For someone who won the prestigious 24 hour race at the Nürburgring and then a week later at his home Grand Prix in Monaco celebrated a fantastic victory from pole position, it was justifiable that he also planned to win his next race. Sadly, this wasn’t to be the case for Sean Edwards and his ‘Deutsche Post by Project 1’ team at the Red Bull Ring in Styria in Austria.
At first everything ran to plan. In free practice in the pouring rain, Edwards finished in first place in his yellow Porsche. In the ensuing qualifying session in dry conditions, Sean Edwards qualified in 4th place for the first race and 3rd place for the second. The two rookies, Jeffrey Schmidt and Sean Johnston had to get used to the new track. Jeffrey Schmidt achieved 12th place and 18th place and Sean Johnston 16th place and 20th place for the first and second races respectively.
The first race on Saturday started just like qualifying. From 4th position on the grid Sean Edwards had good prospects and, after a good drive, finished the race on the podium in 3rd place. “I wasn`t fast enough in the first five laps and after that I couldn’t make up the gap to the cars at the front. 3rd place is ok and the points are good for the team”, said Edwards, who has made Monaco his adopted home, about his first race in Austria.
The wet second race on Sunday was, however, a big disappointment. “The race was a disaster. Unfortunately, Nicki Thiim forced me into a spin with an unnecessary manoeuvre and after that I just drove behind. The car was damaged and undriveable. To finish in 13th place can’t really be called damage limitation and the big winner of the weekend was Thiim’s team mate, Kévin Estre. It’ll be really difficult to catch him in the championship now, but I’ll do everything I can to win as many races as possible this year”, summed up a disappointed Sean Edwards.
For Jeffrey Schmidt, the weekend in Austria similarly contained highs and lows. On Saturday, a great performance saw him take 10th place and finish, as hoped, within the top ten. On Sunday, a collision sadly ended his race. “Unfortunately, we didn’t have optimal timing in respect of the tyre choice, so in the first race I had to start a long way back. But I really enjoyed the race and I made my way up to 10th place. It was great”, said the euphoric rookie after a great performance on Saturday. A day later, things looked very different: “In the second race, straight after the start the tie rod was bent and the car was undriveable. I still tried and pushed hard but I was in 12th place and was also touched by Nicki Thiim so I unfortunately had to give up the race.”
The American Sean Johnston, who was racing for the first time at the Red Bull Ring, praised his technicians first and foremost. “I’m really pleased with the great work of my team. Just 10 days after the serious crash at the Nürburgring, they put a perfect car at my disposal. It’s a fantastic performance and tells me, yet again, that I’m driving with the right team.” Johnston took part in both races with the principle of ‘learn, learn, learn’ in mind. “The first race in the dry was really exciting and I had a lot of fun. We had some great overtaking manoeuvres and I learnt quickly and learnt a lot in my fight with the other drivers”, Johnston analysed his races. He explained “The mixed conditions on Sunday were new for me. During the race, the track got dryer and dryer and the tyres were worn down. I’m pleased with 15th place and 1 point. Now there’s a two week break and a chance to catch our breath and after that I’m looking forward to the Lausitzring”.
On the long journey home to North Germany, ‘Team Deutsche Post by Project 1’ will be stopping off at the Lausitzring. The team and the drivers will be using this test as preparation for the next two races in the Porsche Carrera Cup on 15th and 16th June. Up to now the Eurospeedway Lausitz has always been a good plaster for the ‘yellows’ from Lohne.
A little bit of peace can finally descend this weekend. Team boss Paul Schlotmann and his troupe have now been on the road for five races without a break. “It definitely wasn’t a perfect weekend for us and the constant highs and lows put a strain on body and soul. The boys and I are pleased to have a couple of days less stress and strain. But we’ll be well prepared for the Lausitzring and we’ll be on the attack again. It’s time for the first win for Project 1 in the Porsche Carrera Cup.
News and background information about the races and about Project 1 can be found on the website and on Facebook.
