WEC: One-two victory for ZF partner Toyota
A perfect race weekend for Toyota in the WEC: The Japanese constructor, whose Technical Partner ZF Friedrichshafen AG is in this season, celebrated a one-two victory at Silverstone.
The Toyota teams laid the foundation for the successful outcome of the race in qualifying. Alexander Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin and Kazuki Nakajima in their Toyota TS040, which is equipped with a clutch by ZF, took the pole position. Their team-mates Anthony Davidon, Nicolas Lapierre and Sébastien Buemi in the second TS040 secured a position on the third row of the grid.
In the race, the number 8 Toyota of Davidson/Lapierre/Buemi managed the leap to the very front. When the race was stopped after a little less than five and a half of the scheduled six hours due to heavy rain the trio was running in an uncontested first place. The number 7 sister car perfected the one-two finish by trailing the winners by one lap.
Third place was clinched by Timo Bernhard, Mark Webber and Brendon Hartley. Their brand new Porsche 919, on its debut, finished on the podium, equipped with a clutch by partner ZF as well.
Reason to cheer also existed in the GT class: The Porsche 911 RSR of Marco Holzer, Frédéric Makowiecki and Richard Lietz, using a clutch by partner ZF, took victory in the GTE-PRO category. The sister car completed the Porsche success in the form of a one-two.
Results, Silverstone (GB), round 1, WEC, 18 Apr–20 Apr 2014:
1. Davidson/Lapierre/Buemi, Toyota, 5h 22m 42.296s ZF
2. Wurz/Sarrazin/Nakajima, Toyota, - 1 lap ZF
3. Bernhard/Webber/Hartley, Porsche, - 2 laps ZF
4. Prost/Heidfeld/Beche, Lola, - 8 laps
5. Rusinov/Pla/Canal, Morgan, - 13 laps
6. Howson/Bradley/Matsuda, Oreca, - 15 laps
7. Holzer/Makowiecki/Lietz, Porsche, - 20 laps ZF
8. Pilet/Bergmeister/Tandy, Porsche, - 20 laps ZF
9. Turner/Mücke, Aston Martin, - 20 laps ZF
10. Bruni/Vilander, Ferrari, - 20 laps ZF
Drivers’ world championship standings:
1. A. Davidson, N. Lapierre, S. Buemi, 25 points each; 2. A. Wurz, K. Nakajima, S. Sarrazin, 19 each; 3. B. Hartley, M. Webber, T. Bernhard, 15 each; 4. M. Beche, N. Heidfeld, N. Prost, 12 each; 5. J. Canal, O. Pla, R. Rusinov, 10 each; M. Howson, R. Bradley, T. Matsuda, 8 each; M. Mediani, N. Minassian, S. Zlobin, 6 each.
Constructors’ world championship standings:
1. Toyota, 44 points; 2. Porsche, 15.
Formula 1: first podium result in 2014 for ZF partner team Ferrari
The Ferrari team had reason to cheer at the fourth race of the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship: Fernando Alonso gave the ‘Scuderia’ the first podium result of the season in China. The Spaniard in whose race car dampers from ZF Friedrichshafen AG are used advanced from position five on the grid to finish in third place thanks to an impeccable performance. In the drivers’ world championship, Alonso moved up to third place as well.
Alonso’s Finnish team-mate Kimi Räikkönen – also running with dampers from ZF Friedrichshafen AG – took eighth place, scoring points for the third time this season.
Results, GP China (RC), round 4, FIA Formula 1 World Championship, 18 Apr–20 Apr 2014:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1h 36m 52.810s
2. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, + 18.686s
3. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, + 25.765s ZF
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull-Renault, + 26.978s
5. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault, + 51.012s
6. Nico Hülkenberg, Force India-Mercedes, + 57.581s
7. Valtteri Bottas, Williams-Mercedes, + 58.145s
8. Kimi Räikkönen, Ferrari, + 1m 23.990s ZF
9. Sergio Pérez, Force India-Mercedes, + 1m 26.489s
10. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso-Renault, - 1 lap
Drivers’ world championship standings:
1. N. Rosberg, 79 points; 2. L. Hamilton, 75; 3. F. Alonso, 41; 4. N. Hülkenberg, 36; 5. S. Vettel, 33; 6. D. Ricciardo and V. Bottas, 24 each; 8. J. Button, 23; 9. K. Magnussen, 20; 10. S. Pérez, 18.
Constructors’ world championship standings:
1. Mercedes, 154 points; 2. Red-Bull-Renault, 57; 3. Force India-Mercedes, 54; 4. Ferrari, 52; 5. McLaren-Mercedes, 43; 6. Williams-Mercedes, 36; 7. STR-Renault, 8.
ZF Friedrichshafen AG is represented by a wide-ranging motorsport programme in the 2014 season. As official cooperation partner, ZF equips among others the Volkswagen Polo R WRC with drivetrain and suspension technologies in the World Rally Championship. In the DTM, all three automobile manufacturers Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz rely exclusively on ZF Race Engineering clutches. In the Japanese Super GT, every car from the manufacturers Nissan and Lexus competing in the GT500 class also uses ZF clutches. The partnership with the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in North America is new in the 2014 season. Comprehensive and up-to-date information about the brand's entire programme is published online at zf.com/motorsport as well as www.facebook.com/zfmotorsport.
The highlight of the motorsport season in 2014 is once again the fan campaign ZF Race Reporter. Motorsport fans from Germany can apply at zf.com/motorsport in order to gain an exclusive look behind the scenes of the most exciting racing series. This year they can not only experience the DTM live and up close, but also the international racing championships WEC at Spa, WRC in Italy and as a season highlight the V8 Supercars in Australia. After a successful opening in Japan last year, the fan project also makes its debut in the USA in 2014.