Motor races are always about racing cars driving fast, but there is another side to the race which is not often seen but just as important, and that is efficiency in the pit lane. And so we thought that we would bring you a small selection of our WEC pit lane memories and shots from behind the scenes from 2014 to 2016, for your perusal and enjoyment.
Working as a photographer at races is a privilege which is not without its risks, but working in the pit lane is an even greater privilege, and definitely not a place for the fainthearted. I can remember the first year that the hybrids were in action at Le Mans, I was standing ahead of the Toyota garage waiting for their car to complete its pit stop and rejoin the race. Normally when this happens, the engine fires up which alerts you to the driver being ready to depart. But with the hybrids, when they are ready to leave the pit box, you have no warning, there is this silence and then a WHOOSH as the car rockets past you, because they start their journey using the stored energy, and not the engine.
We also felt that it was also completely justified that we publish this story of our WEC pit lane memories, as without the guys and girls who beaver away for hours on end in the pit garages and behind the scenes, we wouldn’t have any racing to watch. Although this is just a small selection of images, we salute those in the pit lane who make it all happen!
2014
WEC Silverstone 6-Hours, 20 April 2014
(Top left) Relaxing in the Audi hospitality centre before the 2014 Silverstone 6-Hours is (from l-r): Florien Schefer (Loic Duval’s manager), Loic Duval, Mrs Bianca di Grassi and Lucas di Grassi
(Top right) At its debut race, the #20 Porsche 919 Hybrid waits on the grid before the start of the Silverstone 6-Hours on 18 April 2014, driven by Webber/Bernhard/Hartley
(Bottom left) The #52 Ram Racing Ferrari 458 Italia GTE Pro of Parente/Griffin during the 2014 Silverstone 6-Hours
(Bottom right) In parc ferme after the 2014 Silverstone 6-Hours is the winning #8 Toyota TS040 Hybrid driven by Sébastien Buemi/Anthony Davidson/Nicolas Lapierre
WEC Le Mans 24-Hours, 14 – 15 June 2014
(Top left) The #36 Signatech Alpine LMP2 car of Chatin/Panciatici/Webb calls into the pits on Saturday night during the 2014 Le Mans 24-Hour race
(Top right) The #73 Corvette Racing GTE PRO entry driven by Jan Magnussen/Antonio García/Jordan Taylor leaves the pits during the 2014 Le Mans 24-Hours on Saturday night. They finished second in class
(Bottom left) Snapped in the Porsche LMP1 pit garage late during the Saturday night watch at the 2014 Le Mans 24-Hours, is Wolfgang Hatz (Head of Porsche R&D – now left), while Fritz Enzinger stands alongside (Vice President of LMP1)
(Bottom right) A Corvette (GTE PRO) mechanic takes a break during the long Saturday night session, rigging up a convenient footstool while he watches the race progress on the pit garage monitors
2015
WEC Prologue, Circuit Paul Ricard, 27 – 28 March 2015
(Top left) The #92 Porsche 911 RSR receives some attention in the pits during the 2015 pre-season Prologue at Circuit Paul Ricard. The #92 car was driven by Patrick Pilet/Frederic Makowiecki/Wolf Henzler
(Top right) During the WEC Prologue 2015 at Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet circuit, drivers Timo Bernhard, Mark Webber and Brendon Hartley line up for a family shot
(Bottom left) Just arriving in the pits during the 2015 WEC Prologue at the Circuit Paul Ricard is the #7 Audi R18 e-tron quattro
WEC Silverstone 6-Hours, 12 April 2015
(Top left) A quick splash of fuel and a windscreen wipe for the #91 Porsche 911 RSR of Lietz/Christensen/Bergmeister during the 2015 Silverstone 6-Hours
(Top right) The #95 Aston Martin Vantage GTE PRO of Nygaard/Sorensen/Thiim is checked over in the pits during practice at the 2015 Silverstone 6-Hours
(Bottom left) Aston Martin driver Fernando Rees awaits his stint behind the wheel of the #99 Aston Martin GTE PRO during the 2015 Silverstone 6-Hours
(Bottom right) Audi Sport driver Andre Lotterer (#7 Audi R18 e-tron quattro) is not looking at himself in the mirror, he is just checking progress with the pit wall crew during the closing stages of the 2015 Silverstone 6-Hours
WEC Spa 6-Hours, 2 May 2015
(Top left) Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage #99 driven by Alex MacDowall/Fernando Rees/Richie Stanaway in the pits during practice for the 2015 6-Hours of Spa
