As you’ve already guessed, the Bentleys were not competing in the race, but instead leading all 170 competitors around the legendary Nürburgring Nordschliefe circuit for the official parade lap.

Modern-day Bentley Boys Juha Kankkunen, Guy Smith and Eric van de Poele joined Chairman and Chief Executive Wolfgang Dürheimer in a Bentley line-up, including the Continental GTC W12, Mulsanne, 630 bhp Continental Supersports and new Continental GT V8.

Bentley Continental GT, Mulsanne, Supersports, GT V8 and GTC W12 lead the parade lap at the Nürburgring 24-Hours.

They were joined by a pair of Flying Spurs that are on VIP shuttle service duty throughout the gruelling 24-hour race.

CEO Dürheimer said, “Bentley is proud to help support this year’s Nürburgring event, one of the most punishing endurance tests on the motorsport calendar. As a regular visitor to the Nürburgring during the development of our cars and with a personal passion for driving the track, I am delighted that Bentley is here in a race environment this weekend. I’d like to wish all the drivers the very best of luck for the long race ahead.”

It would certainly have been fun to see at least the Conti Supersports compete in the race, after all, Aston Martin has fielded their 4-door Rapide in the past, but then I suspect a 2-tonne Bentley might wreak havoc to a set of brakes and driveshafts around the Green Hell – but it would be fun while it lasted.

It’s less than a year since Jann Mardenborough stepped into a racing car for the very first time, and yet from the very first practice session on Thursday he looking in contention for a front row starting position.

This is also the first pole position for the Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 car, which will also be taking part in tomorrow’s Nürburgring 24 hour race on the Nordschliefe (North Loop circuit).

Jann’s performance was even more spectacular when you consider the fact that this is the first time he has been to the Nürburgring. As the newest recruit to Nissan’s roster of GT Academy graduates, Jann has a lot to live up to and results like this are concrete proof of the success of the programme.

“Jann’s performance today was exemplary,” said GT Academy Team RJN boss, Bob Neville. “He did exactly what I would have expected from a seasoned professional. We waited a moment or two at the start of the season then sent him and he was straight on the pace. To take pole with time to spare just shows the level Jann is at now.”

“I’m feeling pretty good at the moment,” said Jann. “That’s my first ‘proper’ pole position as a professional racing driver. I had to work hard for it though. We tried a few things during free practice and going into qualifying we thought we would be okay but the car felt better than ever so I went for it!”

“The results speak for themselves,” said Darren Cox, General Manager of Nissan in Europe. “Pole position means you are the fastest amongst your peers. End of story. I think we’ve proved, yet again, that GT Academy isn’t just a marketing activity or a reality show. It’s the real thing and it finds real talent.”

The race starts later today at 1630hrs CET and you can follow Jann’s progress on Nissan Motorsport’s official Twitter account – @Nissan_OnTrack.

Having focused its efforts on near production-specification cars since its 2006 Nürburgring24 Hour debut, Aston Martin will, for the first time, be represented in the senior SP9 category for FIA-homologated GT3 cars. A pair of V12 Vantage GT3s will be run in association with long-standing official partner team, Young Driver AMR.

Aston Martin Chief Executive Dr Ulrich Bez always likes to play a wild card, and this year sees the return of the spectacular V12 Zagato concept car which contested the race in 2011. Dr Bez, who competes in the race himself, will be joined by Chief Engineer Chris Porritt, Aston Martin Nürburgring Test Centre Director Wolfgang Schuhbauer and motoring journalist Richard Meaden.

The lead Vantage GT3, carrying the iconic #007 designation, will be driven by Johannes and Ferdinand Stuck – sons of triple Nürburgring 24 Hour winner Hans-Joachim Stuck – alongside Dennis Rostek and Aston Martin Racing factory driver Darren Turner. Turner’s regular works team-mate, Stefan Mücke, will drive the #006 car with Tomas Enge, Fredy Barth and Oliver Mathai.

The fourth official entry will be a V8-powered Vantage run by Aston Martin’s Nürburgring Test Centre team and driven by Jurgen Stumpf, Australians Mal Rose and Rob Thomson, plus Peter Cate. Aston Martin will be represented by four further customer outfits, including Team Mathol Racing, winners of the SP10 class for GT4 cars in 2010.

