[WEC24] WEC: Nürburgring Added, Brazil Interlagos Dropped

[WEC24] WEC: Nürburgring Added, Brazil Interlagos Dropped Mar 10, 2015 20:07:58 GMT -6

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Post by n7thGear™ on Mar 10, 2015 20:07:58 GMT -6

2015 World Endurance Championship: Nürburgring in, Interlagos out

2015 FIA WEC Calendar ,Nürburgring Added, Brazil Dropped, 32 Car Full Entry Cap Continues

In 2013 Bernie Eccelstone said:

"Interlagos has promised upgrades, but these are not fulfilled", Mr Ecclestone said. "Furthermore, my feel for the circuit and the relationships with the people in charge are no longer good enough. The circuit itself is one of the best in the world, but the facilities for the teams and the fans are the worst on the F1 calendar. It does not necessarily have to be like in Shanghai, but it must meet our standards. We cannot keep pushing other circuits to make improvements, while Interlagos is still in the same poor condition for years."

Brazil had been due to take place at the end of August this year, but had to be moved back three months because the Interlagos circuit was being resurfaced.

Further track works for next season, when new pits will be built, would have precluded a late-August or early-September date.

Gerard Neveu said that it was "not a good solution" to return for a second season at the end of November .

The World Endurance Championship (WEC) will take place at the world famous Nürburgring from 28 to 30 August 2015. A corresponding contract has been signed by the WEC and Nürburgring operator capricorn NÜRBURGRING GmbH (CNG). By hosting the endurance race on its Grand Prix track, the Nürburgring will be able to celebrate a premiere, seeing as the high-tech racing series will take place in Germany for the first time since it was established in 2012. The WEC is the most important sports car championship in the world. Each year, it attracts hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic motorsport fans to famous tracks such as Le Mans, Silverstone, Spa and now also the Nürburgring.

“We are delighted to cooperate with the WEC in presenting motorsport fans with a thrilling world-class race event at the Nürburgring. With the ‘6 Hours of Nürburgring’, the Nürburgring opens a new chapter in its long-standing endurance tradition. This is yet another proof that we focus on and consistently expand the Nürburgring’s core business, which is motorsport,” said CNG managing director Carsten Schumacher.

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), said:“The 6 Hours of Nürburgring is going to be one of the highlights of the WEC calendar this season. Germans fans are renowned for their enthusiasm for endurance racing and we always have a strong contingent at the 24 Heures du Mans every year. Now, in 2015, we will bring Le Mans to Germany for a celebration of endurance racing.”

Gerard Neveu, CEO of the World Endurance Championship, said:“Bringing the WEC to Germany is an important evolution for the championship as it is the home of Audi and Porsche. The Nürburgring has a long tradition of endurance racing and we look forward to working with Carsten Schumacher and his team to make the 6 Hours of Nürburgring a success in August.”

Exciting high-tech racing series sees drivers fight for the world championship

This year‘s WEC comprises eight races on four continents. In addition to the German race at the Nürburgring, there will be races in England, Belgium, the US, Japan, China, Bahrain and, of course, France, with the pinnacle of endurance racing, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Motorsport fans can look forward to a sports car spectacle par excellence, given that the LMP and GTE vehicles set their own standards when it comes to speed, looks and sound. The WEC is considered the most exciting new high-tech racing series, as it is the perfect testing ground for the automotive industry’s latest technologies. The starting grid on the Nürburgring Grand Prix track will feature factory teams of Audi, Porsche, Toyota, Nissan, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Honda and Corvette, with well-known former Formula 1 drivers such as Mark Webber, Lucas di Grassi and Kazuki Nakajima now competing at the highest level in the WEC. What is more, internationally renowned drivers such as Sebastien Buemi, Alexander Wurz, Pedro Lamy and Oliver Jarvis, as well as German racers including Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard and André Lotterer demonstrate their skills in the fight for the world championship. A special kind of endurance is required at the ‘6 Hours of Nürburgring’, seeing as the teams have to cover a distance of roughly 1,000 km.

‘Hands-on motorsport’ at attractive ticket prices

Advance ticket sales at attractive prices start on 9 March 2015. There is only one price category with free choice of seats on all open stands. Admission to the drivers’ paddock is included in the ticket price, so that spectators are not only presented with exciting races but also with ‘hands-on motorsport’. Tickets for Sunday are available in advance for EUR 30 and weekend tickets (Friday through Sunday) for EUR 35, whereas day tickets for Friday (EUR 10) and Saturday (EUR 20) are only available at the box office. The prices of tickets for Sunday and for the entire weekend are EUR 10 higher when purchasing them at the box office.

And the best thing is: The holders of the first 4,000 tickets sold in advance will be granted free access to the pit walk on Sunday, which means they can walk through the pit lane prior to the race, take an exclusive look at the spectacular prototypes and get autographs from the racing drivers. In addition, planning is already underway for an interesting framework programme for all visitors.

(Source: FIA WEC)

Go on an expedition and explore the virtual Nürburgring in 360 degrees. The Nordschleife, the Grand-Prix track, the stands and many other tours are waiting for you.Let´s go: www.nuerburgring.de/virtuell

The 2015 full season entry will remain with a 32 car cap, despite the known addition of a pair of Nissan LMP1s, the likely commitment of ESM to a pair of full season applications, plus the planned return of Strakka and the current machinations of further teams from the current TUSCC grid.

“The cap is for both logistical and presentational reasons,” said Neveu. “We must make sure that we do the very best we can to present the interests of all of our competitors to the best of our abilities. There will be opportunities for other Wild Card entries at several races.”

Neveu also confirmed that several other circuits had been considered for 2015 including Mexico City, Montreal and Sochi. He denied though that an early potential opportunity for a WEC race in South Korea was a possibility. A return to Brazil was all “on the short list” for 2016.

Neveu insisted that the revisions to the calendar had not been driven only by Porsche and Audi, who are known to have pushed for a race in their home country.

"For the manufacturers, of course, it makes sense with Audi and Porsche," he explained.

"A race at the Nurburgring was not something we were thinking about just because Porsche has arrived.

"We have been thinking about it for three years, but before the circuit was not ready [because of its financial problems]."

Neveu stated that Brazil could return to the championship in 2016.

"There will be a good chance that we can see Brazil on the calendar for 2016," he said.

The decision to remain at eight races has been taken in consultation with the teams.

"The competitors asked for stability in the number of races," said Neveu, who did not rule out an increase for 2016.

He said that Montreal and an event in Russia were both possibilities for future seasons.

The calendar remains provisional until ratification by the FIA World Council.

2015 Provisional FIA WEC Calendar

27/ 28 March Prologue Test Le Castellet
12 April Silverstone (with ELMS on same weekend)
2 May Spa Francorchamps
31 May Le Mans Test day
13/ 14 June Le Mans 24 Hours
30 August Nurburgring – 50th anniversary of 1000kms
19 September Circuit of the Americas (with TUSCC on same day)
11 October Fuji
1 November Shanghai
20 November Bahrain

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Post by n7thGear™ on Mar 10, 2015 20:07:58 GMT -6

Post by n7thGear™ on Mar 11, 2015 0:00:54 GMT -6

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