Racing calendar – Porsche Carrera Cup Germany:
Lausitzring 16.06.2013
Norisring 14.07.2013
Nürburgring 18.08.2013
Oschersleben 15.09.2013
Zandvoort 29.09.2013
Hockenheim II 20.10.2013
This weekend, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup made a guest appearance in Monaco. The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most famous motorsport races in the world. The drivers in the one-make cup have to contend with the most difficult of conditions. Narrow bends, road markings and uneven surfaces create a unique challenge for both the drivers and the cars. With a sensational victory from pole position, “Team Allyouneed by Project 1” driver Sean Edwards proved his driving abilities and crossed the finish line with a lead of 20.323 seconds over the second placed Kuba Giermaziak. “An unbelievable performance!” beamed the current championship leader. “I had a perfect car. Thanks to Kosta and the whole team. The set up was super. We couldn’t have put in a better performance than we did. It’s been the best week of my life. First victory in the 24 hour at the Nürburgring on Monday and now victory in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Monaco. Now we’re going to celebrate!”
A second highlight of the weekend was the encounter between the two rally drivers, Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier. Both made appearances as guest drivers in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Sébastien Ogier won the prestigious battle driving for “Team Allyouneed by Project 1”, finishing in 13th place, three places in front of his namesake, Sébastien Loeb, who finished in 16th place. The French driver summed up his first race in the Porsche: “It was great and I really enjoyed the race in Monaco. At first I was a bit worried about the start, but there were no problems. I haven’t made any mistakes this weekend and I’m really pleased with my first race in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup”.
The American junior driver in Paul Schlotmann’s team finished his first street race in the principality in 20th place: “It was a difficult day. After the hairpin bend I made contact with another driver. I therefore had to finish the race with a damaged car. Unfortunately, that’s the second time this season. I hope the next race will be better. But driving in Monaco is great. The atmosphere here is unbelievable.” concluded the Rookie, Sean Johnston, as he gained further incisive experience in his fledgling motorsport career.
For the team from Lohne, next weekend means changing cars and then full steam ahead to Austria and the Red-Bull-Ring in Spielberg. The next race in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup will be at the end of June at Silverstone.
Current news and background information about the race and Project 1 can be found on the Project 1 website and on facebook, or on the partner website racecam.de.
Racing calendar – Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup:
Monaco 26.05.2013
Silverstone 30.06.2013
Nürburgring 07.07.2013
Budapest 28.07.2013
Spa-Francorchamps 25.08.2013
Monza 08.09.2013
Abu Dhabi 03.11.2013
For the 41st running of the toughest race on earth, Black Falcon, the privately owned local team from Meuspath took on the world’s biggest racing teams and Won! A monumental achievement for all those involved, in some of the most difficult racing conditions imaginable.
What a difference one year can make. In May 2012, the Black Falcon team started the 24 Hour race at Nürburgring with high hopes of victory. Having qualified in 3rd position, the team tasted bitter disappointment after the car was crashed following a high-speed tyre puncture on the fourth lap. Now one year later, that bitterness has been replaced by the sweet taste of success. A whole year in planning. Is what it took from the entire team including all the partners, drivers, team members and sponsors. With three SLS AMG GT3’s and two Porsche cup cars entered, the build up to this race, left the team with no time to spare. The start of the racing season was blighted by poor weather. Heavy snow and freezing conditions meant the first race and test days were cancelled. Leaving little time and fewer opportunities to make the final set up and preparation for the cars.
With two test days and two VLN races, the team worked alongside their partners: Dunlop, Bilstein, Pagid and AMG, to get the best working combination of tyres, dampers, brakes and chassis, to produce the number one performing car in the field. With this combined effort and many late nights the Black Falcon team worked tirelessly to have all the cars ready to go for the 24 our race.
