IMSA: Makowiecki takes blame for Corvette clash
Sunday, 17 April 2016
Marshall Pruett
Porsche North America racing driver Fred Makowiecki accepted blame for the late-race hit that spun Corvette Racing's Tommy Milner and handed victory to the sister Porsche 911 RSR.
"The collision in the penultimate lap was my fault," the Frenchman (ABOVE) said after placing seventh in IMSA's BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach. "I was a touch too optimistic heading into the corner."
Makowiecki, who did not reach out to Milner after the race, made his comments via a press release.
The contact with Milner changed the outcome of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's GT Le Mans results with two minutes remaining in the event. With Milner's No. 4 Corvette C7.R turned backwards in the Long Beach hairpin and Makowiecki's No. 912 Porsche pressed up against the Corvette's nose, Nick Tandy drove past and claimed the win in his No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR.
Remarkably, Porsche's Marco Ujhasi, the brand's overall project manager for its factory GT programs, suggested the team's win was inevitable, deserved, and made no mention of the questionable conduct by Makowiecki that produced the victory.
"The 911 RSR performed excellently and it was clear to us that we would close the gap and win on our own merits," he said. "In this, our drivers did an outstanding job. For Porsche, the first victory at Long Beach in six years is an excellent result. We deserved this win. Thank you to the whole team for their efforts and to Michelin for supplying excellent tires."
After the race, Oliver Gavin – Milner's co-driver – expressed his feelings in a succinct manner.
"It is a little hard to swallow right now," he said. "We felt like we were going to win and we were robbed of that."
Despite the loss, Corvette Racing and the No. 4 drivers maintain a healthy lead in the GTLM championship heading into the next race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on April 29-May 1.
http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/12838...corvette-clash