Ahead of the race, Dr Bez said: “Our 100 per cent finishing record in thirteen starts in one of the world’s toughest endurance races is remarkable; truly a testament to the reliability of our cars and the efforts of our people.

“In the past six years we have deliberately focused on racing close-to-production cars, achieving seven class podiums and three class wins. For 2012, I am delighted to be returning again to drive our V12 Zagato with my engineering team, but also to have such an exciting step up with the V12 Vantage GT3s.”

The race starts at 16:00 (CET) on Saturday May 19th and you will be able to watch it via the live streaming service on www.audi.tv and on the German TV channel Sport1, which will provide more than 23 hours of on-air coverage throughout the event from May 17th to 20th.

Audio coverage will be broadcast live for the duration of the 24 hours via Radio Le Mans at www.radiolemans.com.

* * *

In Focus: Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3

The V12 Vantage GT3 was developed to replicate and indeed surpass the superb track record of its predecessor, the DBRS9. During its six-year lifespan Aston Martin sold 24 DBRS9s, with customer teams clocking up numerous race podiums and victories across the world.

Testing of the new V12 Vantage GT3 commenced in October 2011, completing a rigorous 10,000km sign-off durability test programme.

The Vantage GT3 features a modified version of Aston Martin’s production 6.0-litre V12 engine found in many of its road cars. The dry-sumped engine produces around 600bhp with 700 Nm of torque, whilst its front mid-engined position has been optimised to improve the race car’s weight balance.

A carbon fibre propshaft mates the engine to an Xtrac six-speed sequential transmission with a semi-automatic paddle shift gear change.

Aston Martin’s VH architecture philosophy underpins the Vantage GT3, while the modular chassis uses aerospace bonding techniques to create a light and immensely stiff aluminium and composite structure.

The most noticeable (and dramatic) change over the road car, are the new aerodynamics, which contribute to a muscular and purposeful stance while maintaining the overall form and beauty of the V12 Vantage.

The shorter wheelbase and lower engine position over its predecessor contribute to enhanced handling and performance, while driveability is enhanced with the latest race-developed ABS and Traction Control systems.

Besides this weekend’s Nürburgring 24 Hours, you can also catch up with the V12 Vantage GT3′s racing exploits in the FIA GT3 Championship, ADAC Masters, Nürburgring VLN, Blancpain Endurance Series, British GT, Belcar and Open GT.

Audi Sport Team Phoenix will exclusively represent the factory with two cars, whilst four other teams with support from Audi Sport customer racing will line up on the grid including Mamerow Racing, Raeder Motorsport, Speedhunters Team WRT and two cars from the Audi race experience.

The R8 LMS has competed on three previous occasions at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, since its debut in 2009, and whilst it has always been a strong contender in the GT3 class, more powerful GT2 cars have always denied them a chance of overall victory. In 2012, with 30 GT3 cars from eight major car makers in the field, the time has come for Audi to aim for the top step of the podium.

Dieter Gass, Head of Racing at Audi Sport said, “In recent years, we celebrated major successes with the Audi R8 LMS at the Nürburgring in the GT3 class. This year, the big aim is to shoot for overall victory. We’ve got a very strong line-up of teams and drivers plus an updated vehicle.”

The R8 LMS ultra drivers competing in this year’s race include:

Audi Sport Team Phoenix
#2 Marcel Fässler, Christopher Mies, René Rast and Frank Stippler.
#3 Marc Basseng, Christopher Haase, Frank Stippler and Markus Winkelhock.

Speedhunters Team WRT
#4 Oliver Jarvis, Andrea Piccini, Edward Sandström and Allan Simonsen.

Raeder Motorsport
#9 Frank Biela, Christian Hohenadel, Luca Ludwig and Thomas Mutsch.

Audi race experience
#24 Luca Cappellari, Florian Gruber, Warren Luff and Alex Yoong.
#25 Christian Bollrath, Pierre Ehret, Peter Venn and Marco Werner.

Mamerow Racing
#26 Christian Abt, Michael Ammermüller, Armin Hahne and Christian Mamerow.

