JOTA Sport brille aux 6 Heures de Spa WEC

JOTA Sport scored a magnificent victory in the FIA World Endurance Championship yesterday (2 May) when Simon Dolan, Mitch Evans and Harry Tincknell won the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The triumphant trio swept their Gibson 015S Nissan to a dominant one-lap LM P2 class success around the demanding, super fast Belgian circuit. The British team’s latest achievement marks JOTA’s fourth consecutive “podium” in the corresponding race and second LM P2 victory since 2012 at Spa. The result also meant JOTA importantly completed a successful dress rehearsal for the upcoming Le Mans 24 Hours – a race next month in which the team aims for a second successive class win.
 
Tincknell started the Gibson from the third-row of the LM P2 grid, the efforts of himself and Dolan having set the combined fifth fastest time in the 10-car LM P2 field in qualifying around the majestic 4.352-mile Spa circuit the previous day. Harry led the LM P2 field at the end of the second lap but race officials deemed Tincknell had made a “jump” start necessitating a drive through penalty. He resumed 22secs down on the class leader in seventh place but had battled superbly back into second place by the time he pitted to Evans on 90mins.
 
Evans, enjoying a brilliant JOTA Sport and sportscar race debut, swept the Gibson in to the LM P2 lead approaching one-third distance – a lead the British team would not relinquish – and pitted to Dolan shortly after mid-distance with a healthy 88secs advantage. Leader Dolan pitted for fuel with a little over two hours to run, Simon 38secs ahead of the second placed car. Tincknell took over from “sportsman” driver Dolan, who had driven a strong and clean double stint, with 90mins remaining. Harry had a 28secs lead before the second-placed car suffered a mechanical issue and with an hour remaining, enjoyed a 93secs advantage. The JOTA Gibson made its final pit-stop with 40mins still on the clock, Evans coasting to the chequered flag. 
 
The team will announce this week who partners Dolan and Evans at Le Mans (13-14 June). Tincknell is unavailable for the annual French “marathon” due to his Nissan NISMO LM P1 WEC programme which begins at Le Mans. JOTA Sport’s next race is the second round of the European Le Mans Series at Imola on 17 May.

Communiqué team complet ICI en anglais