The Lotus T128 is a
Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) sports car built by
Advanced Design and Engineering Systems Solutions (ADESS) and
Kodewa
ByKolles Racing, formally known as Kodewa GmbH & Co. KG, is an auto racing team based in Greding, Germany. It was founded in 2000 by Romulus Kolles and his son Colin Kolles as Kolles Racing.
History
The company initially participated in Germa ...
and designed by former
Sauber
Sauber Motorsport AG is a Swiss motorsport engineering company. It was founded in 1970 (as PP Sauber AG) by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in . After operating it un ...
technical director
James Key. It was used by Kodewa which went under the name of
Lotus in the
2013 FIA World Endurance Championship
The 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship season was the second season of the FIA World Endurance Championship auto racing series, co-organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). T ...
. Initial plans to construct a Le Mans Prototype car were made in March 2011 by Stéphane Chosse, founder of ADESS. Construction of the vehicle began in February 2013 following the acquisition of two chassis by Kodewa eleven months prior. The aerodynamic study of the T128 was undertaken by using a
computer-aided software mesh tool from
Altair Engineering
Altair Engineering Inc. is an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Troy, Michigan. It provides software and cloud solutions for simulation, IoT, high performance computing (HPC), data analytics, and artific ...
and aerodynamics was the main priority in its design and Chosse took an approach similar to that when he was involved in
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
. It features a variant of the
naturally aspirated V8 engine
A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and u ...
from the
BMW S65 used in the company's
M3 model and produces approximately .
The programme was officially announced at the
2012 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 80th 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: ''80e 24 Heures du Mans'') was an 24-hour automobile endurance race for Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars held from 16 to 17 June 2012 at the Circuit de la Sarthe close to Le ...
race weekend and its planned first test in December was delayed by seven weeks to allow for the installation of additional parts. Both cars failed to finish in its debut at the season-opening
6 Hours of Silverstone
The 4 Hours of Silverstone (formerly the 1000 km of Silverstone and 6 Hours of Silverstone) is an endurance sports car race held at Silverstone Circuit near the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. First run in 1976 ...
but finished within the top six at the
Spa-Franorchamps race. A legal issue over unpaid invoices arose at the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose ...
which resulted in the temporarily seizure of the cars by bailiffs until a
Le Mans court ordered their return upon Lotus showing them that the invoices were fictitious. Both cars failed to finish the race and the following round in
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
. Lotus took their sole podium of the season at the
6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas
The Lone Star Le Mans (previously known as 6 Hours of the Circuit of the Americas) is an endurance race for Le Mans Prototypes and grand tourer-style cars held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Its first running was on 22 September ...
but failed to finish any higher than sixth in the final three races. The two T128s finished seventh and eighth in the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Teams. After the season ended Lotus moved into the LMP1 category and replaced the T128s with a new car, the
CLM P1/01
The CLM P1/01, renamed ENSO CLM P1/01 in 2017, is a sports prototype racing car built for the Austrian based team ByKolles Racing. It is designed to meet the 2014 LMP1-L regulations for Le Mans Prototypes in the FIA World Endurance Championship as ...
.
Development
Concept
Stéphane Chosse, founder of the German-based
Advanced Design and Engineering Systems Solutions (ADESS), made initial plans to build a
Le Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype (LMP) is the type of sports prototype race car used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series. Le Mans Prototypes were crea ...
car in March 2011. Two chassis were ordered by German racing team
Kodewa
ByKolles Racing, formally known as Kodewa GmbH & Co. KG, is an auto racing team based in Greding, Germany. It was founded in 2000 by Romulus Kolles and his son Colin Kolles as Kolles Racing.
History
The company initially participated in Germa ...
for the
2013 FIA World Endurance Championship
The 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship season was the second season of the FIA World Endurance Championship auto racing series, co-organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). T ...
exactly a year later.
It was developed in the high-technology park of the
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
n capital of
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
by ADESS and Kodewa. The T128 was also designed to meet the 2014 Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1) regulations which significantly improved driver safety and visibility.
