A busy summer for Kévin Estre

During the summer, Kévin Estre won two new podiums, bringing his total to seven for this 2014 season. That of Mosport had a particular meaning because it was for him a first on American soil and in the GT Daytona category of the United SportsCar Championship. Kévin also left his mark on the German round of the Porsche Supercup. But at the 24 Hours of Spa as in the VLN championship, the result did not live up to the pure performance for the factory driver. McLaren GT.

The Frenchman and his Californian teammate Patrick Lindsey experienced the joy of a first podium in USCC on the Mosport circuit, which hosted cult editions of the Canadian Grand Prix of F1 between 1967 and 77. The crew of the No. 73 Park Place Porsche climbed onto the second step even though the first seemed promised to them. Kévin looks back on the 165 minutes of a frantic race? The following round of the USCC at Road America was marked by a gearbox problem, a drive through due to an error in handling the pit limiter and an element of a wheel arch rubbing on a tire at the end of the course: nothing to do better than 10th!

As at Silverstone, Kévin Estre came to lend a hand to the Attempto team in Hockenheim, with whom he shared so much success from 2011 to 2013 in the Porsche Supercup. “I set the 2nd fastest time in qualifying and came out in front of the first corner. Then, I felt that the rear end of the car was deteriorating. We didn't have the right tire pressure and I found myself P3. At the end of the race, efficiency returned, but it was difficult to overtake, particularly due to numerous yellow flags. I finished one second behind the winner, with the fastest lap in the race. So I think I achieved the objective, which was to show that Attempto is still in the game. »

The 24 Hours of Spa reserved for GT3s attracted 61 competitors. The week started well for Kévin Estre, credited with the best time in prequalifying and 3rd in qualifying. “We expected to be further away in Superpole. BMW and Audi had undoubtedly hidden their game. I still pushed hard, perhaps a little too much because I lost 7 hundredths on the lap while gaining two tenths in the Raidillon. But the gap of 6 tenths from pole proved that the Balance of Performance no longer allowed us to fight for victory like at the start of the season. The first hour of racing confirmed this to us. »

8th on the grid, Kévin Estre nevertheless made a good start and a good first stint in 6th position. Unfortunately, he has to stop at the entrance to the pit lane to change a sensor. The #99 McLaren lost three laps in the adventure but came back from 57th to 12th in the 7th hour, before retiring shortly after midnight following an engine problem. “It's a shame because the ART Grand Prix team was, as usual, extremely well prepared and organized, we had a good package to play a role in this event. »