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On Friday evening, there was an air of nervousness around the Aston Martin Racing team garage at the Bahrain International Circuit, which played host to the final round of the 2013 World Endurance Championship. |
After all, the Banbury-based outfit was leading as many as five championship standings, including the all-important overall manufacturer's standings.
By the time the sun set yesterday, the loud noise from the passing cars was almost music which cut through the eerie silence that had filled the space.
A mysterious tyre trouble hit Aston Martin Racing hard enough to throw their party plans for a toss. And if that wasn't enough, the team also suffered an engine failure for the first time this season, which took out both the LMGTE PRO cars.
Going into yesterday's race, Aston Martin Racing was leading the overall manufacturers' title.
The Banbury-based (United Kingdom) team, with its four Gulf-lubricated and liveried cars, were leading the LMGTE Manufacturers’ World Cup with 232.5 points but, with Ferrari in second place on 215 points and Porsche in third on 199.5 points, it was too close to call.
At the end of it all, it was the two Ferrari 458 Italias who were doing a victory lap around the circuit having won the overall manufacturer's title and also the PRO team and driver's championship.
Gianmaria Bruni won the 2013 GT Endurance Cup Driver's Championship after he and his #51 teammate Toni Vilander won the LMGTE PRO race at the Sakhir circuit.
Jorg Bergmeister and Patrick Pilet were second in the #91 Porsche with Kamui Kobayashi driving in third in the second Ferrari along with teammate Giancarlo Fisichella.
There was some consolation for the Aston Martin Racing with Stuart Hall and Jamie Cambell-Walter winning the 2013 LMGTE Amateur Drivers title in their #96 Vantage V8 GTE despite a low sixth place finish.
They were, however, aided by a win yesterday by the #95 Aston Martin team of Nicki Thiim, Kristian Poulsen and Christoffer Nygaard.
Earlier in the race, the #97 Aston Martin PRO, which was being driven by Stefan Mucke and Darren Turner and was leading the team and drivers' standings in the professional category, was mysteriously eating into their tyres slowing them down to hand the early advantage to the Ferraris and the Porsches.
The problem, however, was not very evident on the other three Aston Martin cars on the track.
But it was the fast-losing speed and the eventual engine failure 109 laps into the race that brought down the curtains on the campaign of Turner and Mucke.
The problem raised its head again 36 laps later with #99 PRO car, which was being driven by Bruno Senna, Pedro Lamy and Richie Stanaway.
The two retirements mean a very busy winter ahead for the folks at the factory.