For the 2013 entry, Black Falcon entered with car number 9, one of the strongest driver combinations in the field. Five times DTM champion and one of the living legends of Motor racing, Bernd Schneider, teamed up with his Dubai race winning team mates and Carrera Cup super stars, Sean Edwards, Jeroen Bleekemolen and new for 2013 Nicki Thiim. In car number 10, Andrii Lebed, Harri Proczyk and Dennis Rostek, making a second strong entry, joined Andreas Simonsen. For the third entry, sporting the number 63, Christian Bracke and 24-hour Nürburgring first timer, Khaled Al Qubaisi and their Pro driver, Daniel Keilwitz, joined Vimal Mehta.
After a washout on the Friday practice sessions, Saturday saw the sun come out over the Eifel and all three cars breeze into the Top 40 qualifying sessions. Andreas Simonsen topped the time sheets in both Qualifying 1 and 2. With the order of the Top 40 qualifying being decided by lottery, it was to the misfortune of Sean Edwards in car number 9 that he should get stuck behind slower traffic and therefore miss out on taking a place on the front row. Not that is would have mattered anyhow as the car 9 would also have to serve a five grid penalty for a yellow flag infringement in qualifying 1, meaning that Sean would start the race in P11. For Simonsen in car 10, a fantastic lap saw them taking P9 against some of the best teams and drivers in GT racing. For Keilwitz in car 63, in his first race in the SLS a respectable P17.
With the race starting unusually at 5pm on Sunday and the weather predicted 24 hours of rain, the teams were all happy to set off from the start line under dry conditions. However, for car 9 stating in P11 the challenge was going to be tough. With the Audi’s, Aston Martin and BMW steaming ahead from the start line, the Black Flacon number 9 was quickly losing time to the leaders and by the first pit stops already had a mountain to climb!
Sadly for Simonsen in Car 10 after a great start, had contact with a SEAT and damaged the right rear axle. Limping back to the pits where the Black Falcon mechanics worked furiously to have the car back on track, having lost only 6 laps. A great job by the team, but sadly now putting a podium finish well out of reach. The drivers would now be fighting to keep some pride and get into the top 20!
Meanwhile, Car 9 and 63 continued the battle on track. With Schneider at the wheel, the team moved in and out of the top 5 as the teams made their pit stops, and soon into early evening the rain started. By the time Bleekemolen took over the deluge had begun and cars were crashing off the track all over the place. Conditions continued to worsen with fog sitting on the track and soon after 11 pm the race organisers took the decision to temporarily stop the race. For car 9 this was a shame, as Bernd Schneider was now cutting his way back through the field to make up some to of the lost time from the opening stages of the race, the new Dunlop rain tyres, proving to be unbeatable in these conditions. However, this was to be cut short and the race would not start again until 8am the following day.
During the break, the cars were quickly cleaned up and made ready for the restart, unusually giving the drivers and team members some time to sleep. However with the race clock still ticking, time was getting short for Black Falcon to get to the front.
With great relief the race restarted at 8am and all three SLS were on track in what was still a very wet race. In conditions like these, the drivers had to be extra cautious to avoid getting involved in any accident, but for car 9 this was not the time to be too careful. There was a race to be won and Bernd Schneider had a point to prove. With the full Dunlop rain tyre working at its best, Schneider set the fastest laps in the field and pushed the car into the top 3. A driving stint that saw the team have their hearts in their mouths on many occasions. Soon Edwards took over and proved he too could be the fastest man on track. Car 63 in the hands of Nürburgring 24 hour first timer, Khaled Al Qubaisi taking the restart had crept its way into the top 20. Vimal Mehta took over for a clean stint before handing the car over to Christian Bracke.
Sadly for car 10, a technical issue saw the car stopping on track leaving no chance for a top 20 finish. The team did manage to get the car restarted and safely back into the pits.
By midday on Monday, with the rain easing and the track beginning to dry, car 9 moved onto the superior Dunlop cut slick. Demonstrating the great set up, fantastic strategy and awesome driving skills, car 9 was soon leading the field.