The project was overseen by Kodewa co-founder Romulus Kolles, Patrick Louis, manager of the
Lotus F1 Team, Antonin Charouz, manager of
Gravity Charouz Racing and Petr Ptacek, owner of the Czech car manufacturer
Praga
Praga is a district of Warsaw, Poland. It is on the east bank of the river Vistula. First mentioned in 1432, until 1791 it formed a separate town with its own city charter.
History
The historical Praga was a small settlement located at ...
. They were assisted by former
Sauber
Sauber Motorsport AG is a Swiss motorsport engineering company. It was founded in 1970 (as PP Sauber AG) by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in . After operating it un ...
technical director
James Key.
With
Lotus coming aboard as title sponsor, the Kodewa team took the name of Lotus.
[ Kodewa planned to sell the T128 to client teams for use in other championships.]
Design
The study of the car was provided by computer-aided design software from Altair Engineering
Altair Engineering Inc. is an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Troy, Michigan. It provides software and cloud solutions for simulation, IoT, high performance computing (HPC), data analytics, and artific ...
. ADESS engineers used the HyperMesh tool that was used for obtaining numerical simulations by finite elements. Finally, the use of the Radioss
Altair Radioss is a multidisciplinary finite element solver developed by Altair Engineering. It can solve both linear and non-linear problems. It is a finite element solver using implicit and explicit integration schemes for the solution of engine ...
software made it possible for crash tests to be simulated and influence the design of the front nose of the monohull. Aerodynamic development on the design was carried out in the scale wind tunnel
Wind tunnels are large tubes with air blowing through them which are used to replicate the interaction between air and an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft ...
at the headquarters of the Mercedes-Benz Formula One team in Brackley
Brackley is a market town and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England, bordering Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, from Oxford and from Northampton. Historically a market town based on the wool and lace trade, it was built on the inter ...
. Choose said the aerodynamics of the car was the main priority in its design and took an approach similar to that used in his years in Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
. The chassis was constructed from carbon fibre reinforced polymer
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
and integrates a roll-over protection structure. The T128's black and gold livery was designed by automotive futurist Daniel Simon
Daniel Simon (born 1975) is a German concept designer and automotive futurist. He is best known for his vehicle designs in movies like '' Tron: Legacy'' and '' Oblivion'', and his book ''Cosmic Motors''.
Early life
Simon grew up in Stralsund, G ...
. The suspension
Suspension or suspended may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Suspension (topology), in mathematics
* Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics
* Suspension of a ring, in mathematics
* Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspende ...
setup at the front and the rear of the vehicle consisted of a double wishbone
A double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension design for automobiles using two (occasionally parallel) wishbone-shaped arms to locate the wheel. Each wishbone or arm has two mounting points to the chassis and one joint at the knuckl ...
pushrod actuated torsion bar with the dampers housed inside the monocoque of the car. It had bodywork elements designed to direct airflow into the chassis.
Its engine, a naturally aspirated V8 variant of the BMW S65 used in the company's M3 model, was angled at 90 degrees, and underwent a re-badging by Praga. Engineers used the production block of the S65, reducing its capacity to for the best possible efficiency rate, The engine produces approximately for a maximum speed of 9,500 revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimension ...
(rpm). Its maximum torque of 405 NM is achieved when the driver has reached 7,000 rpm. A six-speed sequential gearbox
A sequential manual transmission, also known as a sequential gearbox, or a sequential transmission, is a type of non-synchronous manual transmission used mostly for motorcycles and racing cars. It produces faster shift times than traditional ...
was specially designed for the car by Hewland Transmissions and was installed onto the engine. A single intake was mounted on the car's roof to allow for the feeding of airflow into it. The Brembo brake discs were made of carbon ceramic
In materials science, ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are a subgroup of composite materials and a subgroup of ceramics. They consist of ceramic fibers embedded in a ceramic matrix. The fibers and the matrix both can consist of any ceramic mat ...
materials and also features power steering. Production of the T128 monocoque began in February 2013, and it passed homologation a month later. After the car's launch, Igor Zamorano of ''Motorpasión'' wrote of his feeling that its front resembled the Audi R18
The Audi R18 is a Le Mans Prototype (LMP) racing car constructed by the German car manufacturer Audi AG. It is the successor to the Audi R15 TDI. Like its predecessor, the R18 uses a TDI turbocharged diesel engine but with a reduced capacity of ...
