Westbrook On Podium In Romania

Richard Westbrook took a fine third place for Porsche on his first visit to Romania for the latest round of the FIA GT Championship. On the Bucharest-Ring street circuit, which passes the amazing Palace of Parliament built by Nicolae Ceausescu, Westbrook and Prospeed Competition co-driver Emmanuel Collard found the massed Ferrari ranks more difficult to depose than the old Communist regime, but still drew heart from a fine result.

Collard qualified the Porsche 997 GT3-RSR in seventh, but should have been higher. “All of the Porsche drivers found it very difficult on the bumps in free practice,” said two-time Porsche Supercup champion Westbrook. “We had to work really hard to get the car to ride the bumps and not bounce them. We improved it, but in qualifying a Ferrari spun in front of ‘Manu’ on his quick lap and then the session was red flagged because our team-mates’ car went into the wall.

“Round here overtaking is as difficult as at Monaco, but I made a really good start to get fifth, behind one of the Ferraris. There was no way through, so I just told the team on the radio that I’d be patient and wait for him to make a mistake. Luckily he made one and I got through, and from then on our race pace was excellent. Another of the Ferraris got hit, so that put us up to third.

”FIA GT was running to a unique format this weekend, with two one-hour races, the first forming the grid for the second. “Starting third for the second race was good, because you can do something from there,” said Richard. “I got second at the first corner and then went sideby-side with Toni Vilander to the chicane. Rob Bell had a lunge at me, and I had to take a different route through the chicane to avoid getting hit. Bell hit Vilander and I got in the lead.

“Then down the straight I thought about what the officials are like this year. I’d taken a longer way round to avoid a collision at the chicane, but I didn’t want to take any risk at all of getting a penalty, so I slowed down and gave Vilander the lead back, and pulled away from Bell. “Vilander was a tenth or two quicker and I couldn’t do anything about him, and we lost second to Bell during a slow pitstop, but it was nice to be fighting at the front again.”

The result consolidates Westbrook and Collard in third place in the championship, with the next round at Brno in the Czech Republic in just under three weeks’ time. “Bucharest was a very difficult weekend for our car, especially as we had the second highest amount of success ballast of everyone,” said Richard. “It didn’t suit the bumps at all, so to end up with two podiums is absolutely fantastic, and everyone at Prospeed will give it a really good push for the final few races.”

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