The world moved fast for young Tauranga racing driver Richie Stanaway in 2015.
Stanaway, 24, won twice in the GP2 Series which supports Formula 1 events including a Monaco victory, set a GTE pole position and fastest lap on debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours and earned a call-up to test Audi’s Le Mans hybrid racer.
But during a quick trip home over Christmas and New Year, he ranked the challenge of racing at the forest-lined 25km Nurburgring in Germany as his highlight of 2015.
``Doing the Nurburgring 24 Hour with the Aston Martin GT3 was a big highlight for me,’’ said Stanaway.
Stanaway set pole position and the fastest race lap for a GTE car on debut for Aston martin at Le Mans in June.File picture.
``It’s very long process to learn the full length Nurburgring and there is a very big difference between knowing the circuit and actually getting onto the limit.
``For sure it was the biggest driving challenge and that’s is why it was the highlight for me.
``In some ways I would say it is more challenging than Le Mans, just because of the nature of the circuit. There’s nothing quite like the adrenalin rush you get around that place.
Double dipping
Stanaway double-dipped in 2015, switching between precision GP2 single seaters and a third season driving muscular GT endurance machines.
``Going into the year I was only expecting to do the World Endurance Championship with Aston Martin. Then the GP2 stuff came together and it turned into a much bigger year and a much more successful year than I ever could have hoped for,’’ said Stanaway.
Stanaway got the chance in GP2 with the Status GP team. He had raced for Status in GP3 during 2014 and stayed on as the team moved up to the GP2 category.
He contested nine of the 11 rounds and finished 10th in the GP2 standings with Sunday sprint races in Monaco and Sochi the headlines in a solid effort from a GP2 rookie driver with a team new to the category.
``Initially it was just for the testing because no drivers had signed yet for the season.
‘Once testing finished we went into the first round in Bahrain and it was always race-by-race.
``GP2 is definitely not a rookie’s championship mainly because the tyre (which is designed to degrade quickly) doesn’t give you much quality running.
A tenth place finish in the GP2 Series for Status GP included sprint race wins at Monaco and Sochi (Russia).
``It’s a big challenge. When you are a rookie you need more running than the guys with experience and the tyre doesn’t give you that.
``And we don’t get a lot of free practice. You have to be up to speed because there is no time to learn the circuits.
``Under those circumstances to pick up a couple of wins in my first year was definitely not expected.
``Winning at Monaco was quite surreal. It was only my third race weekend in GP2 and a couple of months beforehand I had never imagined I’d be racing in GP2.
``We also came really close to a feature race podium in Monza where we finished fourth. It was pretty much all but done but I ended up cutting the chicane and had to wait up for the other guy.’’
Stanaway’s GP2 efforts were benchmarked when the team replaced him with Formula Renault 3.5 champion Oliver Rowland (GB) for the last two rounds.
Stanaway’s GP2 efforts were benchmarked when the team replaced him with Formula Renault 3.5 champion Oliver Rowland (GB) for the last two rounds.
``To be honest I was a bit nervous he would jump in and qualify in the top-three. That would be every drivers’ worst nightmare,’’ said Stanaway.
``He’s a highly rated driver and had already done some GP2 racing. But when he jumped in my car he wasn’t in the top-15. So taking all those things into consideration I think I did a reasonably good job.’’
At the end of the year there was a hectic testing week, firstly with the Audi R18 e-tron LMP1 car and then a Honda Team Mugen Japanese Super Formula car at Suzuka.
At the end of the year there was a hectic testing week, firstly with the Audi R18 e-tron LMP1 car and then a Honda Team Mugen Japanese Super Formula car at Suzuka.
Richie Stanaway back home in Tauranga breiefly earlier this week.
``The Audi thing came out of the blue. I had no idea it was even a possibility,’’ said Stanaway.
``In some ways it was probably more rewarding than getting an F1 test. Unless you are testing with Mercedes or Ferrari in F1, the drivers are basically using sponsorship to pay for test drives.
``So getting a test on merit with a manufacturer in LMP1 felt as rewarding as getting an F1 test.’’
Stanaway drove the diesel Le Mans prototype at Bahrain as part of a young driver development programme instituted by the Le Mans and WEC organisers.
Stanaway drove the diesel Le Mans prototype at Bahrain as part of a young driver development programme instituted by the Le Mans and WEC organisers.
``The car was pretty special. In its own discipline it’s the pinnacle of motorsport with very cool technology at the cutting edge of developing the hybrids.
``It made me realise that in the future being a racing driver is going to be lot more than learning to drive the car on the limit. You are nearly an engineer when it comes to managing all the hybrid aspects.
Stanaway ended the season with a Japanese Super Formula test with Mugen Team Honda at Suzuka.
``The cockpit is extremely complicated and the amount of stuff you can tune on the car to extract some more time out of it is mind-boggling.
