Starworks Motorsport Drivers Team Up With United Autosports For Winter GT Races

• Daytona 24 Hours winner Ryan Dalziel heads team trio for United Autosports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
• Venezuelan pair joins Dalziel in championship-winning Audi R8 LMS
• United Autosports announce second #36 car for Middle Eastern endurance races

Scottish Grand Am racer and winner of the prestigious 2010 Rolex 24 Daytona, Ryan Dalziel, spearheads a trio of prominent GT drivers in the United Autosports second car for the two New Year endurance races in the Dunlop 24 Dubai (January 12-14) and the Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi (January 20).

One of Scotland’s leading professional drivers, 29-year old Dalziel has earned many podium finishes in both the American Le Mans Series and Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series. In 2011 he completed a full season in Grand Am and selected races in ALMS, with a victory in the Grand Am Rolex season finalé at Mid Ohio and a second placing in the Sebring 12H being the highlights of the season.

Enzo Potolicchio and Alex Popow both made their series’ débuts in January’s Rolex 24 Daytona with the Starworks Motorsports team, the Venezuelan duo proving to be one of the surprise stories of the 2011 Grand Am series.

Popow and Dalziel teamed up for a third place finish at Watkins Glen in August, following an impressive opening stint by the 36-year-old Venezuelan which saw him battle for a top three placing overall. Then Potolicchio and Dalziel took a maiden victory for Starworks in the final race of the season at Mid-Ohio, when Potolicchio performed double duty between both of the team’s Rileys. As a result of their superb inaugural season, SPEED.com awarded the duo Rolex Series "Rookies of the Year" for 2011.

In addition, both drivers wound up victorious in other championships in which they competed alongside their Rolex Series campaigns. Popow was crowned Seat Leon Supercup Mexico champion, while finishing third in the Latin America Challenge Formula 2000 Championship as well. Potolicchio, meanwhile, earned his second consecutive Ferrari Challenge North America championship.

The three drivers bring their sponsors to the Middle East endurance races, in which they all compete for the first time. The #36 Audi R8 LMS will be in the livery of Duncan Batteries, Taxand and Soloson in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Entering its third season of GT racing, the Leeds-based Anglo-American team - co-owned by American Zak Brown and Briton, Richard Dean - has a busy and exciting 2012 schedule ahead of it as it bids for victory in its first Middle East foray.

Ryan Dalziel (GB). Age 29. Born: Glasgow, Scotland UK. Lives: Orlando, FL, USA:

“I am really excited about racing with United Autosports in these two amazing endurance races. I raced twice in Dubai back in ‘95 and ‘96, for the 24H of Dubai Go-Kart race, winning the event in ’95 and I’ve been hoping for the opportunity to go back ever since. I saw how professional the United Autosports team was when they raced in Grand Am last season and I know Richard Dean from my early years back in the late 90s racing in the UK. I already know we will be contenders for the victory, and Enzo and Alex have worked really hard in the past few months to make this happen and I am hugely grateful to them. We thought it would be great preparation for us to get these two endurance events under our belt before the Rolex 24 at Daytona the week after Abu Dhabi. Driving the Audi R8 LMS will be a first for all of us but Audi is no stranger to endurance success so we expect great things.”

Enzo Potolicchio (VE). Age 43. Lives: Caracas, Venezuela:

"I am really happy to make this deal happen for Alex, Ryan and myself. Alex and I have been working very hard with our sponsors over the past few months to add these amazing races to our already intense 2012 racing commitments. I have been a big admirer of Zak Brown and United Autosports since its creation and am honored to be able to field a car with my two friends and team mates. I have watched Formula 1 on these tracks and they look breath-taking. We are going there to try to get a victory but we want to have fun with our new challenge also."

Alex Popow (VE). Age 36. Lives: Lecheria, Venezuela:

“Racing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is going to be very exciting and it will be a very busy month for the three of us. After Rolex Daytona testing from January on 6-8, we will fly to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for the two races, then return to the USA on January 22 for the Rolex 24 at Daytona that coming weekend. We are doing everything possible to push our performances to the next level and I believe this opportunity with United Autosports, driving the Audi R8 LMS, is the perfect warm up for our 2012 season."

