Endurance
Corvette, double retirement and double disappointment for the last of the GTE Pro
Corvette Racing's race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans ended with the retirement of both Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs on Sunday morning. © Photo Alexandre Guillaumot / DPPI
Alexander Sims, at the wheel of the No. 64 Corvette, was fighting to regain the lead in the GTE Pro category just before the 18th hour when a prototype competitor hit him on the Mulsanne Straight. The contact, with Sims on the far left and two LMP2 cars passing him, sent the Corvette head-on into the tracks.
Oh the crash of Corvette #64 in GTE Pro! In the running for overall victory, the car driven by Alexander Sims was hit by an LMP2! # LeMans24 pic.twitter.com/TqzL9qc92s
— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) June 12, 2022
Sims got out of the car without assistance and felt good upon returning to the paddock. With his teammates from the World ChampionshipEndurance, Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy, he took turns at the head of the Corvette which won the pole. Sims previously set the fastest lap of the race in GTE Pro.
Alexander Sims would certainly have hoped to have another outcome for the final GTE Pro ball at Le Mans, at the wheel of a Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. fast and pleasant to drive ". " Le Mans always has its fair share of surprises and unfortunately this is one of the biggest I've had in a while. I honestly think it was a mistake but I have no hard feelings. We are all human and this is just part of the game we play. I'm just happy to get through this without even a scratch “, declared the Briton.
So # LeMans24 LeMans was eventful as always and despite the early end, I am so proud to have been a part of the @CorvetteRacing effort. The car was so fast and a sheer pleasure to drive. Shame that the GTE PRO era is over at Le Mans 😔 https://t.co/fsLRvmOl0T
- Alexander Sims (@AlexanderSims) June 12, 2022
Moments earlier, Corvette Racing had retired the No. 63 Corvette due to extensive mechanical damage – seen and unseen – to the rear of the car. It was unclear whether this was the result of a suspension problem that arose during the first six hours of the race. Everything was done to get the car back into racing, but for safety reasons for the drivers and other competitors, the decision was made to withdraw the car.
« This is not how we wanted our Le Mans race to end “, said Laura Klauser, GM Sports Car Racing Program Manager. “ We are all proud of the commitment of all members of the Corvette Racing team to give us the best chance of achieving our ninth class victory. Ultimately, we are all proud to be part of the unique team effort that is Corvette Racing. We are happy that Alexander is okay and that the C8.R protected him well. Now we are focusing on our two efforts in WEC and also in the championship IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar. »
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Medhi Casaurang
Passionate about the history of motorsport across all disciplines, I learned to read thanks to AUTOhebdo. At least that's what my parents tell everyone when they see my name inside!
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