WIN Motorsport’s team spirit was tested to the max as it embarked upon its 2017/18 Asian Le Mans Series campaign at the 4 Hours of Zhuhai this weekend. Proudly unveiling a new livery featuring the iconic Gulf brand, hopes were high for a strong start to the season. WIN Motorsport team owner and driver William Lok was joined by Le Mans 24 Hours winner Richard Bradley and Philippe Descombes to form one of the strongest driver line-ups in the field.
However, despite meticulous preparation by the crack team, a catalogue of unfortunate incidents – all of which were out of the hands of the newly-crowned Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup champions – conspired to put pay to what had been a promising season-opener.
First, Hong Kong’s newest LMP team was forced to miss out on the official pre-race test when a leak appeared in the WIN Motorsport Ligier JS P3 LMP3 fuel tank. With a new tank installed overnight, the team fought back in the 15-minute qualifying session to secure a front row place on the LMP3 grid.
Taking the opening stint of the four-hour endurance marathon on the 4.3km Zhuhai International Circuit on race day, Lok got away well at the start and put in a solid hour-long run, demonstrating the consistency so crucial in endurance racing and deftly keeping the WIN Motorsport LMP3 out of trouble and right on track for strong start to their campaign.
Lok handed the wheel to Descombes, who shot out of the pit on the same tyres and within 30 minutes had moved WIN Motorsport up the order and into podium contention. Descombes handed the baton to Bradley at the two hour mark. Bradley was making rapid progress closing the gap to his rivals before WIN Motorsport was struck by ill luck once more. While running comfortably in third, a piece of track debris tore into one of the tyres, resulting in body damage to the car and forcing Bradley into the pits. With the clock ticking, the team raced to get the car back on track and Bradley headed out with just over an hour remaining. Descombes took the final half hour of the race but, despite a heroic effort by the entire WIN Motorsport, too much time had elapsed to redeem the result it deserved.
Despite the challenges of Zhuhai, WIN Motorsport is looking ahead to the next round at Japan’s Fuji International Speedway on December 2 and 3, where they will be back in action and hungrier than ever for victory.
WIN Motorsport Quotes:
William Lok, WIN Motorsport Owner and Driver
“It’s been a tough weekend for everyone and we’ve had a whole season’s worth of ill luck in one weekend. It is disappointing for everyone at WIN Motorsport having put in so much hard work in the preparation only to have the outcome taken out of our hands, but if anything it has made us stronger. We rose to every challenge and fought right to the last second. This has only brought us closer as a team and even more determined to succeed. We’ll be back in Japan and on fighting form!”
Stewart Wild, WIN Motorsport Team Manager
“I’m incredibly proud of everyone at WIN Motorsport. Every single member of the team went far beyond the call of duty to rise to the multiple challenges fate threw at us in Zhuhai. We proved we’re on the pace by securing a front row start, completed 139 gruelling laps and finished the race, despite the puncture and resulting damage. WIN Motorsport can’t wait to get back on track in Fuji and have the opportunity to show how strong we are.”
About WIN Motorsport
Established by Hong Kong driver William Lok, WIN Motorsport brings together a wealth of talent, knowledge and experience from the highest levels of motorsport, including Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship, creating a veritable tour de force. WIN Motorsport Team Manager and Human Performance Chief Stewart Wild has worked with the likes of Jenson Button, while Chief Technical Officer Greg Wheeler brings 17 years of F1 experience to the new team. Richard Bradley, the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours LMP2 Champion, joins WIN as both a driver and Principal Driver Coach.
Team Principal Lok is a former VW Scirocco R-Cup China Champion, who, in 2016, made Hong Kong motorsport history by becoming the city’s first driver to successfully contest the inaugural sprint cup world final Road to Le Mans, the prelude to the world’s iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Lok has also competed in the FIA World Touring Car Championship at the Macau Grand Prix and in regional GT, single seater, prototype, touring car and endurance championships.
