Photo : Hervé GUYOMARD - ACO

 

Surprising fact on the road to the circuit today, there are no more moped and scooter riders masked rather than helmeted, seemingly putting pulmonary risk ahead of cranial trauma. Now here is a market of several hundred million riders which manufacturers should woo, for the day when the law makes it mandatory to wear a helmet. However, it must be said that the two-wheel drivers are not daredevils but much more peaceful than say pizza deliverers back in our countries. Speaking of pizza, Italian food is a globally-available cuisine that saves our lives. Whether in Korea, Japan, here in China, one can always eat Italian and the Italian delegation here at the hotel rejoiced loudly at the menu (spaghetti bolognese, carbonara, fettucine, pizzas, etc.). The wines come from Australia, California and of course Asia, and the carbonated mineral water, also Italian, flows freely. I am only mentioning this for posterity, the pig's feet served upon our arrival at the circuit, was enough to take off running. Notwithstanding, the side dish of rice was fantastic and would satisfy even the hungriest of diners. Restaurant prices are reasonable, except for meat which is astronomical and beer which meets wine prices. So much for the short list of what is available, which one may have noticed omits seafood entirely.

Qualifying - Stuck in terrible timing, our sessions whose time was changed late last night, were cut short by three minutes, unfortunately. OAK Racing's LM P2 Morgan will start from the pole position ahead of Eurasia Motorsport's Oreca, at 142 thousandths. Third position, at more than six seconds, confirms the free practice and sees the climb of a GT, Team AAI's Mercedes ahead of the first CN class prototype, the Ligier of Craft Bamboo Racing, at nearly seven seconds from the pole. Next are Team AAI's two BMW Z4s, Jörg Müller not hiding his pleasure at being ahead of Ollie Milroy's sister car. The second CN, the Wolf of Team Avelon Formula, finds itself in seventh position at more than eight seconds from the pole and Clearwater Racing's Ferrari brings up the rear. Nothing special to note from this qualifying session, other than the cancellation of some the Eurasia Motorsport Oreca driver's best times, at odds with trajectories and respecting track limits. Technical inspections are finished…All is in order, there only remains to establish the starting grid and to rest for 24 hours. Time perhaps to go check out the massive new car lots, at the circuit, if for no other reason than to figure out how car-carrier drivers manage to maneuver 25-meter long trucks with overhangs of at least 10 meters and upon which they manage to place 18 cars, 12 side by side on the first level…across the country!

Hervé Guyomard / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

Photo: SHANGHAI (CHINA), SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, 3 HOURS OF SHANGHAI, FRIDAY OCTOBER 10 2014, QUALIFYING. Eurasia Motorsport's Oreca-Nissan will take off from the first row and will attempt once again to beat OAK Racing's Morgan, victorious in the first two rounds of the 2014 Asian Le Mans Series.