The race starts at 16:00(CET) on Saturday May 19th and you should be able to watch it via the live streaming service on www.audi.tv and on the TV channel Sport1, which will provide more than 23 hours of on-air coverage from May 17th to 20th.

* * *

The R8 LMS ultra in focus

The R8 LMS ultra boasts numerous technical and structural modifications in comparison to its predecessor (hence the ‘ultra’ tag), with more torque (now over 500Nm), better aerodynamics, 40 kg less weight, wider front wheels, better brake cooling and a new carbon fibre Audi Sport PS-1 racing seat.

The powerful V10 engine is based on the mass-produced engine and can clock up 20,000 kilometres or more of racing before needing its first overhaul.

Technical specifications

Gallery

Kevin Mc Glone – Red Square Images

When you view these atmospheric images from the latest Britcar event, spare a thought for the man behind the lens.

As a motorsport photographer, Kevin braves the elements to bring you great images such as these which put you at the heart of the action. You can support Kevin by visiting his personal site – redsquareimages.com – and choosing a few images for yourself.

The BEC – Britain’s top endurance racing series, and the championship behind Britain’s only 24 Hour race – is unique on the UK’s national racing scene, offering fans the chance to watch multi-class endurance racing with grids of unrivalled variety. The cars on view range from open-cockpit prototype a-likes such as the flat-six.co.uk run Rapier SR2, through to more conventional GT cars like the Mosler MT900R, Ferrari 458, Lotus Evora and race prepared BMW M3s sporting splitters and wings.

In the three hour race, teams featuring two or three drivers make a number of mandatory pitstops, making strategy all important as the battle for the lead swings back and forth between teams and drivers

On the longer ‘300’ layout of the Norfolk track expect Andy Schulz (Ferrari 430), Javier Morcillo (Mosler MT900R) and Mike Millard (Rapier SR2) to fight for the lead once more, continuing their battles from the earlier races at Silverstone and Donington Park.

Reliability issues for their rivals at Silverstone allowed Spanish driver Morcillo, compatriot Manuel Cintrano and Paul White to score an overall victory in their first race together.

The trio were amongst the leaders at Donington Park in a thrilling race, in changing conditions, when a rain shower caught out Morcillo allowing the Ginetta G55 pairing driven by Mike Simpson and Lawrence Tomlinson to take victory in a one-off appearance in a GT3-spec Ginetta G55.

Tomlinson, the Chairman of Ginetta, will race once more at Snetterton, and again in a potentially race winning Ginetta G55 as he joins Ian Stinton and the Stark Racing team.

As well as for the overall lead, championship points are on offer in all four classes.

Topcats Racing bring their two instantly recognisable Marcos Mantis in Class 2 against Motionsport’s new-for-2012 Ferrari 458.

Class 3 features another new car – Bullrun’s Lotus Evora. The class winners at Donington Park with a three-strong driver line-up, featuring ex-BTCC driver Martin Byford, will be hoping to maintain their early season form with another winning performance this weekend.

With all the BEC racing action packed into Saturday and the race as the finale, spectators will get a full view of the championship as drivers run against the clock for qualifying honours, then against each other in race with the welcoming relaxed Britcar paddock presenting an opportunity to get more familiar with one of British racing’s best kept secrets.

Words: James Broomhead
Images: Kevin Mc Glone (Red Square Images)

Gallery

Expectations will be even higher at this year’s Nürburgring 24H, which marks the 40th anniversary of BMW Motorsport. Two teams will receive works assistance at the “Green Hell” endurance battle: BMW Team Schubert and BMW Team Vita4One, both of whom will run two BMW Z4 GT3 racing cars.

Team Principal Michael Bartels will lead the Vita4One team, which features Pedro Lamy, Frank Kechele, Mathias Lauda and Ricardo van der Ende at the wheel of the number 17 BMW Z4 GT3. The number 18 car will be driven by BMW Motorsport test and development driver Marco Wittmann, Pedro Lamy, Jens Klingmann and Richard Göransson.

