Jaminet on Corvette/BMW clash: "I could see it coming"
Porsche driver Mathieu Jaminet says he could predict the late clash between the leading Corvette and BMW cars that handed WeatherTech Racing an underdog victory in the Sebring 12 Hours' GT Le Mans battle.
Jaminet was the main beneficiary when the Corvette C8.R of Antonio Garcia and the BMW M8 GTE of Connor de Phillippi came to blows following the eighth and final restart of the second round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
De Phillippi, who had previously passed Jaminet's Proton Competition-run WeatherTech Porsche 911 RSR-19, caught up with Garcia and tried to force the issue at Turn 7 with just five minutes left on the clock, with the two cars coming together.
Jaminet had to take evasive action to avoid collecting De Phillippi, but was able to snatch the lead and was left with a clear run to the chequered flag when the BMW driver earned a penalty for causing the collision.
It meant the WeatherTech squad of Jaminet, Matt Campbell and Cooper MacNeil, the only non-factory car in the GTLM field, took victory in just its second outing following a disastrous debut in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
"I could see that the BMW sent it up the inside of Turn 7, and there was some contact," Jaminet told NBCSN while recalling the crucial final moments. "I had a feeling that somehow it was coming, the #25 car [de Phillippi] was pretty much on fire towards the end, so we were in the right place at the right time.
"It was lucky I could avoid it, I went off on the grass on the left to avoid the 25, otherwise it would have been a nice T-bone! We made it, and super-happy for the team, Cooper and everybody at Porsche."
MacNeil had two new teammates for Sebring in the form of Jaminet and Campbell, having raced in the season-opening Rolex 24 with Gianmaria Bruni, Richard Lietz and Kevin Estre.
That race ended almost before it had even started for the WeatherTech crew following a bizarre start-line accident between Estre and the BMW of Bruno Spengler, but MacNeil's fortunes turned around for only his second outing in the GTLM class.
"I wouldn’t be here without WeatherTech and Porsche, so big thanks to those two and Proton Competition for an amazing racecar," said MacNeil. "These two guys [Jaminet and Campbell] drove their butts off the entire race up until the last lap.
"As we saw here last year, when we were leading with 20 minutes to go [in the Scuderia Corsa-run Ferrari in the GT Daytona class] and got taken out, anything can happen, especially on the last lap. Thrilled to get my first GTLM race win and in my second GTLM race win ever."
#79 WeatherTech Racing Porsche 911 RSR - 19, GTLM: Mathieu Jaminet, Matt Campbell, Cooper MacNeil
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
Related video
Bourdais reveals late scare on way to Sebring victory
Action Express "dug our own hole" at Sebring, admits Nasr
The British pair at the heart of Lexus's sportscar push
Have you heard the one about two British guys driving for a Japanese manufacturer in America’s top sportscar series? Time to sit down and talk with Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat about racing across the pond… and your accent being mistaken for Australian!
Why Peugeot couldn't afford to take a Le Mans gamble in 2022
Ahead of the much-anticipated arrival of its new 9X8 Hypercar, Peugeot revealed that it would not be entering this year's Le Mans 24 Hours with its incoming machinery. Although development restrictions for homologated cars are partially responsible, the French marque can draw on its own lessons from its history in sportscars
Why the GTP name undermines convergence between IMSA and WEC
OPINION: The adoption by IMSA of the GTP name for its forthcoming LMDh versus Le Mans Hypercar era in 2023 appeals to fans of nostalgia - but it undermines the commonality achieved by bringing its rulebook into line with the WEC. GTP or Hypercar, both sides should settle on a single name
Celebrating the weird and wonderful monsters of sportscar racing
Few disciplines of motorsport offer better possibilities to build a colossus of the track than sportscars. For Autosport's recent Monsters of Motorsport special issue, we picked out some of the finest (and not so fine) that have graced sportscar classics including Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring
How Castroneves and Meyer Shank conquered another US classic
Helio Castroneves continued his fine start to life with Meyer Shank Racing that netted the 2021 Indianapolis 500 victory by prevailing in last weekend's Daytona 24 Hours together with teammates Tom Blomqvist, Oliver Jarvis and Simon Pagenaud. As Cadillac fell by the wayside, the Brazilian veteran won out in an all-Acura duel to the finish
How Derani's long road to title success exorcised painful memories
It took Pipo Derani no time at all to establish himself as a winner in IMSA, winning the Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours on his first two starts in 2016. But it took until the final corner of the 2021 season before he could become its champion, the culmination of a journey that he believes has made him a better driver.
The significance of the next step in WEC/IMSA convergence
Following the latest convergence connection permitting Le Mans Hypercars from the FIA World Endurance Championship to compete against LMDh entries in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship from 2023, it could open up enticing options not only to manufacturers but also for the calendar and race formats
Why a Mazda IMSA Prototype title would bring bitter joy
Can Mazda win this year’s IMSA Prototype championship? Undoubtedly. But it will be the culmination of an achingly hard struggle, after which the brand has decided to quit. David Malsher-Lopez tells the story of a bizarre blend of heartache and positivity.