Enzo Ide unrewarded for strong performance in the streets of Baku
Blancpain | 2.11.14 | Aktuálně
Blancpain Endurance Series
The Blancpain Sprint Series season has come to an end. For its finale the European sprint championship headed off to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, an exotic location where Enzo Ide was out to prove his worth. For the WRT Audi driver the weekend was to have its highs and lows, where a brilliant strategy was combined with a fair amount of speed on the circuit. In the qualifying race the West-Flanders based driver clinched a fourth place, but then saw how his teammate René Rast damaged the car in the main race and had to park it alongside the track.
Apart from its beautiful décor the Baku street race retains an important feature: the walls are very close to the edge and the slightest mistake can be fatal. “I was also here last year at the start and this circuit offers up an enormous challenge”, Ide commented during the parade organised on Friday in Azerbaijan’s capital. “But then a strong result is even more satisfying.”
On Saturday Enzo Ide and René Rast opted for a different strategy. The German driver took the first part of the qualifying session, following which Ide then took over the wheel.
Enzo Ide: “The session did not turn out as was expected, because just as René (Rast) was in the throws of completing his fast lap another competitor crashed and the session was definitively halted. Due to heavy traffic I was unable to make full use of the car’s potential and we had to content ourselves with a twentieth place on the starting grid.”
Following a sensible start, during which Ide decided to brake early and so take advantage of the chaos in the first bend, he brought the Audi R8 LMS ultra in to the pits in sixteenth position. On fresh rubber René Rast was able to take advantage of a free track to make up the difference.
Enzo Ide: “All of a sudden our car appeared to be holding fifth place. So our strategy had worked and we can be proud of that. My teammate moved up into third place, but then an engine problem brought us back down. We still managed fourth place, however the engine needed to be swapped and as such we were obliged to take the start of the main race from the back of the grid.”
Rast gave it his all, but his catch-up race was brought to an end following an accident with another competitor.
Enzo Ide: “I truly felt that this weekend we would be able to fight it out for victory, but luck always plays a major role. All in all it was a great season with the victory in Zandvoort as the highlight, and I wish to take this opportunity to truly thank René (Rast) and WRT Audi. Thanks to them this has been an unforgettable season!”
Results, calendar and pictures on: www.enzoide.be
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