INTERNATIONALS ENJOYING THE CHALLENGE OF THE BEND

Internationals enjoying the challenge of The Bend – Photo: InSyde Media

Today will see the inaugural running of the 4 Hours of The Bend when the Asian Le Mans Series, marking the first time an international car racing series has raced on the full 7.77km circuit at the South Australian venue.

By DAN McCARTHY

The majority of the international field who compete in the series had never seen the track previously and have been impressed with the difficult layout circuit through practice and qualifying.

Amongst the field are famous names including two former Formula 1 drivers, Rio Haryanto and Roberto Merhi. While GT drivers Davide Rigon, Alessandro Pier Guidi and Harry Tincknell are a couple of other noticeable names.

A number of these drivers gave Auto Action their opinions on the great challenge of the second-longest permanent circuit globally.

Merhi the 13-time Grand Prix starter with the Manor Marussia F1 Team feels the track is truly unique.

”I think it is a really nice circuit to be honest, since yesterday when I drove the track I think it has been an amazing track because you have corners that you don’t have at other tracks,” he told Auto Action.

“It is always nice to have these kind of corners, blind and things like that and I think that is mega for me the track is really, really nice.

“It is a challenge for everybody, it is a nice track and difficult to get it right and because there are so many corners it is easy to make a mistake.”

Fellow former Manor driver Haryanto agreed, the Indonesian F1 driver found it a challenge to learn the track.

“This is quite a unique track a lot of corners compared with other tracks where normally the amount of corners is 20 and this is 35,” Haryanto said.

“It was quite challenging to memorise the track before coming. It is very challenging and very tough in the way that there’s not much run off area.”

In Qualifying Haryanto had a number of spins which he felt was due to pushing the limits with limited running in practice.

“I had a few mistakes, I didn’t know how much the car could take, I think the same for everyone, some of the drivers were pushing to the limits and making slight mistakes.

Ben Barnicoat who took pole position – Photo: InSyde Media

Ben Barnicoat who took pole for this afternoon’s race believes lack of run off is what makes the track so good.

“Great circuit, a lot of different types of comers, some quite classic ones but some with a lot of camber, very high speed sections I really, really enjoyed it,” Barnicoat told AA.

“A great mix of high speed, medium speed and low speed, so very much enjoying it.

“The thing I enjoy the most, to be honest, is the grass run off, none of this track limits, I’ve done the good lap, got pole and I’m rewarded for it, whereas if that had been track in Europe you wonder if they ran wide and gained a little bit of an advantage.”

Former Superleague Formula Champion and current World Endurance Championship Ferrari driver Rigon explained to AA that a GT car is very physical challenge to deal with around The Bend.

“It will be very difficult in the race to overtake and to follow the other cars and it is also a very tough track physically in GT,” he said.

“Because it is warm but not really that because you are always doing something, working a lot with the steering wheel, we are fighting.”

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