Small problems limited Corvette in FP1

Corvette Racing didn’t have a perfect start to FIA World Endurance Championship weekend at Sebring International Raceway.

The extra car that the North American team put in the FIA WEC race, in parallel with their participation in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, had some small problems in the first training. But it didn’t make Jan Magnussen worry. He will share the car with Antonio Garcia and Mike Rockenfeller.

“It was just some small problems. The one driving in Shanghai was the reserve car, and there were some minor issues. It drove in the rain last time and had since been completely torn apart and put together again. It wasn’t something that mattered, and it drove well on the laps that Antonio managed to drive.”

Corvette Racing #63
Photo: JJ Media

It was only Garcia who managed to drive 23 laps in the car, and it wasn’t what they planned to do.

“Rocky (Rockenfeller, ed.) should’ve been in the car before the finish, but due to the problems – we used too much time in the pits – so he didn’t make it to the car.”

It will, however, be different later today, when they’ll do FP2, which will be run in the twilight and evening. All the drivers have to drive in the dark before the race.

“I’m pretty sure that all of us have to drive night qualifying, so we’ll drive our evening laps. We didn’t actually have to do it, since we’ve had done many laps here in the dark (his face broke into a huge grin), but rules are rules.”

Jan Magnussen
Photo: JJ Media

It’s not only the three drivers who will work on overtime this weekend. But so will the mechanics. Will there be the same mechanics on both  #63 in FIA WEC and #3 in IMSA for the entire week?

“In the race yes. But in the practices up until then, there are two different crews who coordinate with each other. It’s a completely separate (from the two IMSA teams, ed.). The IMSA teams are so sharp at pitstops. They’re fast, so we’ll be using the same race crew.”

Magnussen, Garcia and Rockenfeller will be busy Thursday evening, as well as Friday, where there will be IMSA practice and quali respectively – while on Friday there will be IMSA practice, quali, as well as the FIA WEC race. Furthermore, the three drivers have lots of PR work for Corvette and their sponsors, plus a Corvette Corral club is present at the track, which they also have to visit.

It will be the 21st time that Jan Magnussen is driving in the 12 Hours race at Sebring, which is the most number from the drivers in the field. There are however still seven races more to match the record at 28th, which belongs to Hurley Haywood.

So, we wonder if Jan is looking forward to finally relax at Saturday after the race? Not really. There will be two hours of Formula 1 race in Australia where the son is driving…

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