Richard Dean (GB). Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:

“I have known Ryan for a long time and he was a fierce competitor when he was younger racing in Vauxhall Junior on the British Touring car package. He always gave us a hard time but we've always admired his ability and he was always fast and fair. Recently I have been watching his progress out in America where he's made quite a name for himself. Although I don't know much about Alex and Enzo, they have been performing strongly in the Grand Am series where United Autosports saw their ability from close quarters when we competed against them in the 2011 Rolex Daytona 24 hours. I believe Ryan set the fastest unofficial time for a GrandAm car in free practice at the same event, so I am looking forward to actually working on the same team as Ryan this time and not trying to beat him!”

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United Autosports Quartet Announced For Dubai 24 Hour Enduro

• Young British hotshot and BRDC Rising Star Matt Bell makes Dubai debut
• Quality four man line-up in race-winning Audi R8 LMS
• Multi-national drivers in Anglo-American team
• Experience is key ingredient for United Autosports inaugural Dubai visit

Above: Matt Bell and Mark Patterson raced for the team at the Total 24 Hours of Spa earlier this year
United Autosports has assembled a class quartet of GT racers for its first attempt to win the seventh running of the Dunlop 24H Dubai, which kicks off the new 2012 season on January 12 – 14. Talented young United Autosports regular driver, Matt Bell (GB) will be one of four racing the team's #26 Audi R8 LMS GT3 at the Dubai Autodrome.
The 22-year old BRDC Rising Star will be pitted alongside US-based South African Mark Patterson (USA), Hong Kong's Frank Yu (HK) and newcomer to the United Autosports team, New Zealander Roger Wills (NZ), this trio bringing a wealth of endurance ability and racing experience to the Middle East race.
The Anglo-American team, based in Leeds, has a truly international line-up of drivers for its 2012 season opener and first visit to Dubai for the start the endurance racing year. United Autosports will be pitted against the best competition of more than 80 entries of GTs, touring cars and 24H Specials.
There has been no slowing down over the winter for the team, which is co-owned by American, Zak Brown and Briton, Richard Dean, and December has proved to be as busy as the rest of the year as the team prepares for the full schedule of races planned for next year, starting with the trio of races in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bathurst.
These events will give the young team valuable experience before it begins its third season in the Blancpain Endurance Series and the British GT Championship.
On Thursday, January 12, there will be two free practice sessions followed by qualifying, partly split up into various classes. There will be two hours of night practice on Thursday evening before the race starts on Friday, January 13, at 14.00 (local time) and will end 24 hours later.
As well as Radio Le Mans reporting live on the event for the first time, Motors TV will again be covering this international event.
Provisional Timetable:
Thursday 12 January 2012
11:30 – 12:15 Dunlop 24H Dubai Free Practice 1
13:15 – 14:45 Dunlop 24H Dubai Free Practice 2
15:00 – 16:00 Dunlop 24H Dubai Qualification All Classes
16:15 – 16:45 Dunlop 24H Dubai Qualification Class A1 up to A5, D1, D2, A3T
17:00 – 17:30 Dunlop 24H Dubai Qualification Class A6, SP2-GT3A, SP3-GT4A, 997
18:00 – 20:00 Dunlop 24H Dubai Night Practice
Friday 13 January 2012
10:30 – 11:00 Dunlop 24H Dubai Warm up
12:00 – 13:00 Break including Pit Road Walkabout
13.00 Start grid of the Dunlop 24H Dubai
14:00 hours Start of the Dunlop 24H Dubai
Saturday 14 January 2012
14:00 Finish of the Dunlop 24H Dubai

