Mike Rockenfeller - Silverstone win

Mike Rockenfeller notched a perfect race weekend with a class pole position,
fastest race lap and victory in the May 15 FIA GT Championship race at the
Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, England. Rockenfeller, of Monaco,
and Marc Lieb of Ludwigsburg, Germany, lead the series GT2 standings with
two wins and three podium finishes in three starts this season.

 

Rockenfeller qualified the No. 66 GruppeM Racing Porsche 996 GT3 RSR on the
class pole with a lap of one minute 20.572 seconds on the 3.624-km course.
He drove the first stint of the three-hour race, passing a GT1 car on the
first lap to open a seven-second gap over the second-place GT2 car of his
GruppeM teammates. His second lap was the quickest GT2 lap of the race
(1:21.483). Lieb drove next and increased the lead to 17 seconds with a fast
pit stop and a strong stint. Rockenfeller returned for the final stint and
held the class lead to the checkered flag.

 

"At the start, it was pretty close. I took quite a lot of risk to overtake a
Saleen on the first lap because I knew it would help to get a little gap
between me and the other [GT2] car. We had a really good pit stop - the
mechanics did a great job and we gained five seconds," Rockenfeller
reported. "The other [GruppeM] car had a problem with a broken water line.
When I went out for the final stint, I knew I didn't have to push anymore,
just bring it home. I did a couple of good laps, but when there was traffic,
I didn't take any risks."

 

Rockenfeller noted the No. 66 Porsche will carry maximum penalty weight of
50 kilograms in the next race, a consequence of its early success this
season. "We will have the maximum of 50 kilos, 35 kilos more than the other
car, so it will be very hard for the next race," he said. "Of course, it's a
good feeling to win, but it's still a long season. There are still eight
races to go. The key race will be Spa[-Francorchamps, in Belgium] because
you get double points. We just have to finish every race and keep on
pushing."