With careful planning and a little bit of luck the Black Falcon pit wall team chose a strategy that would allow them to make one less pit stop than their competitors. By the final stint with a four-minute lead, Sean Edwards was able to adopt a fuel saving mode and despite the hard charging Z4 from Marc VDS, Edwards was able to cruise to the finish line.
Finally all five Black Falcon cars finished the 24h Nurburgring race, the two Cup Porsche finished in the upper places in the strong SP7 class. No scratches or dents, only tires, fuel and brakes were used by the Porsche drivers, which have done a real zero-mistake-job under extreme conditions.
Winning the Nürburgring 24hrs has been the dream for all those involved with Black Falcon. The emotions ran high as this; the ultimate goal of winning was deservedly achieved. Giving Mercedes their first ever 24hr win at Nürburgring. A success like this is only possible, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Black Falcon team. Most especially mechanics, but also, the strategic planning on the pit wall, the support from Dunlop, Bilstein, Pagid and of course AMG, their team, and the all dominating GT3 car they have built.
After the strong opening race in Hockenheim, the Project 1 Team was aiming high this weekend. But at 12.45pm, as the chequered flag marked the end of the third race in the Porsche Carrera Cup in the Eifel, it was clear that this race would not be going down in the annals of racing sport history at ‘Team Deutsche Post by Project 1’.
The weekend started out really well. In free training with P2, directly after in Qualifying Sean Edwards put in the quickest lap. But for reasons which are not yet clear, the subsequent technical inspection revealed that there was too little fuel in the tank. The result was the same for two of the three Project 1 drivers, for Sean Johnston’s car also had less than the minimum permitted 2 litres remaining. Accordingly, the cars of the two Seans were put back three positions on the grid. Unfortunately Jeffrey Schmidt could also not go maximum speed with a defective car. The Project 1 trio therefore started the four laps of the Nordschleife from P4 with Sean Edwards, P17 with the Swiss driver Jeffrey Schmidt, and from P18 with the 22 year old Sean Johnston.
From the start, the race was strongly fought and during the 4 x 25 km laps, Sean Edwards battled hard with Norbert Siedler. However, in the last lap, Edwards had to admit defeat and finished the race in a disappointing sixth place. “I’m not happy with the race at all. I could definitely have done better. We didn’t have the right speed and the engine wasn’t giving full power. During the race I had a lot of oversteer and understeer, and I hardly had a chance against the others. Others will have to judge Norbert Siedler’s overtaking manoeuvre in the last lap, but from my point of view it was clearly too risky.” said a disappointed Sean Edwards, who subsequently took the wheel in the 24 hour race.
The Swiss driver Jeffrey Schmidt finished his Porsche Carrera Cup Nordschleife debut in 13th place. “I had a good start and there was a fair bit of traffic in the first lap. I can live with 13th place and a couple of points, but the experience counts here as well, and I’ve still got a lot to learn.” Jeffrey Schmidt is also taking part in the following Nürburgring highlight, the 24 hour race, again driving a 911.
The race was less successful for the American, Sean Johnston. It was also his first Carrera Cup race in the “Green Hell”, and one that he definitely won’t be looking back at with fond memories. He started in 18th position and had a real battle for position in an attempt to progress further forward. Eventually, his race finished in the crash barrier, following an accident. “I’m really disappointed about the race and the accident. I was definitely hoping for more but I have to take responsibility for the situation. There was an accident and a car spun in front of me. I tried to avoid it and for a brief moment I was careless and didn’t concentrate properly. It was a small mistake that immediately resulted in me finishing up in the barrier at Nordschleife.” The 22 year old complained about rib pain after the accident, and was taken to hospital for a check-up. “I took a hefty blow to my side but the x-rays showed that there’s nothing broken and there are no serious injuries. I’m ok and I’ll be fit for the next race again.” said the ambitious driver, who has made Dinklage into his adopted home.
‘Team Deutsche Post by Project 1’ will be travelling to the forthcoming Porsche Carrera Cup racing weekend in Austria in third place in the team championship. Sean Edwards, currently second in the drivers’ championship, will be looking to attack at the RedBull Ring. “It’s time for the first victory with Project 1. In Austria, I want to get to the top of the leader board” said the determined Sean Edwards.
