preining. The official Porsche junior and teammate of Ammermüller won four races. The Austrian missed his chances of winning the title at the start of the season with a retirement in Spain and only two points in Monaco.
The final standings see Ammermüller with 153 points ahead of Yelloly (146), Preining (135) and Julien Andlauer (127). The second Porsche Junior from the French Alméras team won both Mexico races. In the team standings, BWT Lechner Racing is well ahead of Fach Auto Tech (233) and martinet by Alméras (217) with 288 points.
Joy about the rookie from Canada
Unfortunately, Jaap van Lagen was unable to provide much support in Mexico. In Saturday's race, the Dutchman fought a mock duel with his championship-winning teammate and finished in fifth position. On Sunday, a torn front lip on his 911 prevented the chance of a top ten finish.
Junior racer Roman de Angelis, who is only 17 years old, did well. The Canadian replaced ProAm driver Christof Langer, who was prevented from racing due to a bereavement in the family.
The rookie finished the races in 14th and 19th place among 26 drivers. In his Supercup debut, he left a number of seasoned drivers from the ProAm category behind him. It's quite possible that this was just the start of a new partnership for Alex Fach.