.
Preparation and drivers
Lotus publicly announced its T128 programme on the weekend of the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 80th 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: ''80e 24 Heures du Mans'') was an 24-hour automobile endurance race for Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars held from 16 to 17 June 2012 at the Circuit de la Sarthe close to Le ...
. The first picture of the car was released to the public on 1 August. Lotus sought to test the T128 in the first week of December 2012 but the late fitting of parts resulted in those plans being delayed until the third week of January 2013. That month, the team announced their commitment for the upcoming World Endurance Championship season. At the same time, Lotus confirmed that Thomas Holzer
Thomas Holzer (born 27 December 1985) is a German racing driver.
Career
Formula BMW
Born in Augsburg, Holzer began his karting career in 1997, before moving into the Formula BMW ADAC championship in 2001, with ADAC e.V. Motorsport. Holzer fini ...
and Kevin Weeda would be retained from the previous season. Less than a month later, the team re-signed James Rossiter
James Rossiter (born 25 August 1983) is a former professional racing driver, British motorsport executive and Team Principal of Maserati MSG Racing in Formula E.
He was a Test Driver for BAR, Honda, Super Aguri and Force India in Formula One an ...
and Vitantonio Liuzzi
Vitantonio "Tonio" Liuzzi (born 6 August 1980) is an Italian professional racing driver who formerly raced in Formula One for the Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Force India and HRT teams.
Karting
Born in Locorotondo, BA, Apulia, Liuzzi, like many au ...
to drive one of the two T128s alongside Weeda. On March 28, Lotus entered the pre-season test session at the Circuit Paul Ricard
The Circuit Paul Ricard () is a French motorsport race track built in 1969 at Le Castellet, Var, near Marseille, with finance from pastis magnate Paul Ricard. Ricard wanted to experience the challenge of building a racetrack. The circuit has h ...
but fielded just one T128. Two more drivers were confirmed to drive for Lotus at Paul Ricard: Christophe Bouchut
Christophe Bouchut (born 24 September 1966 in Voiron, Isère) is a French professional racing driver. He currently competes in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, driving for Dexwet-df1 Racing and Alex Caffi Motorsport in a part-time effort. He won th ...
was paired with Liuzzi and Rossiter in the No. 31 car, and Dominik Kraihamer
Dominik Kraihamer (born 29 November 1989 in Oberndorf) is an Austrian racing driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for ByKolles Racing Team.
Career
Kraihamer's racing career began in 2004 in karting, where he found succe ...
shared the No. 32 vehicle with Weeda and 2009 Le Mans Series
The 2009 Le Mans Series was the sixth season of Automobile Club de l'Ouest's Le Mans Series. It was contested over five events between 5 April and 13 September 2009.
Aston Martin Racing trio Jan Charouz, Tomáš Enge and Stefan Mücke finished ev ...
LMP1 champion Jan Charouz
Jan Charouz (born 17 July 1987) is a Czech motor racing driver. He won the 2009 Le Mans Series season and 2006 F3000 International Masters season, as well as taking fourth place in the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 2010 he was the Renault Formula ...
. During the various sessions, a ruptured oil tank limited the sole car's running for several hours before a replacement arrived and Rossiter drove some installation laps.
Racing history
Season-opening European leg
For the season-opening 6 Hours of Silverstone
The 4 Hours of Silverstone (formerly the 1000 km of Silverstone and 6 Hours of Silverstone) is an endurance sports car race held at Silverstone Circuit near the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. First run in 1976 ...
