There may not have been the repeat of last year’s top five finish, but Ben Barker and the plucky GR Racing team once again went the distance in the world’s toughest endurance race, the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Both Barker and GR (formerly Gulf) Racing were making their sixth consecutive appearance at the Circuit de la Sarthe and were initially encouraged by the pre-event pace, not just of their #86 Porsche 911 RSR, but the Weissach marque’s entire representation in the 23-entry GTE-Am category. With a mammoth 61-car entry across four classes, overall honours were not the target, however, with team and driver both looking to better last season’s fifth in GTE-Am, and qualifying only served to raise expectations, as Barker put the distinctive black-and-orange Porsche into P2, achieving a personal goal of making it through to the ‘hyperpole’ shootout reserved for the fastest qualifiers in each class.
Once again, the Cambridge resident excelled, repeating his earlier performance while ruing a small mistake in the final sector that he felt might have cost him the GTE-Am pole position.
“Earning a spot at the very front of the class really helps come the start of the race,” Barker explained. “The GR Racing Porsche had good pace throughout testing and practice, so we were optimistic for qualifying. Getting through to the hyperpole session for the second year running was already a great accomplishment but, like any racing driver, I think things could have been better still. There was a small mistake that cost me time on my best lap, and then the red flag for Kevin Estre’s accident came at just the wrong time after I was ahead of the pole time through sectors one and two… C’est la vie!”
Having been confident in the Porsche’s pace and a fair Balance of Performance formula through the early stages of the event, Barker and GR received a rude awakening on raceday, when both Ferrari and Aston Martin suddenly raised the bar in terms of straight-line speed. Although the Porsche runners could post similar lap times to their rivals, thanks to better performance through the corners and under braking, racing them head-to-head immediately proved more difficult, with the 13km Le Mans circuit famous for its long straights.
Despite that, Barker held his own through the tricky early stages, the race having been preceded by a torrential downpour,initially losing ground to rivals on full wet-weather tyres, but quickly regaining spots when the track began to dry out and play to the strengths of his chosen intermediate rubber. Changing to slicks at his first stop allowed the GR driver to hold station in the top six before handing over to team owner Mike Wainright at the first scheduled driver change.
Wainwright’s performances have improved steadily throughout Barker’s tenure with the team, but he was powerless to prevent the incident that would define GR’s race, as a brief shower — coupled with the still greasy track surface — saw the rear of the Porsche step out exiting Tertre Rouge and rattle its way along the barriers, causing sufficient damage to require a lengthy pit-stop for repairs.
From that point on, the smallest team in the field was playing catch-up, a near impossible task as a member of the slowest but most reliable class on track.
“Mike was so unlucky,” Barker admitted. “It is so easy to go off in those conditions, especially as the track surface is just as unpredictable underneath the rain. Unfortunately, what should have been a two- or three-lap pit-stop took longer as a couple of the brackets holding the splitter were bent and needed replacing, so we lost a lot more time than expected.
“There is more to Le Mans than simply winning, however, so there was never a question of pulling out or giving up. It’s a long race, so anything can happen but, more than that, just getting to the end is an achievement in itself. This team has a 100% finishing record at La Sarthe, so that gave us something to race for and everyone pulled together. Mike put the incident behind him to turn in consistent stints every time he got behind the wheel, while our new team-mate, Tom Gamble, produced an excellent Le Mans debut, lapping quickly and not putting a mark on the car. The #86 was especially quick through the night and, apart from a minor damper issue, there were no further issues as the guys in the garage did their usual exemplary job.
“From a personal point of view, it was another enjoyable and successful Le Mans. I was super-happy to make it through to hyperpole, and pleased to start from the front of the GTE-Am category. Fortunately, it was largely the Pro drivers who took the green flag and, apart from some usual door banging and arch rubbing, the opening laps were pretty clean when it could have been carnage in the conditions. Getting to the end of the race is still an emotional feeling, even sixth time around, and perhaps moreso when you realise what you’ve battled through to get there. It isn’t merely a weekend of racing, but a month or more of preparation, and I’m glad we saw the chequered flag — for everyone on this team”
Barker’s next outings with GR Racing will bring the curtain down on the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship with back-to-back weekends in Bahrain to complete another COVID-altered schedule on 30 October and 6 November respectively.
