After a qualifying with ups and downs, ‘Team Deutsche Post by tolimit’ drivers Sean Edwards and Jeroen Bleekemolen achieved 3rd and 4th place at the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland season starter in Hockenheim. With regard to the mixed weather conditions, the team kept its nerves in the tyre choice and stayed on slicks, while many competitors calculated with rain showers.
Obviously, ‘Team Deutsche Post by tolimit’ had calculated that it would face some setup issues at the first race of the season. However, that the party into May Day would become “working into May Day” was not to be foreseen. Due to some technical issues with the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, e. g. the team made three engine changes at Sean Edward’s car alone. In free practice and qualifying, both the Brit as well as his team mate Jeroen Bleekemolen experienced some errors in the engine control unit. However, together with Porsche, the team was able to solve all issues throughout the weekend.
‘Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit‘ driver, Sean Edwards, clinched second place at the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season finale in Monza as teammate Sascha Maassen clawed back four places to end 12th, leaving the outfit in fourth overall for the 2010 Team Championship.
Starting the day’s action in fifth from the grid, Edwards put in a sterling display on the 5.7 kms long ‘Autodromo Nazionale’ to clinch his second podium finish in as many races. “The car was really great in qualifying. Position two or three would have easily been possible. Unfortunately, I was held up in both of my fast laps,” said the enigmatic Briton.
Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit’ driver, Sean Edwards of Great Britain, snatched his first official Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race win at Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps, as veteran team-mate Sascha Maassen was forced to retire with technical failure. The team’s Abu Dhabi driver, Khaled Al Qubaisi, put in a consistent performance on the demanding track to finish 23rd.
Edwards left no doubt about his target for the weekend after a sterling qualifying run saw the 23-year-old set his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in Abu Dhabi livery on pole: “It was not a perfect lap, but enough for pole.”
After typical weather conditions in the Eifel – temperatures of only 16 degrees Celsius, dense fog, and heavy rain – caused a postponement of the Porsche Carrera Cup race from the morning into the afternoon, Sean Edwards and Sascha Maassen both successfully sustained their starting positions 2 and 4 under dry, but still difficult conditions.
Once again, qualifying was the key to success. Both Sean Edwards as well as Sascha Maassen, cut right to the chase on Saturday. Sean Edwards: “This was my best qualifying result in Porsche Carrera Cup so far. It was not a perfect lap, but enough for the front row.” After a proper start, the 23-year-old was at first able to compete with the leading pilot Armindo, however, due to his understeering car slightly fell back later on: “In the end of the race, I had a few duels with Uwe Alzen, however, managed to hold him behind. I am pretty satisfied with the result.”
It was a successful weekend for the Lohne-based team as Sean Edwards finished second at the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race in Budapest. In addition, Sascha Maassen caught up two positions to finish ninth and Khaled Al Qubaisi finished 14th, notching up three championship points due to a guest starter in front of him.
The race at the 4.381kms Hungaroring was dominated by a severe race accident causing a long safety car phase, with six cars retiring from competition. With outside temperatures of 30 degrees and track temperatures of 40 degrees, all remaining drivers had to stand sauna-like conditions in the cars during the slow laps.
