Bentley continues to finish in the points in the latest round of the Blancpain Endurance Series championship.

• Continental GT3 #7 finishes P2 after tense final hour
• Second Bentley comes home P12 overall, P8 in class
• Bentley Team M-Sport now top of Teams Championship

Bentley’s challenge for the 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series championship intensified this weekend with a hard-fought podium finish at the Paul Ricard 1000 km, the third round of the series. 

The #7 Continental GT3 of British trio Guy Smith, Andy Meyrick and Steven Kane finished P2 after an exciting six hours of racing, culminating in Steven closing to within 1.6 seconds of the leader in the final stages.

Overall points from the race mean that Bentley Team M-Sport now sits atop the Teams Championships for the first time this year, with the drivers of car #7 now second in the Drivers Championship by one point.

The second Bentley Continental GT3, the #8 car of Andy Soucek, Maxi Buhk and Maxime Soulet endured a more challenging race, after contact for Maxime in the opening lap put him to the back of field. 

The team recovered well after the incident, only for progress to be disrupted by a pair of stop-and-go penalties later in the race. However, strong pace and a determined attitude saw the #8 car finish P12 overall and P8 in class, which was rewarded with championship points.

Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush, said after the race:

“After some bad luck in the previous rounds, the whole team is ecstatic with the result here. It wasn’t an easy race, but we got the setup of our cars right and came so close to repeating our victory here last year. 

The last few laps were extremely tense for everyone in the garage, but Steven did what he does best and got the podium. I’m disappointed that car #8 couldn’t join car #7 in the top three, but we’ll review and come back stronger.

Our championship challenge is back on-track, and this is a real confidence boost ahead of the most important race of the season at Spa next month. We’re heading from here to the official test session this week to start our preparations, but until then we’ll reflect on what’s been a great race weekend for us.”

The two Bentleys started P4 (#7) and P10 (#8) respectively. After an aborted start that saw both cars in to the top five, the restart saw Guy Smith move the #7 car to P2, but an unfortunate misjudgement by Maxime Soulet in #8 saw him collide with two competitors. 

A pit stop to check for damage dropped Maxime to P61, reinforced by a stop-and-go penalty, but he rebuilt from there to P35. After a stint from Andy Soucek and a second stint from Maxime, the #8 car was up to P14. 

The drivers of the #7 car all double-stinted, with Andy Meyrick taking the car from Guy in P4 after two hours, and finished his stint in P3, handing to Steven Kane thanks to an extremely efficient pit stop from the Bentley Team M-Sport crew, Steven moved up to P2 and immediately started his challenge for the lead, closing a 16-second gap to just 1.6 seconds before running slightly wide and spinning. Steven recovered from the spin to secure P2 at the chequered flag. 

Meanwhile, after a stop-and-go penalty for pushing, Maxi Buhk in car #8 was able to climb from P30 to P13 before Andy Soucek drove the final stint of the race, coming home P12 overall and P8 in class.

A third Continental GT3 entered by Bentley’s European customer team, Bentley Team HTP, also raced Paul Ricard, finishing P36 overall, P17 in class.

The next race for Bentley Team M-Sport will be the TOTAL 24 Hours of Spa, over the weekend of 25^th-26^thJuly.

Driver Quotes

Guy Smith, car #7: “With the race being over six hours, the most important thing for me was to stay out of trouble, especially at the start, and then try and gain a place or two – which is always hardest at the front! I was pleased with my run and had a great battle with the Bentley Team HTP car – it’s great for us to be fighting them fairly on-track. I finished my stint P4 which set us up really well for the rest of the race.”

Andy Meyrick, car #7: “The car was consistent and easy to drive. It was just as good at the end of the stint as it was at the start, so we got the setup right. I enjoyed some really close racing with a BMW, and we stayed in touch with the leaders from the start which meant Steven could fight for a great finish.”

Steven Kane, car #7: “My stint was pretty exciting to say the least! The car was excellent, so I’d like to thank the team for a job well done. Andy and Guy drove brilliant stints which allowed me to get very close to the leaders. I made a mistake in the closing laps which meant I ultimately couldn’t fight for the win, but we’ve had some bad luck in the last couple of races and P2 here feels really good. It’s kick-started our season and we’re really looking forward to the 24 Hours at Spa.”

Maxime Soulet, car #8: “The start was very difficult. I was focused on a car behind me that was making a move, and I misjudged my braking and hit a Ferrari, which ruined our race straight away. We started a fight-back immediately and fought up the order, and at the end of my second stint I was in to the top 20 having been right at the back. It wasn’t our day today but we’ll start focusing on Spa straight away.”

Andy Soucek, car #8: “I’m very pleased with my two stints. My pace was good in both and I wasn’t overtaken by a single car. I got the second fastest lap of the race, which is also very satisfying, and the car felt great and had consistent pace. Without the incident at the start I think we would’ve been able to fight for the win the same way that car #7 did.”