They will be joined by the Schubert BMW team, who have set themselves the target of overall victory with the BMW Z4 GT3. Wearing the classic BMW Motorsport colours, two BMW Z4 GT3′s have been entered and will be driven by BMW Driving Experience Chief Instructor Claudia Hürtgen, Dirk Adorf, Uwe Alzen, Dirk Müller, Jörg Müller, Nico Bastian, and Dominik Schwager.

The Z4 GT3 has become a popular car with BMW Motorsport customers, after winning in FIA GT1 and the Nürburgring VLN series during 2012, so it seems somewhat dissapointing that BMW’s road car customers cannot buy anything remotely similar to the race car.

But what, I hear you ask, is so different about the Z4 GT3 from BMW’s top production model, the £45,350 335bhp Z4 sDrive35is?

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The Z4 GT3 in focus

While the production version of the BMW Z4 sDrive35is is driven by a six-cylinder turbocharged engine (as used in the 1 Series M Coupe), the GT3 car is powered by a 4.4-litre eight-cylinder engine based on the unit from the M3 GTS.

Engine output is substantially increased from the M3 GTS’ 444bhp, now delivering a buxom 515 bhp at 8,200 rpm, and the wick has been turned up to maximum peaking at 9,000 rpm thanks to a clever new exhaust system. According to BMW, the torquey power delivery of the production M3 GTS has been retained, so the Z4 GT3′s engine is as much a slugger as well as a screamer with approximately 515 Nm of torque available at 5,500 rpm.

That’s approximately 15bhp and 15Nm more than the 4.0-litre V8 engine used in the Z4 GT3′s predecessor, the M3 GT, and the 4.4-litre engine delivers this more than 500 rpm lower in the rev range.

Engine power is transferred via a sequential six speed gearbox initiated using two “Quick Shift” paddles, whilst a modern ECU408 takes over the engine management and Power400 electronic control unit controls all the actuators.

Other improvements for the 2012 season include a rear wing made from carbon fibre instead of aluminium, which produces greater downforce with less drag. A more optimised front brake cooling system and new rear axle differential. The front axle of the Z4 GT3 is an all new design based on the latest production model, whilst rims are now secured with a central locking fitment and safety clip.

The steel body of the car comes from the BMW Plant in Regensburg, whilst the safety cell made of precision steel tubing is welded into the body frame. The engine block of the V8 engine is produced in the BMW foundry in Landshut, whilst the BMW Plant in Dingolfing provides the rear axle differential. Front and rear wings, bonnet, roof, fenders and many other components are made of carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) produced in Landshut.

The end result is a vehicle with a kerb weight of 1,190 kg with a price tag of 315,000 Euros plus VAT (circa £250,000).

With an intended lifespan until at least 2015, what chance is there for a production GTS version to appear sometime in the future? Here’s hoping.

Technical specifications

Fear not though, DTM is back again this weekend from Lausitzring situated just 80 miles south of Berlin, whilst highlights of last weekend’s race from Hockenheimring can be viewed tomorrow (Saturday 5th May) on ITV4 and next week (8th & 9th May) on Sky Sports.

Lausitzring is typically a Mercedes-Benz circuit, with their drivers claiming twelve of the last fourteen pole positions and nine of the last twelve race wins at the circuit. However Audi were the dominant team last year, with Martin Tomczyk and Timo Scheider scoring a memorable one-two finish.

Meanwhile, for BMW, the race at Lausitzring this weekend will be a journey of discovery. Whilst all three BMW teams spent a few days testing there last year, this was quite early in the development of the BMW M3 DTM and the car has changed a lot since then.

Last weekend’s race winner, Gary Paffett, won there in 2005 and 2009, so he’s looking forward to another competitive race, “Our one-two result in the season opener at Hockenheim was a great start to the new era of the DTM,” said Paffett.

“We have a long season ahead of us, and we’ll be taking each race as it comes. The Lausitzring makes different demands from those we have to contend with at Hockenheim: the track is technically very demanding, with only one fast corner but several chicanes. It was clear in Hockenheim that our new DTM C-Coupé is very fast. Now, we aim to keep pushing and to improve our performance in qualifying.”

