Create account | Log in as member
http://www.gpvwc.com/media/layout/login_arrow.png
Formula Sprint 2
Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka International Racing Course
Tuesday 2nd of April 2024 19:00:00
More
November 14, 2016

 

As the 2016 season concludes, YTF1 team manager Matthew Allington reflects on the team's 2016 efforts.

2016's been a pretty good year for YTF1. Improved results in Formula Challenge, World Sport Series and Atlantic Series attest to that.

GPVWC Day 2015. As expected, YTF1 are confirmed to be contining in the Formula Challenge: this is good, because preperations for the upcoming Formula Challenge season are underway. After joining YTF1 in 2015, Johan Lindberg proved himself to be a committed driver with a strong potential - so it was a bit of a no-brainer to retain him for 2016. I took my time finding a 2nd driver, and eventually the opportunity arouse to sign Hansko Mebius: probably the most experienced Formula Challenge driver of all, known for his many points finishes. The aim was to finish in the top 10 in the teams championship.

The season started much like I'd hoped, as our pre-season pace was strong and we left Australia with strong points finishes. After that, things became less straightforward as Johan's learning curve continued and Hansko started to suffer the technical issues that would sadly plague him this year. Then Monaco happened. Amidst the chaos, Hansko kept his cool in the reversed-grid race and took a podium finish. YTF1's first in the series since 2014. A ray of hope! Then we came to Montreal and Hansko surpassed his previous pefromance: no Monaco madness, just a supreme drive to take his second podium of the year.

Not long after Canada, Hansko's technical issues returned with a vengeance. But hope was not lost: Johan's performances continued to improve. After strong finishes at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring, Johan stepped up his game again at Hockenheim. After setting a time good enough to start the race from pole position, Johan was peerless. Unshakeable under pressure, Johan fufilled his potential and took a dominant win. After over 100 races, YTF1 finally added their name to the list of Formula Challenge winners! After this, more podiums followed in Belgium, Italy and the United States, amidst a series of strong points finishes.

By this time, Hansko had decided to take a sabattical from sim-racing. The man who returned YTF1 to the podium bowed out to a chorus of well-wishers: Mebius has long been and will remain a well-respected presence. To fill the hole in the team, I gambled on a driver who had never raced in the GPVWC before - such a move has not always turned out well! But a promising record in other leagues was enough to convince me to give him the seat. Qualifying 4th on his debut in the series was sufficient to show the world: Francisco Verdasca is fast. And so the season finished with a flurry of points finishes and strong pace: enough to secure us 8th in the standings.

After precisely 120 races in Formula Challenge, we look forward to continuing in the Career Ladder next year. If we remain in Formula Challenge, we'll become the most experienced team in the series part way through 2017 - for me, it feels weird to say that as I hardly feel like one of the old guard! But if we get promoted, I'll be thrilled to take the opportunity.

I was in a smokey bar in Prague when I recieved news that Bart de Vos had won a race for YTF1 - this was in 2015, when the World Sport Series was at the Hungaroring. And I still haven't been able to YTF1 win a World Sport Series race live! Despite this, 2016 was a better season. Our race-winner was retained and by his side came a Peruvian known for being quite fast: Nico Barclay. To my delight, the lineup proved to be an extremely competetive one as we contended for the podium in the first round. But our drivers were victim to some horrible luck. The process repeated itself in Spain. In Turkey we again came agonisingly close to the podium. And Canada? Long story short, that didn't go so well either...

Despite these near-misses, the points kept on coming and we quickly found ourselves demolishing the points total that we achieved last year. Then the series arrived in Austria, with 3 rounds to go. At the place where Bart scored his first podium of the 2015 season, he repeated the feat this year - we'd done it at last! Nico didn't make it to Belgium thanks to flight delays, but Bart seemed unfazed by the lack of a teammate as he took a second successive podium finish. At the final round, Nico took a very well overdue podium finish and the team secured 4th in the standings. Our best result to date! Despite the feeling of 'what could have been', it was still a very positive season.