``It was good to get an early experience of what I need to be prepared for in the future.’’
A promising test in a Super Formula car presents another possible career path for Stanaway.
A promising test in a Super Formula car presents another possible career path for Stanaway.
``I did the test at Suzuka where the lap times are similar to a mid-to-rear-field F1 car, which is pretty good considering they have less horsepower.
``I had expected it to be on par with GP2 and after the first few laps I was quite taken aback — I hadn’t expected what a big step up it was from GP2 and I think a lot of that is down to the tyres.’’
A season racing in Japan is one of the possibilities looming in 2016.
A season racing in Japan is one of the possibilities looming in 2016.
``Basically the plan is to do the WEC with Aston Martin plus some extras races like Daytona and the Nurburgring 24.
``Right now it’s too early to have anything finalised for GP2 or Super Formula and it’ll take a few more weeks to know whether one of those things is going to happen. But for sure they are a good possibility.’’
Stanaway says there are pros and cons to consider if it comes to choosing between GP2 and Super Formula.
Stanaway says there are pros and cons to consider if it comes to choosing between GP2 and Super Formula.
``GP2 is in some ways unfinished business and it’s also more well-known in the world of motorsport.
``The thing with Super Formula is it’s very close to an F1 car. It’s not a junior formula, it’s a top-tier category sort of like a Japanese version of Indycar.
``The level there could be tougher than in GP2 because you have more seasoned veterans that know the tracks and do it year after year. You don’t have that in GP2, which is all young drivers.
``One positive with Super Formula is there are links with Honda and Toyota and I think if you perform well there is the possibility of getting picked up by a manufacturer — either to go to Formula 1 via Super Formula with Honda or maybe to LMP1 with Toyota.’’
The Aston Martin programme in 2016 is an expanded nine round WEC campaign will see Aston Martin up against new Ford GT and Ferrari 488 rivals.
The Aston Martin programme in 2016 is an expanded nine round WEC campaign will see Aston Martin up against new Ford GT and Ferrari 488 rivals.
Stanaway enjoys the challenges of GT endurance racing.
``There is something special about racing a car that people can relate to more than a single-seater.
``A lot of very prestigious brands are involved in GT racing and importantly drivers can get paid and have good careers because of the manufacturer involvement.’’
Stanaway is also exploring another possible step in his climb up the motor racing ranks..
With a driving career that began racing Youth Ministocks at Rotorua’s Paradise Valley Speedway, it’s not a big surprise that American racing has grabbed his interest.
Stanaway is also exploring another possible step in his climb up the motor racing ranks..
With a driving career that began racing Youth Ministocks at Rotorua’s Paradise Valley Speedway, it’s not a big surprise that American racing has grabbed his interest.
``IndyCar is something I’m really interested in,’’ said Stanaway.
``If you don’t make it to F1 then IndyCar is a place you can have an amazing career.’’
So are any plans in place to break into Indycar?
``Not right now but I think there’s potential for things to happen, maybe later this year with a test or something.
``It’s an avenue I’d like to go down, especially growing up watching Scott Dixon winning his championships and the Indy 500.
``A lot drivers who come from circuit racing in Europe tend not to like the ovals but I quite like the idea of racing on ovals.’’
With Formula 1 or IndyCar still as his ultimate goal, Stanaway says it’s important to remain on the single-seater ladder as well as forging his GT career.
``Doing GP2 or Super Formula is a good way to keep that dream alive.
``I think if you only do GT racing it doesn’t take long before you get rusty. After six months of GT racing, if you’ve not been in a high downforce car, you get rusty.
``In 2013 when I did Porsche SuperCup and was driving the Aston with no single-seater stuff it took a while to settle into the first GP3 test in 2014.’’
Formula One
Stanaway takes a pragmatic but still positive outlook when it comes to his chances of making it to Formula 1 where many driver selections are influenced by funding rather than talent.
``I think if there’s an opportunity to be evaluated purely on merit then there’s a chance for sure,’’ said Stanaway.
``There’s been an obsession with getting into F1 before the age of 21 but I see no reason why you can’t get into Formula 1 when you are 26 or 27.
``What gives me hope is the job I got last year with Williams F1 as the simulator development driver. It’s with a virtual car rather than a real one but it’s the modern equivalent of what the test drivers used to be doing.
``So I’ve done tens of thousands of laps on the simulator at all the grand prix circuits.
``I know exactly how the car works. I could jump in the car tomorrow with my eyes closed and know where all the switches are.’’
If a Formula 1 chance ever arises Stanaway should adapt quickly.
To set competitive GT3 times around the daunting Nurburgring as a rookie, drive a GTE car to pole position on his Le Mans debut and grab GP2 wins while on a race-by-race deal for a new team confirms that Stanaway will seize any opportunity when it arises.