Maxi Buhk, car #8: “I drove a double stint, and the first half was very good. I made great progress through the field and I was happy with the car. The low sun made visibility very tricky, but once it had gone down the second half of my stint got easier. The track changed as it cooled down but the car is so good on its tyres that it wasn’t difficult to manage. The penalties are a big shame because we had the pace, like we did at Silverstone.”

Bentley has an up and down race at Silverstone in the second round of Blancpain Endurance Series

• P6 and P9 at Silverstone in second round of Blancpain Endurance Series
• Failed wheel nut and a drive-through penalty prohibit higher places
• Strong recovery for car #7 from P24

Bentley’s return to the home of British motorsport at Silverstone brought a double-top-ten finish despite a challenging race for both cars. While the pace of the Continental GT3 was good enough to try and emulate last year’s victory at the track, circumstances meant that the Bentley Boys had to settle for the satisfactory results of P6 for car #8 and P9 for car #7.

After a rain-disrupted qualifying earlier in the day, Car #8 started from P17 on the grid, and Maxime Soulet drove an outstanding opening stint to move up through the field to sit P8 by lap 17. 

As those around him pitted under a full course yellow, Maxime stayed out to move up to P6 before pitting and handing the car to Maxi Buhk. Maxi drove a solid stint to maintain P6 overall, before being relieved of duty on lap 53 by Andy Soucek, who rejoined the race in P12 with those ahead due to stop. 

A restart after a full course yellow saw Andy climb to P7, before being reprimanded for a collision with a competitor with a drive-through penalty, dropping him to P8. Fortunately, Andy was able to recover strongly in the remaining 20 laps, gaining two more places to finish P6.

Car #7’s race began from P9 on the grid with Guy Smith at the wheel. As is becoming typical, Guy gained three places at the start to move up to P6, and as he came in to the pits on lap 31, he was in P4. Unfortunately, a failed wheel nut cost the team 30 seconds, and when Andy Meyrick left the pits, he rejoined the track in P24. 

However, Andy was able to recover quickly, rapidly moving through the order to move the car up to P16. After a driver change on lap 52 for Steven Kane, the recovery continued, with Steven progressively taking places before ultimately settling for P9 as the chequered flag fell.

Speaking immediately after the race, Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush, commented:

“Like the Nürburgring 24 Hours last weekend, this was a race where the pace of our cars was not equalled by our luck. Car #7 was very unfortunate in the first pit stop – the right-rear wheel nut failed to engage and had to be replaced – but as always Andy, Steven and Guy were insatiable in their appetite for a top ten result. Car #8 had a better race, and while Maxime drove an amazing stint I was disappointed in Andy’s penalty. Still, we’ll take two top-ten finishes, and look to build on this in a few weeks in the third round at Paul Ricard.”

Bentley Team M-Sport returns to the track on 19^th June, for the third round of the Blancpain Endurance Series at Paul Ricard. Before then, Bentley Team HTP will race at Zolder in the Blancpain Sprint Series and the Red Bull Ring in ADAC GT Masters.

Driver Quotes

Guy Smith, car #7: “The car was great today, and in my stint I made good progress. That set us up for the rest of the race, but the problem in our first pit stop meant that we were fighting for a top ten finished rather than a podium. It was massively unlucky, but I’m happy that we were on the pace and we can definitely look forward to the next race.”

Andy Meyrick, car #7: “My stint was about making as much progress through the Pro-Am cars as possible. The balance of the car was good, and I had plenty of overtaking to do which meant an exciting stint. In clear air the car was really strong and I was really happy to gain eight places, which meant Steven could push for the top ten. We pulled together as a team despite the circumstances, and that’s a real positive.”

Steven Kane, car #7: “We definitely had the pace to get a better result today, but sometimes it just doesn’t go your way. Towards the end of the race, we were the fastest car on track, and I had the confidence to close on those ahead of me and make clean passes. I think all three of us drove really well today, and we’ll definitely attack the race at Paul Ricard and push for a podium.”

Maxime Soulet, car #8: “My car was really good through the whole stint, and I could push all the way from the green flag to the end of my stint. The race pace was much better than our qualifying pace yesterday, and I kept out of trouble and steadily took places. There’s more to come, but I’m pleased that we’ve had our best result as a driver team so far.”

Maxi Buhk, car #8: “After Maxime’s brilliant stint I was set up for a great drive. I was able to follow the cars ahead very closely, which was a positive sign of our pace. I lost some time battling past an Audi, but once as I was ahead and in clean air the car handled really well.”

Andy Soucek, car #8: “That was a frustrating stint for me, but we worked through the drive-through penalty and scored a good result. The penalty was a shame and without it we could’ve been challenging for P4, but this is only our second race together and we get stronger with every round.

BENTLEY brings home the points, at Monza, in the latest race, for the Continental GT3.

