Circuit Notes by Peter Hubbard: Audi Sport Team Joest Claims Pole in Wec Qualifying
A cooler, dryer, faster track and bright sunshine greeted drivers Saturday afternoon during qualifying rounds for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 6 hours of Circuit of The Americas, which kicks off tomorrow at 11 a.m. CDT.
While lap times dropped dramatically, the drivers at the front remain basically the same. The pole for the LMP1 class goes to the No. 2 Audi Sport Team Joest car, driven by Tom Kristensen, Loïc Duval and Allan McNish. They blasted around the 20-turn track with an average time of just 1:48.355, some 16 seconds faster than their best time on Friday’s wet, squishy surface. The No. 1 Audi Sport car finished close behind, with an average time of 1:48.617. Toyota Racing’s No 8 car will be third on the grid with Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin handling the driving chores during the six-hour endurance race. Their qualifying average was 1:52.081.
