14.04.08 Moving in the right direction

For the second time since his drive in the 2007 Spa 1000k race, Wolfgang Kaufmann war behind the wheel of the Scuderia Lavaggi's LMP1 prototype.

Wolfgang Kaufmann and the Lavaggi LMP1

Wolfgang Kaufmann and the Lavaggi LMP1

He was well aware that it would be impossible for a privateer team to succeed against the works operations of Aston Martin, Audi, and Peugeot: “Following some massive engine trouble, Giovanni Lavaggi has invested in the tried and proven AER V8 bi-turbo engine which we used at Barcelona for the first time.”

Small problems with the adaptation of the electronics to the new engine kept the team from running in the first free practice session: “There were adjustment issues that had to be solved. As a side effect of this, the dashboard did not give us any information on engine revs, or the gear. The Lavaggi crew then installed an additional gear shift light for the race.”

Come race day, many hours of work by the team had solved these teething problems, and Kaufmann and team owner Giovanni Lavaggi were able to start the race. During his stint, Kaufmann noticed that part of the car's front bodywork was beginning to come undone. At the repair halt, a loss of alternator power was also diagnosed: “A heat deflector had come off the exhaust, and the alternator was subjected to temperatures that were way too high. In spite of these problems, we where able to take the car a big step further with this race. Those watching us from the outside should always consider the resources most of our competitors have had available to them for the last several years. The 1000k races at Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps are the next events that we want to attack together, and where we will ideally get the results we deserve.”