McLaren GT customer team Clearwater Racing dominated the second round of the Asian Le Mans Series in Sepang, winning lights-to-flag thanks to factory driver Rob Bell.
The temperature was high at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, quite different than the wet race experienced by drivers during round 1 in Fuji, Japan last month. Despite the changing conditions, Clearwater Racing managed to secure pole position and finished first in the three hour endurance race.
Because of the track conditions, 650S GT3 drivers had to be careful with how they managed their tires, though that didn’t stop Rob Bell from bringing the no 3 car “home” for its second successive victory – marking the 21st overall win in all competitions for the 650S GT3, which is still in its competitive debut season.
“Thanks to Clearwater Racing for another great weekend. After the heavy rain we experienced in Fuji on our last time out, this race was another big challenge, but the 650S GT3 ran faultlessly throughout, and we found a great setup to make the tyres last in the heat. That was the difference in the end,” said race winner Rob Bell.
“The competition on the Asian Le Mans Series grid is extremely high, and that showed this weekend, but Weng and Sawa did a great job during their stints – I just had to keep the pace up and stay out of trouble to secure the win. We were racing against the weather at the very end with dark storm clouds gathering in the final 10 minutes, but thankfully it held off until the in-lap after the chequered flag!”
On a technical note, the race-ready McLaren 650S GT3 comes with a revised suspension geometry and a wider track than the production car. It also has larger air intakes and a fixed carbon fiber rear wing in order to aid aerodynamics, which also happens to make it look a lot more aggressive than the street version.
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