• Car #7 makes a strong start to the season with a second-in-class* finish
• Car #8 also scores championship points, finishing eighth-in-class*
• Bentley Team M-Sport looks forward to home race at Silverstone

Bentley Team M-Sport made a strong start to its 2015 European season, with the #7 Continental GT3 of British trio Guy Smith, Andy Meyrick and Steven Kane finishing a provisional second-in-class (fourth overall) in the opening round of the Blancpain Endurance Series at Italy’s famous Monza track. 

The sister #8 car of new Bentley Boy team Maxi Buhk, Maxime Soulet and Andy Soucek fought through the field, overcoming multiple challenges to climb 23 places overall and finish provisional P12 and eighth-in- class, also scoring championship points.

Both cars endured some bad luck during the race, with higher results being limited after cars were forced off the track by slower competitors. However, the result bodes well for the season ahead, and Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush, was satisfied with the outcome:

“This is the start to our season that we were looking for. 

We've spent the off-season focusing on the setup of the Continental GT3, and we're now seeing the results of those efforts. I’m delighted that car #7 has scored some really valuable championship points, and equally impressed by the hard-fought position of car #8. 

Buhk, Soulet and Soucek had to fight from P35 on the grid after a harsh penalty, and overcame a puncture and some questionable driving from our competition to finish in the points. We'll be aiming to build from here for the next round, our home race at Silverstone.”

The Story of The Race

After a very busy morning qualifying session that saw all 59 entrants fighting on-track for grid position, the two Continental GT3s lined up 10^th (car #7) and 35^th (car #8) for the three-hour race. Guy Smith drove the opening stint in car #7, climbing four places at the start to sit P6 before snatching P5 by lap 10.  Andy Meyrick took over from Guy after an hour, driving a solid stint that saw him pit from P7 to hand the car to Steven Kane. 

Steven immediately set to work, taking P6 before being spun off the track after being hit from behind by a competitor. Fortunately, he rejoined without issue and maintained the place, and was able to finish provisional P4 overall and second-in-class.

Car #8 had a more eventful race, but still managed to finish in the top 10 in class and earn valuable championship points. Maxi Buhk started the race, climbing all the way to P19 in his stint before a right rear puncture forced him to pit several laps early. 

Maxime Soulet replaced Maxi behind the wheel, and drove an exceptional stint to climb to P10 overall. Andy Soucek took control with an hour left in the race, climbing to P9 early in his stretch. Unfortunately, more bad luck was to hit car #8, after two different competitors forced Andy off the track, costing him places. The eventual, provisional result of P12 overall was sweetened by being eigth-in-class place and so scoring four valuable championship points.

Driver Quotes

Guy Smith, car #7: “I’m pleased with my performance today and very satisfied with our result. We arrived here with a good setup for our car that we refined in the practice sessions. I was concerned about the start – Monza is a very tricky place to start a race, especially with 60 cars on the grid, but I had a great start and made four places in to the first chicane. From there I was able to manage my position well, and Andy and Steven did the rest. We’ve made a running start to the season and I can’t wait for Silverstone.”

Andy Meyrick, car #7: “This has been a really good opening race for us. The car felt fantastic, really balanced and driveable, and even though we were outpaced by some cars that haven’t yet been properly performance-balanced, we’ve scored a class podium and leave here with great championship points. Our home race is next and I’m really hoping we can be back on the podium in front of the British fans.”

Steven Kane, car #7: “As usual, Guy and Andy drove mega stints to put me in a position to push hard to the finish. The car was so much more balanced than this time last year, but getting hit from behind and spun off the track was really frustrating – I was really enjoying my stint and making great progress. Leaving here with trophies feels fantastic though, and we’ve made the championship start that we were aiming for.”

Maxi Buhk, car #8: “After a really tough qualifying this morning, and the 10-place grid penalty, this was about recovering as best we could. The reality was better than that – we could push our car hard, and the setup was perfect. Between us we climbed 23 places, despite all the challenges. I had to end my stint early when I got a puncture going through Parabolica, but the pit crew responded so quickly that we minimised the time lost.”

Maxime Soulet, car #8: “This was my first race as a Bentley Boy, and I loved it. The Continental GT3 was superb today – to climb places the way we did needed a really driveable, stable car, and when we pushed it rewarded us. We could’ve done even better if it wasn’t for the issues that weren’t out fault today, but even so we’ve scored points in our first race and that feels great. I’m really optimistic for the next race.”

Andy Soucek, car #8: “That was a crazy race. Maxi and Maxime drove really well to get us in to the top ten, but luck just wasn’t with us today. I was pleased with my pace in my stint, but then I was hit and forced off-track twice in the closing laps – costing me four places. I still think this was a good race for us though, as we get to know our race car more and more. We can definitely challenge for podiums and wins if we continue where we left off today.”