Kvyat Signs with G-Drive for Sports Car Racing Debut
Talking of G-Drive.....
G-Drive withdraws from WEC, Le Mans over FIA’s Russia code of conduct
G-Drive team principal Roman Rusinov has announced on Instagram he is refusing to accept the conditions laid down by the FIA for the participation of Russian competitors in international motorsport following the country’s invasion of Ukraine last month.
Rusinov said in the short statement he would “not put my signature on this document” and expressed disappointment that members of the team “won’t compete for GDR”, adding “we are already looking at different projects to develop motorsports in our country”.
The statement made on Rusinov’s personal Instagram account also outlined a hope that G-Drive “will be able to return to international racing” in the future.
Rusinov could not be contacted to confirm that the team will not be racing at the opening WEC round at Sebring on 18 March with an LMP2 ORECA-Gibson 07 due to be driven by ex-Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat, Rene Binder and James Allen.
It is unclear if Rusinov is only referencing the latest FIA rules for the involvement of Russian and Belarus drivers, competitors and officials announced last Tuesday after an extraordinary meeting of its World Motor Sport Council, or if other conditions have been laid down for G-Drive’s participation in the WEC as well as the European Le Mans Series.
The involvement of Rusinov’s team in top-level sportscar racing is further complicated by it title sponsorship: G-Drive is a brand of energy giant Gazprom, which is majority-owned by the Russian state and is facing sanctions around the world.
The FIA’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been to demand that Russian and Belarus competitors “participate in international zone competitions only in their neutral capacity and under the ‘FIA flag’, subject to specific commitment and adherence to the FIA’s principles of peace and political neutrality”.
The statement from Rusinov comes after the delay of the publication of the full 62-car entry list for the Le Mans double-points WEC round in June, which G-Drive was due to contest with two cars.
Its release was pushed back from last Monday for what race organiser and WEC promoter the Automobile Club de l’Ouest described as “administrative reasons” and is now due early this week.
It is understood that the delay was linked to complications arising from G-Drive’s entries, which last year were made under the flag of the Russian Automobile Federation following the World Anti-Doping Agency’s ruling against Russia in 2019.
G-Drive had also entered two ORECAs for the ELMS, one under the banner of G-Drive Racing by Algarve Pro Racing, its technical partner for both programmes.
The full G-Drive ELMS car, which Rusinov was due to share with Sophia Florsch and an as-yet-unnamed third driver, was also entered for Le Mans.
The additional ELMS ORECA to be driven by Allen, Alex Peroni and John Falb is really an APR car and appears likely to maintain its entry under the name of the Anglo-Portuguese team.
Rusinov’s statement on Instagram on Saturday evening in full: “Today, I, the driver of the Russian team G-Drive Racing, refused to accept the discriminatory conditions of the FIA.
“The goal of every athlete is to hear the anthem of his country on the podium.
“In 10 years of international experience our team has done this many times: we raised the Russian flag, we heard and sang the Russian anthem.
“For the sake of my fans, for the sake of my team-mates and sports honour, I will not put my signature on this document. Better not to drive at all.
“The GDR team has always been international: drivers, mechanics, engineers - they are all from different countries of the world. And if we asked everyone to give up their flag, experience and name, such a real sports brotherhood and victories would never have happened.
“It's a pity that these guys won't compete for GDR either.
“Now we are already looking at different projects to develop motorsports in our country.
“I sincerely hope that we will be able to return to international racing, once the sporting spirit and equal conditions for all participants return to it.”
* I started life with nothing, and still have most of it left
“Good drivers have dead flies on the side windows!” (Walter Röhrl)
* I married Miss Right. Just didn't know her first name was Always
Sad to see such an iconic piece of Nordschleife history suffer such a stupid fate. I have followed this car it seems like many years now. I guess the good news is that although out for the rest of this year, the car will be back in 2023.
It seems the car was being readied to be wrapped when the battery caught fire. The reality is why was the battery even in the car in the first place. With any race car like this where the battery is so easy to remove, why was it even there during a refit? Take the battery out remove the risk. 2 minutes work. Its basic rule #1. Always disconnect / remove the battery when doing anything even remotely major. So avoidable what happened.
Some more photos show just how damaged it was:
* I started life with nothing, and still have most of it left
“Good drivers have dead flies on the side windows!” (Walter Röhrl)
* I married Miss Right. Just didn't know her first name was Always
So I guess that means new plans for Rossi as I think he runs the #46 under WRT Audi.
I guess WRT have made alternative arrangements with another manufacturer already and that will come to light in due course.
* I started life with nothing, and still have most of it left
“Good drivers have dead flies on the side windows!” (Walter Röhrl)
* I married Miss Right. Just didn't know her first name was Always
So I guess that means new plans for Rossi as I think he runs the #46 under WRT Audi.
I guess WRT have made alternative arrangements with another manufacturer already and that will come to light in due course.
I asked Graham:
Brian Redman: "Mr. Fangio, how do you come so fast?" "More throttle, less brakes...."
Glickenhaus Confirm 2023 WEC/ Le Mans Plans Single full season WEC car, second entry requested for Le Mans
10 January 2023, 2:37 AM
A statement this evening from Glickenhaus Racing has confirmed that the team has entered a single car (The factory-owned #708 SCG 007) for the full 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship.
The statement confirms too that the team will be requesting a second entry at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans for the HK Motorcars-owned #709, this, the car that finished on the podium last year at Le Mans.
Imola ELMS Race Meeting Cancelled Paddock and pit building renovation works over-running
Over-running paddock and pit building renovation works have forced the cancellation of the second round of the 2023 European Le Mans Series at Imola which, had been due to take place over the weekend of 5-7 May.
DSC understands that the works, linked to Formula 1’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix later in May, are running late with the paddock deemed not to be in a safe state to operate a major race meeting in the meantime.
A variety of potential alternatives are understood to be under consideration, with several of the remaining ELMS race meetings being considered for potential double-header races among those options.
This news also affects the schedules for the Michelin Le Mans Cup and Ligier European Series, which both support the ELMS at each round.
G-Drive team principal Roman Rusinov has announced on Instagram he is refusing to accept the conditions laid down by the FIA for the participation of Russian competitors in international motorsport following the country’s invasion of Ukraine last month.