Above: Frank Yu drove a United Autosports Audi R8 LMS at Zhuhai in 2010's Intercontinental Le Mans Cup race
Matt Bell (GB), Age 22. Born: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. Lives: Barningham, nr Richmond UK.
"I've never raced in Dubai before but from what I've seen on videos it looks like a very good circuit. I'm very excited about racing in the Dubai 24H and although the race only has a short history, you can tell it has gathered huge prestige in recent years by looking at the extremely competitive entry list. It is also a great way to interrupt the winter break with some racing, which will be very beneficial during the European pre-season testing period that follows in February and March. As we were front runners all year in the British GT series, I am confident the Audi R8 LMS will be very competitive in the race, and in Dubai everyone runs the same Dunlop tyres, so I expect to be challenging the top guys."
Mark Patterson (US), Age 59. Born: Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Lives: Bronxville, NY, USA
"I've been fortunate enough to race on a dozen current and previous F1 tracks around the world, including Spa, Shanghai, Montreal, Indianapolis and Silverstone, etc, so racing at a few more simply adds to the palette of experiences as well as being able to enjoy an endurance race on tracks such as these. As there are multiple classes in this race, keeping the car clean and fast are the two primary goals. We have a great line up of drivers with tons of endurance racing experience, so I know we'll all aim to bring the Audi home near the front. Matt is an unbelievably good young up-and-coming British pro racing talent and we shared an Audi at the Spa 24 Hours this year and both were happy with our competitive lap times. United Autosports and I have had a very exciting and rewarding two year relationship that will spill into 2012 as well. They are great team owners and always the neatest most professional outfit on the grid."
Frank Yu (HK), Age: 42. Born: Hong Kong. Lives: Hong Kong
"I competed in the Dubai 24H in 2010 with Richard as my team mate. I like the track layout, but I dislike the dust, which makes the corner's grip level sometimes unpredictable. The atmosphere in Dubai is great and the 80 plus car grid is amazing. The Audi has done a number of endurance races all over the world with proven reliability and good results so I'm quite confident the car will do well. United Autosports is a very professional team, the crew members are great to work with and Richard is a good leader and friend. I can't wait to be there."
Roger Wills (NZ), Age 43. Born: New Zealand. Lives: New Zealand
"As this is my first time racing at Dubai, I'll have to book some time on the simulator to learn the circuit before going out there. This is also my first race in the Audi A8 LMS, having previously competed in an Aston Martin, Ferraris and the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 to date. The Audi seems like a really well-developed car, always runs well and I'm excited about the chance to race it. I've only met Matt Bell previously as I have driven with his brother Rob in the McLaren, but all the guys bring a lot of experience so I'm really looking forward to racing with them.
"I'm a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust which does amazing work for young people with cancer, and I will run their logos on my suit and on the car to give them some exposure. I did my first endurance race at Spa in 2010, but I'm pleased to be racing with United Autosports this time as they've really impressed me. The cars are always incredibly well-prepared and run, and the whole team exudes professionalism. They also seem to be a team that looks like they're having a lot of fun. Being a hobby for me, not a job, these are all important characteristics for a team. I'm really excited about joining them and hope this will be the start of a longer relationship with the team."
Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:
"Although I raced myself in Dubai in 2010, it's the first time the team has competed in the Middle East. We're just two years old as a team and we're branching out into yet another continent. It feels quite a privilege to be able to take part in these high-profile races across the world after such a short time.
"This line-up we're taking to Dubai gives us a great combination of youth and experience. Matt Bell is fast, there is no doubt about that, but his 24 hour experience is limited to just Spa in 2011. I have ultimate faith in Matt every time he gets in the car. I shared a car with Frank in the 2010 Dubai 24 hour race and I wouldn't hesitate to sit alongside Frank in any long distance race anywhere in the world. Mark has been with the team for two years and he's the ideal guy in a long distance race because he is quick, dependable and supremely consistent. Mark as a character also brings something unique to the team and the guys love working with him. It's Roger first race with the team but we've raced against him at the Spa 24 for two years; he won his class in 2010 and finished in the McLaren's début in 2011. For a non-professional driver who has spent most of his life concentrating on his business, he's clearly now a very serious racing driver. He's never seems to be out of a car, he comes highly recommended and I'm looking forward to working with him."
- ENDS -
For immediate release:
5th December 2011
For further information please contact:
Linda Keen
Press Officer
United Autosports
T: +44 1424 250840
M: +44 7745 121790
Email: linda@unitedautosports.com
Skype: lindakeen
www.unitedautosports.com