, Lotus were expected to bring two T128s to the event and the driver lineups of both cars were changed. Weeda, Bouchut (in for Rossiter who was racing in the Japanese Super Formula Championship) and Liuzzi drove the No. 31 T128 and Holzer, Kraihamer and Charouz raced the No. 32 vehicle. Variable weather conditions affected qualifying and had Kraihamer and Charouz put the No. 32 car fifth on the grid
Grid, The Grid, or GRID may refer to:
Common usage
* Cattle grid or stock grid, a type of obstacle is used to prevent livestock from crossing the road
* Grid reference, used to define a location on a map
Arts, entertainment, and media
* News ...
in class and Liuzzi and Bouchut managed sixth. In the first hour, the No. 31 car was affected by electrical issues and was forced into the pit lane
In motorsports, a pit stop is a pause for refuelling, new tyres, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, as a penalty, or any combination of the above. These stops occur in an area called the pits, most commonly accessed via a pit lan ...
while Charouz and the No. 49 Pecom Racing Nissan Oreca 03
The Oreca 03 is a Le Mans Prototype built by Oreca in 2011. It is built within the revised 2011 ACO regulations for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car made its début at the 12 Hours of Sebring run by Signatech Nissan and set to race at the 2011 24 ...
of Nicolas Minassian
Nicolas Minassian (born 28 February 1973) is a French professional racing driver of Armenian descent.
After finishing 2nd place in the 1993 Formula Renault Eurocup, Marseille-born Minassian graduated to the French Formula Three Championship whe ...
made contact.
Later, the No. 31 vehicle was unable to finish because of problems with its steering
Steering is a system of components, linkages, and other parts that allows a driver to control the direction of the vehicle.
Introduction
The most conventional steering arrangement allows a driver to turn the front wheels of a vehicle using ...
and the electrical issues that affected the No. 32 meant it failed to complete enough laps for it to be classified in the final results. Heading into the second race of the season, the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
The 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (formerly the 1000 Kilometres of Spa-Francorchamps) is an endurance race for sports cars held at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
History
The Spa 24 Hours had been introduced in 1924, and other races fo ...
, Rossiter returned to Lotus and replaced Bouchut as one of the three drivers of the No. 32 car. Both cars started from the fourth row of the grid with the No. 31 T128 of Liuzzi and Rossiter in seventh and Holter and Kraihamer's sister No. 32 vehicle eighth. In the race, both cars were delayed by alternator
An alternator is an electrical generator that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy in the form of alternating current. For reasons of cost and simplicity, most alternators use a rotating magnetic field with a stationary armature.Gor ...
problems dropping them down the order but were able to finish in the same class positions they started in (albeit switched with the No. 32 in seventh and the No. 31 in eighth).
In the trio of qualifying sessions held to determine the grid for the 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose ...
, Bouchut set the No. 31 car's fastest time in the first session that put him 15th in class while Holzer secured 16th for the No. 32 car in the third (and final) qualifying session. Soon after, the No. 32 was moved to the back of the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) grid due to not having all three of their drivers setting qualifying lap times within 110 per cent of the class leader's pole time. Weeda was caught out by the changing weather in the second hour and spun entering the second Mulsanne Chicane
A chicane () is a serpentine curve in a road, added by design rather than dictated by geography. Chicanes add extra turns and are used both in motor racing and on roads and streets to slow traffic for safety. For example, one form of chicane is ...
and beached the No. 31 car across the kerbing. The car pulled over at the side of the track after 17 laps and was announced as retired four hours later with electrical problems. The trio of drivers in the No. 32 were impeded by the left door becoming loose twice and it later lost its rear body cover. Furthermore, the trio's lack of experience due to their young combined age and reoccurring engine overheating issues dropped the car down the order. In the 17th hour, a bell housing
Bell housing or bellhousing is a colloquial/slang term for the portion of the transmission that covers the flywheel and the clutch or torque converter of the transmission on vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. This housing is bolte ...
failure in the No. 32 car damaged its fitted auxiliaries, curtailing Lotus's race prematurely.
