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Strakka Racing has begun the 6
Hours of Bahrain race weekend on a strong note, setting the top FIA
World Endurance Championship for Privateers’ time in Free Practice 1.
Danny Watts had the honour of taking the team’s Honda Performance
Development ARX-03a out onto the Bahrain GP track for the very first
time. At just after 4pm local time, it wasn’t as hot as it had been
earlier in the week – yet the thermometers were showing a roasting 35ºC
air and 44ºC track temperature.
Having expertly explored the grip levels of the fast desert circuit,
Jonny Kane took over from Danny. Mid-stint he came into the garage to
download data, and the team was delighted to see that the car’s vital
statistics were all good and the car was running well after its
trans-Atlantic flight from Brazil.
As the sun faded, Nick Leventis climbed into the car for the final
stint. He continued the team’s strong start on his first ever laps
around Bahrain, ensuring Strakka’s top Privateer status was confirmed.
Only the two works Audis and works Toyota P1 prototypes were able to
beat Strakka Racing’s 1:49.798 best, as the Silverstone-based team was
top Privateer by 0.217 seconds.
There’s no time for the engineers and technicians to relax and enjoy the
cooling conditions and desert breeze, as Free Practice 2 begins at
20.30. Another 90-minute session is next, with Danny, Jonny and Nick
preparing to drive the circuit for the first time in darkness – a
situation that will be a significant part of the race on Saturday.
