Motorsport

Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, round 6 at the British Grand Prix, Preview: Richard Westbrook retains serie

After an exciting weekend in Magny-Cours, the pilots contesting the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup now face the next challenge this coming weekend. The sixth championship round at Silverstone in Britain takes place on one of the most demanding circuits of the season.

“The race in Silverstone is an absolute highlight,” says points leader Richard Westbrook from London. Indeed, the 5.1 kilometre Grand Prix circuit is one of the fastest and most difficult for drivers and their teams. Three sections each with completely different characteristics make the setting-up of the car a real feat. “In the first section sheer speed is what counts,” said the 31-year-old Briton. Key points are the ultra-fast Copse and Becketts corners. At the end of the long Hangar straight the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup reaches a speed of around 250 kph. “Afterwards comes the somewhat slower section. In the last third, through Priory and Luffield, top driving skills are called for. I’ve been looking forward to this race since the beginning of the season. For me as an Englishman Silverstone is something very special. And this year I want to win at last.”

Last year Westbrook had to give in with second. Uwe Alzen (Germany) left his rivals without a chance: The 39-year-old Porsche stalwart secured pole position in 2006 and went on to win. Alzen managed a similarly convincing triumph last weekend at Magny-Cours, where under extremely difficult track conditions he led the field from pole position to claim his second win of the season.

The duel between Alzen and Westbrook promises to be full of suspense. After his success in France, Alzen, the 1994 Supercup champion, moved up to second overall in the series. Richard Westbrook, who has dominated the points table since his victory in Spain, enjoys a 12 point advantage over the German. Ranking third in the series is Damien Faulkner from Ireland.

As guest starter in Silverstone, the ex-Formula 1 driver Derek Warwick (Great Britain) takes the wheel of a Cup-Porsche. The 52-year-old Briton accepted an invitation from Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, to man the 400 hp racing sportscar with the starting number 88. “The Porsche is a fantastic car,” said Derek Warwick after his first test. “I was surprised at how fast it was and at the great response and performance of the ceramic brake. My aim for Silverstone is to finish in the top ten and to have a great race.” Between 1981 and 1993 Warwick contested a total of 147 Formula 1 Grands Prix, driving, amongst others, for Renault and Arrows. In 1992 he won the Le Mans 24 hour race with Yannick Dalmas and Mark Blundell for Peugeot.

Steven Kane, James Sutton and Tim Harvey (all Great Britain) are also looking forward to their home round. The pair take up the 12-lap race as guest drivers from the British Carrera Cup.

The television station “Eurosport 2” broadcasts the championship round live on Sunday, 8th July, from 10.20 hours (local time). Additionally, “Eurosport” shows highlights of the race on Sunday evening in its “Motorsports Weekend” programme.

Driver standings after five races:

1. Richard Westbrook (Great Britain), 86 points
2. Uwe Alzen (Germany), 74 points
3. Damien Faulkner (Ireland), 67 points
4. Patrick Huisman (Netherlands), 56 points
5. Alessandro Zampedri (Italy), 56 points
6. Nicolas Armindo (France), 46 points
7. David Saelens (Belgium), 44 points
8. Sebastiaan Bleekemolen (Netherlands), 38 points
9. Christian Menzel (Germany), 34 points
10. Richard Williams (Great Britain), 29 points