Back-to-Back Podiums: How We Fought Through Gearbox Drama and Pit Lane Setbacks for P3 in AAP Endurance Race Round 2

Round 1 of the AAP Endurance Race threw plenty of challenges our way, ultimately resulting in a hard-fought P3 finish after our protest was heard and upheld by the race committee. Coming into Round 2, the goal was simple: build on that momentum, stay clean, and execute.

Guided by one of our driver Edward taking the helm as Team Captain alongside our good friend Sir Paul, the team was primed for strategic battle. What followed was an absolute roller coaster of a race, featuring audacious outside overtakes, gearboxes holding on by a thread, costly pit-lane delays, and a relentless push all the way to the checkered flag.

Here is the full story of how drivers Johann, Alenie, Sebastian, and Gerald brought home another trophy.

1. Qualifying & Stint 1: Johann Launches Us into 2nd

With the pressure on right from the start, Johann took on qualifying duties and put our car solidly on the grid in P3.

When the green flag dropped, Johann wasted no time getting down to business. In a sharp, aggressive 35-minute opening stint, he carved through traffic, executed a clean pass, and elevated the team into P2 before heading into the pits for our first driver swap.

2. Stint 2: Alenie Fights the Tires

Alenie buckled in for the second stint, taking on a grueling 40-minute run. She put on a defensive masterclass for the majority of her stint, keeping faster cars behind and holding down our track position.

However, endurance racing takes a heavy toll on rubber. With just three laps left in her stint, extreme tire wear caught up, leading to a sudden snap of oversteer that dropped us down one position. Alenie kept her cool, gathered the car up, and brought it safely into the pits to hand over to Seb.

Left to Right: Seb, Gerald, Johann and Alenie

3. Stint 3: Seb Garcia’s Outside Overtake

Sebastian Garcia hit the track with clear instructions: get us back on that podium.

Seb delivered one of the highlight moves of the entire race day. Hunting down the car ahead, he set up a brave overtake around the outside, pulling off a stunning pass to reclaim P3 and energizing the pit wall.

Our timekeeping software, Stand Alone Race Stint Manager, was operated by our remote staff and ensured we didn't bust driver stint limits.

4. Stint 4: Gerald vs. A Broken Gearbox

Next up was Gerald Garcia, who strapped in with P1 firmly in his crosshairs. He immediately began slashing the gap to the leaders, putting down hot lap after hot lap.

However, trouble was brewing. Early into his stint, Gerald noticed a serious loss of acceleration out of the corners—our gearbox had suffered damage. Showing immense mechanical sympathy and tactical driving, Gerald adapted instantly. He nursed the wounded car through the rest of his stint without sacrificing our position, keeping us firmly in the hunt despite missing crucial drive.

5. The Final Stint: Overcoming a 30-Second Pit Lane Deficit

As we prepared for the final anchor stint with Johann, disaster struck on pit road. An extended stop saw us run over our idle time budget by more than 30 seconds—a massive setback in a race decided by fine margins.

By the time Johann finally rejoined the circuit, we had dropped out of the top three down to P4. With time ticking away and a substantial gap to close, Johann put his head down, squeezed every bit of performance out of the car, and relentlessly hunted down the 3rd-place machine ahead.

The Verdict: P3 Confirmed

Johann's intense late-race chase kept maximum pressure on the field right to the finish line. Following post-race timing and technical audits, the team running ahead in 3rd position was assessed a penalty for an overstint, officially promoting us back into P3!

Looking Ahead

Two rounds down, two P3 trophies in the case. Round 2 tested every corner of our team, from driver adaptation and mechanical resilience to overcoming pit lane setbacks.

A massive thank you to our Team Captains, drivers, and everyone supporting us behind the scenes. We learn, we adapt, and we come back faster for Round 3!