* * *

Race schedule and known TV coverage

To help you find your way, we’ve updated our TV listing to include the latest changes since last week. As before, to find out how to watch the broadcasts, take a look at our ‘How to watch it’ section below.

ITV4

ITV hold the rights to broadcast highlights of each race, with coverage delayed until a week after each live event (so far). The programming is filmed and produced by Whisper Films, the company founded by Harriet Humphrey, wife of BBC’s Formula One presenter Jake Humphrey.

Voice-over commentary is provided by none other than BTCC and F1 presenter, Louise Goodman, so you’re in safe and familiar hands.

You can keep an eye on the ITV website for any further details.

ESPN

If you’d like to watch the tyre-smoking action LIVE in the UK, then you’ll need to subscribe to ESPN, but that doesn’t mean you should expect live coverage of every race.

Coverage begins on Sunday 29th April on ESPN (CH.442 on Sky) from 10:30pm to 12:15am (Duration : 105 mins), with the race repeated on Monday 30th April at 8:15pm. However ESPN’s live coverage doesn’t kick-in until the Brands Hatch round on 20th May.

To gain access you’ll need to subscribe on either Virgin Media, Freeview, BT Vision or Sky. It will cost £9 extra a month for Sky Sports subscribers, or £12 extra a month for other Sky subscribers.

Sky Sports

If you are already a Sky Sports subscriber, then you can watch highlights of each DTM race on Sky Sports 3 and 4, but like ITV’s coverage, it is broadcast some 7-10 days after the live event.

Online coverage

If you don’t fancy forking out a minimum of £108 to watch each race in full on ESPN, then apart from the ITV4 highlights programme you’ll find additional coverage on dtm.tv and auditv.com.

The first highlights programme is now available on AudiTV, whilst you can also watch track previews from Lausitzring and interviews with the drivers over on DTM TV.

In Germany, the races are broadcast on ARD, n-tv and Sport1 – you can also catch video highlights and interviews (in German) on the Sport1 Mediencenter.

ARD is a public service broadcaster (just like the BBC), funded by German licence payers, and offers a ‘Livestream’ service on its website. You can then watch the livestream by accessing through a proxy server.

How to: (5 minute task) find a German proxy server address usinging http://hidemyass.com/proxy-list/. Copy down an IP address and Port No. Then open up your browser settings (in Chrome, go to Settings > Under the hood > Network (change proxy settings) > LAN settings > click the ‘Use a proxy server..’ checkbox > then enter the IP address and Port No of your proxy server. You should now be able to view the ‘live’ broadcast.

Don’t think you know his work? Well how about those amazing vehicles used in Disney’s movie, Tron Legacy – he designed those. Or the world’s fastest road car? Yeah, Daniel was a Senior Designer at Bugatti, so he spent a lot of time creating the form we now know as the Veyron.

In addition to complete vehicles Daniel also enjoys designing the livery of the most dramatic race cars, including last year’s F111 HRT and more recently the Lotus LMP2 challenger, run by former Hispania Racing Team Principal, Colin Kolles.

Staying faithful to both the legendary black and gold livery and the current Lotus Design, the Lotus LMP2 impresses with its functional simplicity.

“Racing is passion in every detail. One of them is how the car connects from the track to the fans. That’s the role of a livery. It’s how most people describe and remember a race car. Especially with Lotus. Endurance racing is amongst the most prestigious motorsport events, injected with a star-studded history, heroic tales and tragedies. It’s a dream coming true to be involved. We created a unique car. A beautiful Lotus,” said Simon.

He really is the master of sensationally dramatic vehicles and he makes you wonder what could be achieved if supplied with the kind of budget used to build a complete car.

* * *

Now he’s turned his hand to creating the official video for the Lotus LMP2 programme, filmed during the inaugural race of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

The Lotus LMP2 uses the new Lola B12/80 LMP2 Coupe as its base, powered by a 3.6-litre V8 Lotus engine and compliant with the new regulations for the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The car is fitted with an Xtrac gearbox with pneumatic paddle shift system and Carbon brakes with AP Racing six-piston callipers. The complete car, including engine, weighs just 900 kg.