With the World Sport Series well underway, YTF1 was invited to enter the World GT Series. After trying and failing to enter the series in 2013, 2014 and 2015, we'd secured an entry at last! Alas, they say to be careful what you wish for. The season was something of a throwback to 2015, when I seemed to be spending more time searching for drivers than doing anything else. Nonetheless I enjoyed my debut as a driver in the series and I'm thankful to the drivers I could find to race the car during the season. It was also nice to see a yellow Corvette on the grid, although I'll struggle to convince myself to paint YTF1 cars yellow again any time soon!

When applications opened for the International Touring Cup and voting open for the 'Community Choice' series, I was well aware of the struggles to field a consistent driver lineup for three series at a time earlier in the year. Consequently, I decided to put all of my Independent Series eggs into one basket: with a heavy heart, I decided not to enter the International Touring Cup. Instead, YTF1 would enter the Atlantic Series. I obtained the talents of Nico Barclay and Borja Millan to drive the cars. I was aware that these two work together in endurance racing elsewhere, so I had a strong suspicion (to say the least) that they would work well together.

Nico's potential was abundantly clear with his strong pace in the World Sport Series. Despite his poor luck in the Supercup, I was also convinced of Borja's ability - for example, not everyone can give the dominant force in World GT a run for their money, but Borja took up the challenge at Fuji. So we arrive at Sebring and, with rain in the air, and we hope for some good points. Borja walks on water and wins the race. Over a year after a YTF1 driver took the chequered flag, the team got a maiden win in the Atlantic Series! Borja was, understandably, elated by the win and his great talent was now on display for all to see. As Nico took 5th place, YTF1 took an early lead in the standings - unheard of territory!

What followed in the remaining rounds of the year was a magnificent battle with Measuric Racing. At Indianapolis Wopke Hoestra took victory ahead of Borja: the Dutch were closing in! At Charlotte YTF1 had the upper hand with the Chevrolet engines, and so we arrived at Mosport with a slim lead in the championship. Nico was unfortunately involved in a multi-car incident which removed him from the race. Borja had been tailing Hokestra and Jordan Weekes all race and as Weekes led at the start of the final lap, the drama ensued. Weekes sensationally spun and handed the lead to Hoekstra. But the race had one more tale to tell: Borja was closer than ever to Hoekstra.

Two corners from the end, Borja had done it. A ballsy move around the outside of Hoekstra around a fearsomely fast bend had allowed Borja to take the lead and win the race. I had never been so ecstatic! At Road America, Hoekstra and Measuric had the upper hand, as YTF1's hopes of the team's title took another big blow as Edgar Ruiz, deputising for Nico, was lagged into by another car. The final round was at the Circuit of the Americas and the focus was firmly on the driver's championship battle.
Hokestra did all he needed to do, leading from the start. Borja would have to finish 3rd to take the title. After a prolonged fight with Hoekstra's teammate, Borja moved into that crucial position. But the weather decided that there wasn't enough drama already: it started to rain.

Hoekstra dived into the pits for wet tyres as Borja stayed out on slicks. It soon became clear that the wet tyres were the right choice: Hoekstra would take a dominant victory. Borja had to hang on to finish 3rd: not an easy feat on an increasingly wet track. But Borja never cracked. The threat from the second Measuric, also on slicks, faded. By the skin of his teeth, Borja finished 3rd.
I thought that Mosport couldn't be beat for drama. I was very wrong.

Coming into 2016, I didn't expect YTF1 to achieve over a dozen podiums, a trio of race wins and a driver's championship victory - but that's what we achieved in the end!

To Johan, Hansko, Bart, Nico, Edgar, Philip, Maurice, Osvaldo, Borja and Francisco - thank you all! Additional thanks go to Christian for the Atlantic Series livery, Nico (again!) and Hinssy for a bunch of lovely pictures and to James for being the semi-official cheerleader of our Formula Challenge division.