Legal issues
On 17 June, Lotus began legal action against Chosse, ADESS and SCE Solutions after the three organisations learned that the team owners Romulus and Colin Kolles
Colin Kolles (born Călin Colesnic 13 December 1967 in Timișoara) is a Romanian-German former team principal and managing director of the Hispania Racing F1 Team, previously holding a similar position at the team known under the names Jordan, ...
were in debt. Choose claimed that the owners of Kolles owed them "a seven-figure amount" in unpaid invoices and filed a complaint with the French court. At 17:00 local time on 18 June the two Lotus T128s were seized by a bailiff after Chosse responded. On the afternoon of 19 June, the court of the city of Le Mans ruled in favour of Lotus after the team presented fictitious invoices from ADESS. The court ordered the return of both cars to Lotus. , the legal battle is ongoing,
Podium in the Americas
For the 6 Hours of São Paulo
The 6 Hours of São Paulo was a sports car race held at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo, Brazil. It was created for the FIA World Endurance Championship, and was held for the first time on 15 September 2012 as the fifth round of th ...
, Rossiter was absent because of a Super GT commitment in Japan and Liuzzi was committed to racing in the Superstars Series
The Superstars International Series was a production-based touring car racing championship held between 2004 and 2013. It was managed by the "Superstars World of Racing SpA", SWR, a company of FG GROUP with headquarters in Rome and sanctioned by t ...
, leaving Weeda and Bouchut to operate the No. 31 car as a two-person entry. Kraihamer and Holzer were among the top five places in their class while the second Lotus of Weeda and Bouchut were delayed by slower traffic and were two places further back on the grid. The No. 32 car's race ended early when Kraihamer lost control of the rear of his vehicle and went into the left-hand side of Stéphane Sarrazin's faster No. 8 Toyota TS030 Hybrid
The Toyota TS030 Hybrid is a Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1) sports car built by Toyota Motorsport GmbH and used by the manufacturer in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2012 and 2013. It was Toyota's first all new prototype since the GT-One ...
. Both cars ploughed into the turn three outside tyre barrier at high speed as a consequence. Both drivers were unhurt. Bouchut's No. 31 vehicle was affected by gearbox problems from the start of the race and was forced into the pit lane. Bouchut was able to return to the track but the car was not classified in the final results.
After practice for the inaugural 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas
The Lone Star Le Mans (previously known as 6 Hours of the Circuit of the Americas) is an endurance race for Le Mans Prototypes and grand tourer-style cars held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Its first running was on 22 September ...
, Lotus mechanics changed the No. 31 car's engine, the fourth since the beginning of the season, entailing a three-minute stop-and-go penalty for the team. The drivers of the No. 31 car recorded the sixth-fastest average LMP2 lap time in qualifying and Charouz went into the rear of Sarrazin's No. 8 Toyota TS030 Hybrid heading towards the first corner, sending the latter car into a spin. At the start of the race, Rossiter made contact with Pierre Kaffer
Pierre Kaffer (born 7 November 1976 in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate) is a race car driver from Germany, currently living in Switzerland.
Career
In 1990, Kaffer started in Karting, moving in 1994 to Formula Ford, later Formula Ope ...
's No. 49 Pecom Racing Nissan Oreca 03 at the first turn. Because of the extensive damage to the suspension of the T128, Rossiter was forced to prematurely end the car's participation in the race. However, the No. 32 car of Kraihamer, Charouz and Holzer took the team's sole podium of the 2013 season with a third-place finish.
Season-ending races in Asia
Qualifying for the 6 Hours of Fuji
The 6 Hours of Fuji (formerly the Fuji 1000 Kilometres) is a sports car race held at Fuji Speedway in Oyama, Shizuoka, Japan. The race was held for the first time in 1967, and in 1977 became part of the new Fuji Long Distance Series. In 1982 a sec ...
took place under dry and sunny weather and both Lotus T128s clinched the eighth and ninth spots on the grid (the No. 31 car ahead of the No. 32 vehicle) as the team focused on the ideal setup for the event. The passing of Typhoon Wipha brought heavy rain to the area, preventing any competitive action and only allowed the overall race winner to complete 16 laps behind the safety car. Hence, both Lotus cars finished the race eighth and tenth. Bouchut returned to drive for Lotus at the 6 Hours of Shanghai
The 4 Hours of Shanghai (previously 6 Hours of Shanghai) is a sports car race that is held at the Shanghai International Circuit in Jiading District of Shanghai in the People's Republic of China. It was created for the FIA World Endurance Champion ...
