RLR MSport tickled pink by European Le Mans Series 4 Hours of the Red Bull Ring victory

Job van Uitert, John Farano and Rob Garofall overcame stiff opposition and unstable weather to record the Bolton-based team’s second victory of 2018 and assume the LMP3 championship lead at the mid-point of the season.

As in the previous rounds, dry free practice running was limited to conserve tyres for Sunday’s 240-minute race, although RLR MSport’s ELMS trio had ample time to sample the Red Bull Ring in wet conditions during FP2 on Saturday, in preparation for what was predicted to be a wet race.

All three RLR MSport drivers adapted well and heaped praise on team’s engineers for providing a well-balanced, driveable car in all weathers, and when it came to the dry qualifying session, van Uitert produced one purple sector after another to secure third in the final classification.

However, the 19-year old from the Netherlands was dissatisfied with the result and wasted no time in taking the initiative in Sunday’s four-hour race; a sensationally ballsy start ensured he surged from P3 to P1 on the 300-metre dash to Turn 1.

Thereafter, it was nip-and-tuck between van Uitert and AT Racing’s Mikkel Jensen in second, but the former kept a cool head under unrelenting pressure and only briefly relinquished the lead before concluding a stunning double stint with a 40-second advantage. 

A timely Safety Car intervention saw RLR MSport’s lead increase to 1m17s and Farano lapped comfortably in the 1m32s during what he described as a “cautious stint”, as localised rain showers reduced grip in the first sector of the 4.32km lap.   

Conditions became increasingly treacherous when Garofall took over for the final hour, but the slick-shod Brit got through the worst of the weather and managed the gap to the second-placed Ecurie Ecosse/Nielsen Racing car perfectly to seal RLR MSport’s second victory of 2018.

“This win is more satisfying than the first in Le Castellet,” said Garofall. “This one was tougher because the field was stronger and the weather conditions made it very tricky, with some parts of the track wet and others bone dry. In addition to that, the Red Bull Ring is a relatively short circuit and it feels like there are twice as many cars to lap or be lapped by. I feel this is a better win that the first and we lead the championship heading into the 4 Hours of Silverstone, which I think will be a great race for us.”

Van Uitert, who encouraged his fellow RLR MSport to apply pink nail polish to their pinky fingers at the Red Bull Ring, said: “It’s amazing to be back on the top step of the podium. The first two stints were pretty good and I had a nice fight with Mikkel Jensen, but I was pleased to get a 40-second lead during the second hour. I know the Red Bull Ring well – it’s like a second home – and I was happy with my speed throughout the weekend, but particularly in the race, as the level of the European Le Mans Series is high and it isn’t easy to lead or win. I do believe painting our fingernails pink was the key to victory and we should carry it over to Silverstone next month!”

Farano added: “It’s just great to win again after missing out at Monza. My stint was tricky, although I’m glad I wasn’t in the car during the final hour, because Rob’s run was definitely more difficult. I think I was a little too cautious, but Job (van Uitert) did such a good job and gave me such a big lead that I took advantage of that. I didn’t go as fast as I should have and I perhaps made Rob’s job harder, but my priority was to keep the car safe and manage traffic, which was particularly difficult here at the Red Bull Ring.”