The #88 Abu Dhabi Proton Racing claimed pole position for round four of the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship this weekend at Germany’s famed Nürburgring, as Patrick Long and Khaled Al Qubaisi clocked the quickest average in qualifying, heading a Porsche 1-2 in qualifying in the GTE-AM class. At the drop of the green flag on Sunday, Patrick Long converted pole into a sustained race lead through the duration of his stint. Unfortunately, when handing the car off to teammate David Heinemeier Hansson during a routine pit stop, a fire started in the pits, costing the #88 the lead. With just less than two hours left to race, Khaled Al Qubaisi had to pit the car after a collision with an LMP1 car, squelching the trio’s hopes for a second podium on the season. The trio were promoted to P4 post-race when the P3-finishing KCMG car was excluded due to a ride height infringement.
Long said, “There are days where you’re simply powerless. Today was such a day. We were strong and we gave it our best shot but we weren’t rewarded for it. It had nothing to do with the 911 RSR. The car was fantastic. We were again well supported by our team. But it doesn’t help: We have to put this disaster behind us as quickly as possible and focus all our energy on the next race in Mexico City.”
The WEC next races at the high-altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City on Saturday, September 3. Patrick is back in action this coming weekend, July 29-31 in his Pirelli World Challenge ride with Wright Motorsports.