, in place of Rossiter who was absent because of a Super Formula commitment at the Suzuka Circuit
The , more famously known as the , is a long motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Honda Mobilityland, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co, Ltd. It has a capacity of 155,000.
Introduction
Soic ...
. The No. 31 car qualified seventh and the sister No. 32 vehicle was eighth. In the first hour, Holzer the No. 57 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia
The Ferrari 458 Italia (Type F142) is a mid-engine sports car produced by Ferrari. The F458 is the successor of the F430, and was first officially unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. It was succeeded by the 488 GTB (Gran Turismo Berl ...
of Niclas Jönsson
Niclas ("Nic") Jönsson (born August 4, 1967, Bankeryd) is a Swedish racing driver, currently driving in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He drove in the Indy Racing League in the 1999 and 2000 seasons with 4 career starts. His best care ...
, damaging the No. 32 car's left-rear corner and forcing it into the garage. The other T128 retired due to engine failure while the No. 31 recovered to seventh in class.
While Rossiter was announced as returning to co-drive the No. 31 for the season-ending 6 Hours of Bahrain
The 8 Hours of Bahrain (previously 6 Hours of Bahrain) (بطولة ست ساعات في البحرين) is a sports car race that is held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. It was created for the FIA World Endurance Champ ...
, he was unable to attend, and thus Lucas Auer
Lucas Auer (born 11 September 1994) is an Austrian racing driver. He is the nephew of former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger. He currently drives for HTP Winward Motorsport in DTM. He was a member of the Red Bull Junior Team.
Early career
In ...
, the Formula Three European Championship fourth-place finisher and nephew of former Formula One driver Gerhard Berger
Gerhard Berger (born 27 August 1959) is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver. He competed in Formula One for 14 seasons, twice finishing 3rd overall in the championship ( and ), both times driving for Ferrari. He won ten Grands Prix, ach ...
, filled his place for his debut sports car endurance racing event. The two Lotus T128s qualified in seventh and eighth on the LMP2 grid. Liuzzi was involved in a collision with the No. 35 OAK Racing
OAK Racing is an endurance racing team specialising in sports prototypes based in Le Mans, France. In 2013 it won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in LMP2 class and the 2013 FIA WEC World Champion drivers and teams on LMP2 class.
In 2012 the team con ...
Nissan Morgan LMP2
The Pescarolo 01 is the first sports prototype racing car built entirely by French team Pescarolo Sport. It is designed to meet the LMP1 and LMP2 regulations for Le Mans Prototypes in the Le Mans Series as well as at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and ...
in the first hour, sending the No. 31 car into the gravel trap. A few minutes later, Kraihamer made an error and hit the left-rear corner of Richard Lietz
Richard Lietz (born 17 December 1983 in Waidhofen an der Ybbs) is an Austrian professional racing driver and a Porsche Factory driver. He has competed in such series as American Le Mans Series, Formula 3 Euro Series and the Rolex Sports Car Seri ...
's No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR
The Porsche 911 RSR and its predecessor GT3 RSR, GT3 RS and GT3 R are a line of GT racing cars produced by Porsche that are used in motorsport for endurance races. They are based on the currently highest class in GT racing worldwide, the GTE cla ...
. The Lotus stopped at turn ten for 20 laps before it was confirmed as a non-finisher due to the heavy damage it sustained. Competing with the T128, the Lotus team accumulated 37 and 11 points for both cars, placing them seventh and eighth respectively in the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Teams. After the season, Lotus moved into the LMP1 category, and replaced the T128s with a new car, the CLM P1/01
The CLM P1/01, renamed ENSO CLM P1/01 in 2017, is a sports prototype racing car built for the Austrian based team ByKolles Racing. It is designed to meet the 2014 LMP1-L regulations for Le Mans Prototypes in the FIA World Endurance Championship as ...
.
Results summary
Races in bold indicate pole position and races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap
'' (For more information about legend click here)''
References
External links
*
{{WEC cars 2013
T128
Le Mans Prototypes
24 Hours of Le Mans race cars
Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles