Gulf Racing UK’s two McLaren MP4-12C GT3 cars, wearing the iconic racing livery of Gulf Oil International, enjoyed mixed fortunes and ultimately neither car took the chequered flag. The No. 9 entry of Mike Wainwright and Rob Bell looked set to finish the race, but Mike was unfortunately forced to pull off the track with less than five minutes of the race to run.

An understandably disappointed Mike overcame some early race contact, which twice nudged him into a spin, and a deteriorating brake issue towards the end of the race.  He was nurturing the No. 9 car through to the finish when he went off track and was unable to re-start the car.   “It’s obviously extremely disappointing to have been so close to finishing,” he said.  “The second chicane was disastrous for braking as far as I was concerned and that was the hardest problem to deal with, coupled with an erratic gearbox downshift.  Apart from the start, the traffic wasn’t too bad and I don’t think there was too much crazy driving going on.  With conditions as they were, no one could afford to do anything less than sensible!”

Rob Bell suffered from a malfunctioning wiper blade and the same gearshift problems during his 30-minute stint, but was keen to seek a positive from the weekend.  “We are here in Monza and it didn’t quite go how we wanted it to. However, the team have gelled together really well and we got some serious miles on the car which is all part of the learning curve.  We’ve now got to regroup and move forward to a better result at Silverstone.”

Benefitting from the long opening period behind the Safety Car, race-starter Mike Wainwright did not have to come in to pit for fuel until 92 minutes into the race.  He handed over to McLaren GT factory driver and double Le Mans Series GT Champion, Rob Bell, who completed 30 minutes behind the wheel.  With a two-driver entry instead of three, the regulations state that the Pro-category driver may only complete a maximum of 70 minutes out of the three hours of racing, and two pit stops must take place.  Rob’s stint was shortened due to the long safety car period.

Roald started the race in the No. 69 car and spent a careful 32 minutes behind the safety car until the race started in earnest.  Unfortunately he spun on some of the standing water at the Ascari corner and damaged the rear of the Gulf Racing UK McLaren MP4-12C GT3.  He was making his way slowly back to the pits so the team could attempt repairs, but officials pulled him to the side of the track and, after just 35 minutes, his race was done.

He said afterwards, “It’s like racing in a steamy shower – you can’t see anything!  I was beginning to enjoy it, although it was a bit intimidating on the straights, and I’m asking myself why I lost control of the rear of the car.  I was being very gentle on the power but it snapped violently and I just couldn’t save it.  It’s very unfortunate and very annoying.”

Stuart Hall did not get the opportunity to drive in today’s race.

Taking part in two of the three qualifying sessions available to the field of 56 cars (as the team is only running two drivers per car instead of three), there were frustrations in Q2 due to red flag interruptions which disrupted the flow for both Rob and Stuart.

Bell, a McLaren GT factory driver, was the second quickest in the Pro-Am class and fourth quickest of the ten McLaren MP4-12C GT3s lining up on the grid for the season opener at the historic, high-speed Monza circuit, a place steeped in racing history.  Built in the middle of woodland in the Royal Villa of Monza Park, the 5.793 kilometres (3.6 mile) Grand Prix track features such evocative names as the Curva di Lesmo, the Curva Parabolica, and the Variante Ascari.

With some high-profile casualties up and down the pit lane, Gulf Racing UK was pleased to come through the qualifying sessions without any problems or damage as Team Owner and driver of car No. 69, Roald Goethe, noted:  “I only did three laps but I am happy.  We got through qualifying unscathed with no gravel anywhere and I found 1.5 seconds from yesterday in my lap time, so it’s not too bad.”

Stuart Hall was particularly disappointed with how qualifying turned out for him:  “Every time I tried to back off from the traffic and get a clear lap, there was someone else in front of me.  It’s not an excuse but it was a bit of a frustration.  Tomorrow will be another day though and we’ll see what it brings.”

Placed 15th overall after the end of the second session, Rob Bell had to watch as the times tumbled during the final 15 minutes of qualifying:  “It was a frustrating session with the red flag interruptions but you’ve got to deal with it haven’t you?  We probably got out of it as much as we could have expected.  I’m disappointed for being where we are on the grid, as you always want to be at the top, but considering the little amount of testing we’ve had, and the some of the hitches during those tests, it was okay and today gives us something to build on.  We’ve still got one or two issues with the car that we’ve got to look at tonight and hopefully make it a reliable race car for tomorrow that we can both go forward in.”

Gulf Racing UK’s co-owner Mike Wainwright enjoyed the experience of his first qualifying session.  “I hadn’t really thought about that fact till now, but it was enjoyable and a good experience.  I’ve got a bit of learning to do in terms of finding the right gaps but overall it was okay.  We’re making progress step by step and I’m listening to Rob, to what he’s doing and I’m not doing and I’m taking it corner by corner and gaining in confidence.  I think I will benefit from this in the race, once into a stint and being able to do a lot of laps.  I feel comfortable and that’s a good start.”

Gulf Racing is an evolution of the Gulf AMR Middle East team which ran in the ILMC, is wholly owned by Mike Wainwright and Roald Goethe and, as previously stated, will be managed by David Price in the UK.  Gulf Racing Middle East is a separate team based out of Dubai, and there is no cross-over between the two.