(Top right) The #28 G-Drive Racing Ligier JS P2 Nissan of Yacaman/Derani/Gonzalez awaits a set of wheels during practice for the 6-Hours of Spa on Thursday, 30 April 2015
(Bottom left) A quick refuel for the #19 Porsche 919 Hybrid driven by Nico Hulkenberg/Earl Bamber/Nick Tandy during practice for the 2015 6-Hours of Spa
(Bottom right) The #97 Aston Martin Vantage GTE PRO driven by Darren Turner/Stefan Mücke/Rob Bell is pushed back into the pit garage during practice at the 2015 6-Hours of Spa
WEC Le Mans 24-Hours, 13 – 14 June 2015
(Top left) The #66 JMW Motorsport Ferrari 458 Italia GTE AM calls into the pits for a driver change, tyres and fuel on Saturday evening during the 2015 Le Mans 24-Hour race. The drivers were Abdulaziz Turki Al Faisal, Michael Avenatti and Jakub Giermaziak
(Top right) The pit crew work feverishly to get the #1 Toyota TS040 Hybrid of Anthony Davidson, Sebastien Buemi, and Kazuki Nakajima out of the pits and back into the race
(Bottom left) It’s all eyes on the monitors for (l-r) Holger Eckhardt (Head of LMP1 PR), Fritz Enzinger (Vice President LMP1), Wolfgang Hatz (Head of Porsche R&D), and Andreas Seidl (in white fireproofs – Team Principal) in the Porsche garage, just before midnight during Wednesday night practice for the 2015 Le Mans 24-Hour race
(Bottom right) This close-up shows the front wheel assembly and cooling ducts of the #97 Aston Martin Vantage V8, to be driven by Robert Bell, Stefan Mücke and Darren Turner
WEC Nürburgring 6-Hours, 30 August 2015
(Top left) It’s all hands on deck as the #17 Porsche 919 Hybrid driven by Timo Bernhard, Mark Webber and Brendon Hartley, pits during the 2015 Nürburgring 6-Hours
(Top right) The #83 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia of Francois Perrodo/Emmanuel Collard/Rui Aguas gets a new set of boots during the 2015 Nürburgring 6-Hours
(Bottom left) The #2 Toyota TS040 Hybrid driven by Alexander Wurz/Stephane Sarrazin/Mike Conway finished in sixth place in the 2015 Nürburgring race
WEC Bahrain 6-Hours, 21 November 2015
(Top left) This squadron of Aston Martins receives some final touches prior to the final race of the 2015 season in Bahrain
(Top right) Loic Duval, one of the works drivers in the #8 Audi R18 e-tron quattro, watches the monitors anxiously in the team garage during the 6 Hours of Bahrain
(Bottom left) Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Porsche Automobil Holding SE and Porsche AG, keeps a watchful eye on the team’s progress during the Bahrain race
(Bottom right) A jubilant Brendon Hartley, one third of the #17 Porsche 919 Hybrid Webber, Bernhard and Hartley trio, after being confirmed as World Champions for 2015 after the Bahrain race
2016
WEC Prologue, Circuit Paul Ricard, 25 – 26 March 2016
(Top left) The driver is illuminated in the #43 RGR Sport by Morand Ligier JS P2 Nissan, driven in the pre-season Prologue by Ricardo Gonzalez, Bruno Senna and Filipe Albuquerque at the Circuit Paul Ricard on 25 March 2016
(Top right) Porsche’s #2 919 Hybrid driven by Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb calls into the pits during practice at the 2016 Prologue at the Circuit Paul Ricard
(Bottom left) British Drivers Class of 2016 at the Prologue at the Circuit Paul Ricard on 24 March 2016
WEC Silverstone 6-Hours, 17 April 2016
(Top left) The #1 Porsche 919 Hybrid of Timo Bernhard, Mark Webber and Brendon Hartley is wheeled back into the garage as the FP3 session on Saturday morning of the 2016 Silverstone race is red flagged due to a snow shower
(Top right) With the FP3 session cancelled by the authorities due to the snow, driver change practice for the crew of the #7 Audi R18 e-tron quattro (Fassler/Lotterer/Treluyer) carries on in the pit garage
(Bottom left) The pre-race track walk is a necessity for drivers and team personnel as this provides them with a close-up of track conditions. Here, the Audi team return from their adventure on Thursday afternoon
(Bottom right) No, it’s not a barbeque in the Toyota pit garage, but the #5 Toyota TS050 Hybrid did experience a brief fire during the race on Sunday afternoon. Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima finished well down the field in the 2016 Silverstone race due mainly to a puncture the car picked up later in the race, which damaged the bodywork
…and the most viewed image on our website gallery is still this shot of the Hawaiian Tropic grid girls from Le Mans 2007…
Written by: Glen Smale
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