United Autosports Bids For British GT Crown

• United Autosports returns to British GT for second season with updated Audi R8 LMS GT3 car
• Ambitious Leeds-based team focuses on British Championship title with proven race and championship-winning Audi R8 LMS
• Exclusive two-day Monza test scheduled for February 2012

Leeds-based United Autosports plans to campaign an Audi R8 LMS sportscar in the 2012 Avon Tyres British GT Championship in a bid to take the title it so narrowly missed out on this year.
The team was one of the front-running outfits in 2011, having taken several pole positions and led the championship for majority of the season with drivers Matt Bell (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK) and Mike Guasch (Palo Alto, CA).
Co-owned by American, Zak Brown and Briton, Richard Dean, the United Autosports team - having already finalised its plans to contest the Blancpain Endurance Series - has turned its attention to running a second program in the British GT Championship with the Audi R8 LMS sportscar. With the sole intention of taking the 2012 title, the young team is putting together a comprehensive package for the best line-up of winning drivers available to it.
The Audi R8 LMS is one of the most successful GT cars in the history of the sport, having taken over 100 race wins to date, and already the Anglo-American team has confirmed one Audi R8 LMS entry with the series organisers for next year’s British GT series with the intention of adding a second for the right driver combination. The United Autosports car will be the latest 2012 specification, the Audi R8 having conquered the opposition with recent dominant performances and victories in the 2011 Spa 24 hours, Blancpain Endurance Series and Macau GT race.
Organiser, SRO Motorsports Group, has a seven-meeting calendar scheduled for 2012 featuring the UK’s best circuits, Oulton Park, Rockingham, Snetterton and the Grand Prix circuits of Brands Hatch, Silverstone and Donington Park. The 2012 overseas round, meanwhile, will take place on the German Grand Prix circuit at the Nürburgring. Once again SRO is repeating the successful mix of one, two and three-hour races for next season’s Avon Tyres British GT Championship.
Entering its third season of GT racing, United Autosports has already achieved over and above all expectations in 2011, and next year the team has its sights firmly set on its first major GT sportscar title.

Zak Brown (USA), Co-Owner and CEO of United Autosports:
"It's great to be back in British GT with Audi. We were very successful in 2011 winning our first race and being a contender for the championship throughout the season. We have high expectations for 2012 and hope to continue our winning form."
Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:
"We firmed up our Blancpain Endurance Series team and driver line-up a couple of weeks ago with the McLaren MP4-12C, and have now decided to keep two of our three Audi R8 LMS cars. This was having considered how the Audi took a major performance leap forward with its recent Blancpain series updates. We have the capacity to run a second program as we did in 2011 and although for us, this is a late decision, we have plenty of time to work through our driver line-up options. We have an exclusive two-day test at Monza in early February and I expect everything to be in place by that time."
Provisional calendar 2012 Avon Tyres British GT Championship
07-09 Apr: Oulton Park
TBA: Nürburgring GP
26/27 May: Rockingham
23/24 Jun: Brands Hatch GP
04/05 Aug: Snetterton 300
08/09 Sep: Silverstone GP
29/30 Sep: Donington Park GP
All dates and circuits are provisional and subject to change
- ENDS -
For immediate release:
29th November 2011
Interested drivers with budget should contact Richard Dean: Richard@Unitedautosports.com
Or for further information please contact:
Linda Keen
Press Officer
United Autosports
T: +44 1424 250840
M: +44 7745 121790
Email: linda@unitedautosports.com
Skype: lindakeen
www.unitedautosports.com

Watts and United Autosports Bring McLaren Home for Superb Podium in Macau

§    Watts takes fantastic third in McLaren’s Macau début

§    Meins finishes in fine seventh after race-long battle in Audi R8 LMS

§    United Autosports scores first podium with McLaren in Macau and ends 2011 season on a high

Britain’s Danny Watts (Thornborough), brought the stunning GR Asia-sponsored McLaren MP4-12C GT3 home for a superb third place in Macau on Sunday in a race of attrition and confusion, while Richard Meins gained a place from his grid start to take the closest possible seventh in the United Autosports Audi A8 LMS.