For the technicians from Lohne, there is no time to catch their breath. On Whit Monday in Lohne, the equipment from the Porsche Carrera Cup will be adapted ready for the Porsche Supercup. There has to be a seamless transition from the Porsche Supercup in Monaco to the RedBull Ring in Austria, so all the Project 1 911s have to be prepared and ready for departure on this coming Wednesday. For the logistics experts, the lorry drivers and the technicians it will be a logistics challenge and there’ll be no chance to take a break. The Porsche Carrera Cup races at the RedBull Ring will be taking place on 1st and 2nd June.
In the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in the principality of Monaco, alongside the two fixed drivers, Sean Edwards and Sean Johnston, there will be a third car with a high-class driver to marvel at. The race in Monaco will take place on 26th May.
Current news and background information about the race and Project 1 can be found on the Project 1 website and on facebook.
Racing calendar – Porsche Carrera Cup Germany:
Spielberg 02.06.2013
Lausitzring 16.06.2013
Norisring 14.07.2013
Nürburgring 18.08.2013
Oschersleben 15.09.2013
Zandvoort 29.09.2013
Hockenheim II 20.10.2013
With the first race in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Barcelona, the Project 1 team demonstrated, with a successful weekend, what people can expect this year.
From free training right up to the chequered flag, everything ran to plan for the team based round team boss Paul Schlotmann and engineer Konstantin Kotitsas. “We had a clear strategy for the whole weekend. From Friday to Sunday, the whole team worked with the new conditions meticulously and intensively, to make sure Sean Edwards and Sean Johnston had a perfect car. The plan worked. To start the season with a win in the first race is fantastic. A huge well done and thanks to everybody.”, said team boss Paul Schlotmann.
With pole position and a clear lead of 0.492 seconds separating him from the driver starting in second position, even in Qualifying Sean Edwards left the competition trailing behind him. Sean Johnston finished his first Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Qualifying in 19th position but was 1.512 seconds behind his mentor Sean Edwards, which was a good result for the rookie.
The mission to take first place continued on Sunday. In blazing sunshine in Barcelona, 25 drivers began the race in the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup type 991. Sean Edwards controlled the race from the start and was delighted to win after leading from the start. “I’m so happy to have won the first race. The Project 1 team gave me a perfect car. I had to push in the first three laps, but eventually I controlled everything and could even preserve the car towards the end. Thanks to my team for the perfect work and I’m really looking forward to the upcoming race in my home, Monaco.” said the winner.
At the back of the field, the 14 laps were considerably more exciting and a lot more suspense-packed. The second ‘Team Allyouneed by Project 1’ driver, Sean Johnston, had promised himself his first points, but a bad collision meant he was no longer able to attack. “After a good start, I wanted to push forward as quickly as possible, but in the eighth bend of the first lap I had a severe collision with another driver. The car was left pretty battered and was really difficult to drive. In the following laps I just tried to finish the race and to hold my position. For me, it was a worthwhile weekend that I can build on for future races. I’m looking forward to Monaco.”
The success is also due to the hard work of the organisers who work behind the scenes at Project 1. Over the winter, various packages have been developed and tied up with partners and sponsors. This year, we are grateful for the support and help of partners such as the online supermarket Allyouneed and the American berry and fruit firm Driscoll’s. We’re looking forward to a successful season in 2013.
The next race will take the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup teams to the principality of Monaco. Amid breath-taking scenery, the 911s will race through the maze of houses in the harbour town. Project 1 will again be striving for first place.
Current news and background information about the race and Project 1 can be found on the Project 1 website and on facebook, or on the partner website racecam.de.
Race calendar – Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup:
Monaco 26.05.2013
Silverstone 30.06.2013
Nürburgring 07.07.2013
Budapest 28.07.2013
Spa-Francorchamps 25.08.2013
Monza 08.09.2013
Abu Dhabi 03.11.2013
