Three additional pit stops due to technical difficulties got in the way of another possible victory for Fabian Schiller at the Asian Le Mans Series. On the Chang International Circuit in Thailand, the 19-year-old driver from Troisdorf came in about eight minutes after the overall winner at the end of the four-hour-race. The LMP2-prototype of the Swiss team Race Performance came in on fourth place after 148 laps.

The Race Performance team under the direction of Urs Meyer had travelled to Buriram in the Thai Muang District highly motivated. Fabian Schiller had achieved a brilliant debut into his new team in December and won the victory at the second of four races of the sports car winter series on the Fuji Speedway in Japan together with his colleagues. The Swiss team now wanted to tie in with this at the third race, but it already became obvious at the beginning of the event that the competition had improved a lot. At the first free training on the 4.554km long track, Race Performance was still able to impress with a time of 1:28,126 minutes. During the next session the opponents counterattacked though and undermatched the 1:28minute mark.

During qualifying, Schiller and his two team mates were then able to improve their performance a little. During their fastest lap, the time was stopped at 1:27,970 minutes, which was the third fastest time and meant a promising place in the second starting row. “I felt comfortable from the beginning on the track in Buriram that was completely new to me”, said the Rhinelander after qualifying. “During the first session we were competitive right from the start, but during the second free training we already lacked a couple of tenths to the front. Unfortunately we then weren’t able to make up this leeway in the fight for pole position.”

The just under 30 participants started into their third race of the season on Sunday with sunny weather and pleasant 28°C. At first the start went without any problems. Then one competitor rolled off the track and race control had to send a safety car. Only after the restart, the Oreca-Judd was able to start its catching-up race. However, neither Schiller nor his team mates were able to get past the duo at the front. During the final phase the sports car was then plagued by technical difficulties which prevented a better final position than the fourth.

“We had a small problem after the safety car phase and therefore didn’t optimally manage the restart. After about an hour I then got into the car and drove a double stint. Unfortunately our strategy that had worked perfectly in Japan didn’t work so well this time and we weren’t able to make up the leeway to the opponents in front of us. In the end, the technology failed and threw us back to fourth place. Our pace was good but it just wasn’t our race.”

The fourth and last event of the Asian sports car series is already going to take place on the weekend of January 20th – 22nd on the Sepang International Circuit at the gates of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Even though the Formula 1 track is located almost 2000km south of Buriram, Fabian Schiller decided to stay on location to be able to get accustomed to the subtropical climate on the peninsula close to the equator. Regarding the fight for the title, everything is still possible after three of four races so that the teams are going to give it their all once more at the finale to drive as far to the front as possible.

Text: F. Wagner / Schiller Motorsport – Pictures: Team Race Performance / COM-MEDIA