Scheduled for 12 laps, the Star River – Windsor Arch Macau GT Cup race was abruptly halted on the third lap after a massive accident at Mandarin involving Frank Yu’s Ford GT, Eddie Yau (Porsche 911) and John Shen (Ferrari F430 GT) with Yuk Lung Siu spinning his Lamborghini Gallardo to avoid the mêlée. The whole crash had been set off by Akihiro Tsuzuki’s Audi, which had dumped oil on the track at Mandarin.

There was a lengthy delay of over an hour as the organisers cleared the wreckage but this gave the United Autosports team a chance to check the brakes and ABS issue on Watts’ GR Asia-sponsored McLaren.

To add to the confusion, the restart was originally scheduled for seven laps but as the cars moved away from the grid, the restart was run under the safety car for two laps with only five laps of racing under the green flags.

Italian Edoardo Mortara soared away in the factory Audi A8 LMS, just as he had before the stoppage, leaving Watts to argue over second with Japan’s Keita Sawa (Lamborghini LP-560). The pair fought tooth and nail over the narrow track and on the fifth lap, the McLaren was climbing all over the Lamborghini trying to find a way by.

Meanwhile Hong Kong-based Briton, Meins was having his own battle with Tomonobu Fujii (Aston Martin DBRS9) and Weng Sun Mok (Ferrari F458), the trio circulating the twisty street circuit bumper to bumper for the remaining laps.

Another accident on lap seven was narrowly averted after two spinners blocked the track but managed to get going again without being collected, as the leaders continued their relentless pace at the front.

With two laps remaining, Mortara continued stretching his lead while Sawa and Watts were comfortable in the podium positions. The British driver was a further 10 seconds ahead of fourth place Rodolfo Avila’s Porsche 911, ultimately giving the McLaren a great third place on its first visit to the Guai Circuit and Watts’ 10^th anniversary race in Macau.

Meins held on for a superb seventh place, a mere 0.318 seconds behind his race-long rival, Mok, Richard having found that overtaking the Ferrari in the time remaining was just not possible, but still managed to set his fastest lap of the race in the process of hunting down the man in front.

It was an excellent result for the young United Autosports team to end the 2011 season, and the Leeds-based Anglo-American sportscar outfit now sets its sights on 2012 and the winter GT Endurance races in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bathurst.

Danny Watts (GB). Age 31. Born: Aylesbury, UK. Lives: Thornborough, nr Buckingham, GB

“I’m very happy with third for the first time here with the McLaren. We’ve learned a huge amount this weekend, developed it and moved it forward throughout the whole four days, so to get a podium on its début is just fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Every year the standard gets higher and higher, the drivers turn up in better cars all the time, and it’s fantastic for the category that twice Macau Formula 3 winner and works DTM driver, Edoardo Montara, turns up in his Audi. You have to be on your toes, and I think collectively as a team, we did a great job all weekend.

“At any normal circuit braking issues wouldn’t be so much of a problem because you’ve got plenty of run off, but in Macau, you want to have confidence in your brake pedal because the track’s lined by barriers and if you out-brake yourself by two metres you hit the wall. So unfortunately I had to bring my braking point back a little bit, which meant we lost a little bit of time, but apart from that the car’s handling was excellent, really responsive, good traction, great rear end, and overall the car was really strong.”

Richard Meins (GB). Age 56. Born: Beckenham, UK. Lives: Stanley, Hong Kong.

“That was brilliant and I must say I really enjoyed the race. Obviously we had a long stop because of the big accident, which was a bit unfortunate. The car was great and I got the pace I thought I should have got yesterday - three seconds faster than I’d been round here before - so I’m extremely happy.