Gulf Racing UK's McLaren MP4-12C GT3

The UK-based GT racing team, currently located in Bookham, Surrey, will be entering two McLaren MP4-12C GT3 cars, both of which will be running in the iconic Gulf Oil International colours.  The team’s driver line-up will be spearheaded by McLaren GT works driver and double Le Mans Series GT Champion, Rob Bell, who will be driving the No. 9 entry with one of the team’s co-owners, Swiss-based Michael Wainwright.  The No. 69 team entry will be led by young, Surrey-based driver Stuart Hall together with team co-owner, Roald Goethe.  The German driver, when not travelling on business, or racing, is based in Dubai, UAE.

One of the first teams to reveal last August that it had been selected by McLaren GT to champion its exciting new-generation GT3 cars, Gulf Racing UK will be continuing with the same race management team as 2011 under the direction of David Price.

With potentially 60 cars taking the start of the three-hour race on Sunday, McLaren GT Works Driver Rob Bell is enthusiastic about being part of such a buoyant championship: “The Blancpain Endurance Series is still quite new in terms of GT championships, and everyone’s keen to do it.  The organisers seem to have got their formula right so far and it’s attracted good teams and manufacturers who all want to win.  With the level of driver entries too, I’d say it’s second to none in terms of GT series around the world.

“To succeed with that many cars and against some top level drivers will be very hard work which is exactly why we all do it and why we want to be there.  It’s too early to tell who might be dominant, and our Pro-Am class is also a balance-performance reliant category so we may not know who’s quick or not until after the first race.”

With Bell having done pre-season testing for McLaren GT, he is well placed to recognise the potential within the McLaren MP4-12C GT3.  “The car feels fantastic to drive but it’s still early days in its racing life and we are all keen to help push the programme forward.  I think we’ll certainly be in the mix and could be a dark horse for some good results; I’ve seen enough in Mike to know he’s pretty good and I’m looking forward to pushing him on through the season.”

Mike Wainwright, who combines a busy business life with his passion for racing, sees the Blancpain Endurance Series as the perfect arena in which to compete in 2012. “I’m certainly looking forward to it!  On the competition side, for Roald and I there are new names and teams with which to familiarise ourselves and it’s very different to what we did last year.  Ignoring the fact that the traffic will be a big factor, the races promise to be very exciting and we hope will attract a good deal of media and attention.  From a team point of view, everything is going well and we are organised and are having fun which is very important for Roald and I.”

“I believe the Blancpain Series is a great outlet in terms of presenting who we are as a team, and we just hope for no problems with the cars.  Going into Monza, we are blind to the ability of others in terms of the ‘Am’ drivers but, if you look at the other McLaren teams entered, I think we are going to be competitive.  As far as comparing ourselves to other marques, we’ll all be waiting to see what the Balance of Performance is.”

Former Aston Martin Racing driver, Stuart Hall, fully appreciates the opportunity to compete in the flourishing GT3 series:  “We haven’t been able to do the running we’d hoped for pre-season, but we’ll get our heads down and get on with it, as always.  Being teamed alongside Rob gives me a great opportunity to learn from him, and I’m fully prepared to step up to the mark.  The most important thing will be for Roald to have lots of seat time, and having just two drivers instead of three will be an advantage here.  He’s doing this for enjoyment and because he loves racing, and this is a great environment for that.  It won’t be easy but we’re all looking forward to the experience and we’re hoping for a trouble-free weekend at Monza.”

Stuart and Roald recently competed in the team’s Aston Martin Vantage in the ELMS 6-hour race at Paul Ricard, southern France, and Stuart believes this was invaluable in terms of preparation for this weekend.  “Roald did really well at Ricard and it got him back into race mode.  We were in the hunt for a great result in our category until we unfortunately got t-boned by someone, but I can’t fault Roald’s or the team’s performance.”

He has a business life every bit as busy and full as his friend and team co-owner Mike, but Roald Goethe relishes every opportunity to get on track and is very much looking forward to the start of the 2012 Blancpain series.

“Looking at the series last year, it produced some of the best racing in the world and I think this year is shaping up to be even better, and very exciting for participants and spectators alike.  There are some very well-known names on the entry list, both on the driver side and the cars, and I’m really looking forward to it.  It’s great that Stuart and I have already got to drive with each other in the Dubai 24 hours and in the ELMS race – we’re getting on very well and there’s a fun, and professional, atmosphere within the whole team.”

Gulf Racing is an evolution of the Gulf AMR Middle East team which ran in the ILMC, is wholly owned by Mike Wainwright and Roald Goethe and, as previously stated, will be managed by David Price in the UK.  Gulf Racing Middle East is a separate team based out of Dubai, and there is no cross-over between the two.

The Paul Ricard Circuit is a motorsport race track built in 1969 at Le Castellet, near Marseille, in France, with finance from the eccentric pastis magnate Paul Ricard. Ricard wanted to experience the challenge of building a highway.
The track is characterised by its long Mistral straight (1.8 km) and elongated track design. The track is also unusual in that it is built on a plateau, and is very flat. The length of the full track is around 3.610 miles (5.8 km). In 1986 the track was modified to shorten the circuit. This shorter circuit is known as the GP short circuit and is 2.369 miles (3.8 km) long. The track offers 167 possible configurations from 826 to 5,861 metres. Its flexibility and mild winter weather mean that it is used for testing by several motorsport teams, including Formula One teams.
The track is known for its distinctive black and blue runoff areas known as the Blue Zone. The runoff surface consists of a mixture of asphalt and tungsten, used instead of gravel traps, as common at other circuits. A second, deeper run-off area is the Red Zone, with a more abrasive surface designed to maximize tyre grip and hence minimize braking distance, although at the cost of intense tyre wear. The final safeguard consists of Tecpro barriers, a modern improvement on tyre barriers.

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