The car, driven by Thomas Holzer, Mirco Shultis and Luca Moro, finished in 6th place in the LMP2 category and 10th overall at the team’s very first endurance race, so clearly it’s as fast on the track as it looks on the drawing board.

Photo credits: Lotus, Daniel Simon/Cosmic Motors

More information: Lotus LMP2 website

Gallery

According to correspondent Raymond Blancafort, Webber has already signed a pre-contractual agreement to drive for Ferrari in a one-year deal, providing the opportunity for Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez to join the team in 2014.

Webber’s contract with Red Bull runs out at the end of 2012 and he’s already said “he’d need something (else) competitive (to drive)” if Red Bull didn’t re-sign him for 2013.

The 35-year-old Aussie driver was overshadowed by his teammate Sebastian Vettel last year, but has begun the 2012 season in much stronger form.

Despite rumours that ‘Checo’ Pérez might step in at Ferrari as early as the Spanish GP this May, it’s thought that Ferrari would like him to gain more experience before being placed under the spotlight with Italy’s national racing team.

Whilst Checo’s courage and speed are in little doubt, Massa has not been far behind his teammate during 2012 in terms of pure lap times. With Webber, Ferrari would gain advantage of his experience, consistent results and that fact the he and Alonso already get on well.

Well, quite a lot actually. Like A1 GP, Superleague Formula became a siding for drivers who’d failed to reach Formula 1, but with over three-quarters of 2011 season events cancelled and no announcement yet for 2012, it’s surely time to use those hackneyed words, “They think it’s all over…it is now.”

So what’s a billionaire Russian oligarch to do? If you’re Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich then you get into bed with the happening F1 team of the moment, Sauber F1.

It’s not the first time Abramovich has been seen near a Formula 1 car – his super-yacht used to be a regular fixture outside Monaco’s harbour (during the grand prix), although whether he was actually watching any of the racing is unclear.

The joint press release from Sauber F1 and Chelsea FC this morning, talked of a “new and innovative partnership”, but I couldn’t see anything innovative beyond the obvious contra-branding deal and “..a focus on synergies and ways to enhance performance in business and sporting matters.”

..I’ve always welcomed Formula 1 as a haven away from  football, so let’s hope this move by Chelsea and Sauber doesn’t start a trend..

At the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this month, subtle Chelsea branding ‘Out of the blue’ featured on Sauber F1 team cars, and ‘True Blue’ continued the tease at the Bahrain race, which the Chelsea FC statement said “..left fans guessing as to its meaning.” Really? I can’t say I even noticed it.

Perhaps I’m just a luddite of ‘The Beautiful Game’, but I’ve always welcomed Formula 1 as a haven away from football, so let’s hope this move by Chelsea and Sauber doesn’t start a trend..

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay said: “This is an innovative partnership that will see a football club link up with an F1 team like never before, bringing together two of the world’s biggest sports and uniting our fans.

“We felt that this Swiss team, the fourth oldest of the existing teams, reflects our own ideals perfectly.

“In a year when Chelsea celebrates 20 seasons as a Premier League team, Sauber does so as an F1 team. We share many philosophies when it comes to how the respective organisations are run, from the development of young talent to constantly striving for success. Their philosophy towards grassroots development has produced some of the best drivers in F1, which mirrors our dedication to develop promising young football talent through our Academy.

“This partnership will benefit us both greatly, with the potential to create unique commercial opportunities. It is a shared vision to unite the two most attractive sports in the world.”

Monisha Kaltenborn, CEO of Sauber F1, added: “A partnership like this between Formula 1 and football has never existed before in this form, yet there are numerous commonalities and possible synergies. The Sauber F1 Team and Chelsea FC are dealing with many of the same sporting and commercial topics and we want to strengthen each other in these areas.”

Sauber F1 confirmed that both partners would “..feature the other partner’s logo and thus benefit from a significant market presence outside their original sport.” Chelsea FC will display the Sauber F1 Team logo at home matches on advertising boards at the stadium and on interview walls, whilst Sauber F1 will display Chelsea FC’s logo prominently on the side of both race cars.

The newly-liveried Sauber C31 will be seen for the first time at the Spanish Grand Prix, during the weekend of 11th – 13th May 2012.