“The guys at the front were good and you have to be quick through Mandarin to overtake and I wasn’t really going to do that because it was pretty messy there. The Ford GT went off just in front of me and the other Audi - with the Japanese driver - the back caught fire, there was loads of oil coming out and that was just before Mandarin. I was behind so I could see it and backed right off. Frank Yu was slightly in front of me and when I got round Mandarin there was Frank facing the other way and hurtling towards the right hand side barrier. My next concern was which way is he going to go? Anyway, I missed him as he shot in front of me. I guess everybody else was so far behind they hadn’t seen it happen and then it was complete carnage. It’s Macau; you don’t have small accidents here. I feel sorry for those other guys as there was a lot of damage, but it you finish Macau and the car’s in shape and you’ve done okay, then you should be happy really.”

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports.

“It’s a shame the race was in two halves with a big accident, but thankfully everybody was okay. It just shows what can happen around Macau. To get two cars back in one piece and running well compared to some of the cars that were coming back is a relief. Danny was driving well within himself but there were not enough laps after the red flag to really challenge. This McLaren development car was delivered to us on the day it flew to Asia, so we had very little time to get to know it. The fact it came here and ran trouble free is a tribute to McLaren GT and I’m really excited United Autosports have achieved a first podium with the car, which really bodes well for the future. There is so much potential in the car; I can’t wait to get my hands on the new definitive 2012 customer version!

“Richard drove very well in the Audi; very good judgement and luck to miss the accident but he certainly got himself through there. He was fastest at the restart, set his fastest lap of the race by quite a long way, and if the track had been wider or a few more laps he’d definitely have made up another place. I’m pleased for Richard and thought he drove exceptionally well. This Audi now heads to Dubai for the 24 Hours in January and then a little tour of the Middle East and Australia.”

WATTS IN McLAREN DÉBUT SNATCHES THIRD IN TIGHT MACAU QUALIFYING

§    Britain’s Danny Watts grabs third despite heavy traffic and red flags

§    Richard Meins brings Audi R8 LMS through to eighth

§    United Autosports gain valuable experience, time and data with the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 development car

Britain’s Danny Watts (Thornborough) débuted the magnificent McLaren MP4-12C GT3 in Macau on Thursday and then drove the GR Asia-backed development car to a fine third overall qualifying position today despite heavy traffic on the tight, twisty circuit and red flags which halted proceedings mid-way.

Fellow Brit, Hong Kong-based Richard Meins brought the United Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3 through to a confidence-boosting eighth place on the grid, despite a loss of front aerodynamics after a brush with the wall during pre-qualifying on Friday.

On the whole it was a very satisfactory qualifying performance for the Leeds-based Anglo-American team returning to Macau for only its second visit, and the first with the McLaren MP4-12C development car, which was making its attention-grabbing inaugural appearance at the Guia Circuit.

Sponsored by GR Asia, the two cars and drivers – both of whom were racing at Macau for the 10^th year - had their first run on an unusually wet track on Thursday in practice but neither driver was pushing too hard in the damp conditions and heavy traffic.

However, the track was dry for yesterday’s pre-qualifying run and both Watts and Meins were running well until the session was red-flagged half way through due to an accident at Mandarin. Meins had good track position, getting out in front of the pack until he spun at the final corner and glanced the barrier with his front bumper. He was able to continue and still managed a creditable seventh fastest time overall.

Watts was less fortunate at the re-start and had to endure heavy traffic leaving the pits and was therefore baulked extensively.

Today’s qualifying session proved to be a major challenge for both United Autosports drivers to get a clean run, and with only 20 minutes to set a time, there was only enough time for one flying lap before the red flags came out for Hong Kong’s Samson Chan in the Ford GT3, who crashed into the wall at Dona Maria Bend.

At this point Watts and Meins were holding third and seventh respectively, but there was only 13 minutes on the clock, and when another spinner brought out the yellow flags, the GR Asia-backed drivers were prevented from making any further progress. A ‘long’ brake pedal in the McLaren hampered Watts further and then a stricken Ginetta G50 spoiled a third potentially quick lap when the yellow flags came out again, at which point, Watts chose to return to the pits with 25 seconds remaining in order to save his tyres.

Meins meanwhile, was also baulked by heavy traffic and thus ended the session bumped down to eighth on the last lap by Japan’s Tomonobu Fujii in an Aston Martin DBRS9.

That leaves it all to play for in tomorrow’s race which starts at 9.00am local time for the Star River-Windsor Arch Macau GT Cup, which will be a 12-lap counter around the 3.8-mile lap circuit.

Provisional Timetable (all times are local):

Sunday 20 November - 09.00 – 10.00 Star River-Windsor Arch Macau GT Cup – Race, 12 Laps

Danny Watts (GB). Age 31. Born: Aylesbury, UK. Lives: Thornborough, nr Buckingham, GB

“I’m not disappointed with third; obviously I wanted to be on pole position for the race, which is the best place to start round here as there’s limited overtaking opportunities. It’s a very tight and twisty circuit, so qualifying is everything, but the biggest thing I’m disappointed with is the size of the gap - it’s over four seconds - to Mortara on pole position! I’m very close to Japan’s Keita Sawa, who is second, and I think he and I will have a good race tomorrow. Mortara is excellent around here anyway; he’s won the Formula 3 race twice and he’s a top quality driver, but certainly not four seconds quicker.

“I think that’s about the maximum I could go with the car without doing anything silly. We’ve got a little bit to find but to be fair the car does feel quite good. I had a long brake pedal towards the end but it’s my favourite circuit and I really enjoyed it. It’s always the same at Macau with crashes so you need to find a clear lap; that is key. There was a red flag in the session and a bit of cement dust down but that was soon cleared up. The pre-qualifying yesterday was good in terms of mileage and developing the car, and for me to dial myself into the McLaren a little bit more. It’s really about the team learning the McLaren as well and we’ve made really good progress this weekend, but let’s just go for it tomorrow in the race.”

Richard Meins (GB). Age 56. Born: Beckenham, UK. Lives: Stanley, Hong Kong.

“I knew what I had to do from yesterday after I spun and touched the wall. The problem was the car was making horrible noises afterwards. Going through the first corner and Mandarin, it was really making lots of noise with bodywork rubbing and scratching on the road. I lost a second and a half or so in sector one, and that would have put me up close to fourth or fifth today, but not to be in the end.

“I finished yesterday’s session seventh, but got bumped down to eighth today but I’m not so worried about that; I’m more interested in my own time. I want to do the best I can and I don’t think I’ve achieved what I could have today, so it’s a little bit frustrating. Thursday’s wet session was interesting and I quite enjoyed it. You don’t often drive here in the wet and I actually like it and I would be really happy for a wet race because it’s a leveller. I’d prefer a wet race but I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports.

“We’ve had no major dramas with our cars but there have been cars in the wall, cars on fire, a busy track, and a huge speed differential this year from the front to back of the grid. The front of the grid’s getting more and more competitive; there are really serious factory-supported cars and quality drivers. Mortara is probably as good as it gets round here in Macau, combined with the factory Audi. Danny’s done a good job. We’re five or six seconds quicker than we were here last year with Danny, so we’re a bit disappointed with P3 because Danny’s very capable of being on the front row but with the usual Macau traffic, potentially the best lap was probably held back for Danny. We’re still very much developing the McLaren, putting more mileage on it and sending more data back to the factory and CRS. I’m sure they’ll be pleased to see the car third on the grid and hopefully have a good race.

“Richard’s gone quicker than he qualified last year against tougher competition and the data says there was a lot more left for him. It wasn’t out of the question for him to be front two or three rows, and as it turned out eighth on the grid is not a bad effort. It was an unfortunate incident yesterday on cold tyres and low tyre pressures when he spun and glanced the wall. You could say unlucky but it was also lucky as we could see the damage was only superficial and we kept him out on track. I think there’s more time to come in Richard, so I’m pleased.

“There’s a lot of racing today, so more rubber’s going down and the track’s getting cleaner and therefore faster, so I expect it to be even faster. I think the top three are under the lap record already so expect the lap record to be broken tomorrow comfortably. We’re third and eighth on the grid, it’s an early race tomorrow, so fingers crossed we can improve positions on both cars; we’ve certainly got the right drivers who know the place really well and who race well here.