Jeroen Bleekemolen believes that Ben Keating's opening stint during the Bapco 8 Hours of Bahrain was the key to GTE Am victory for the #57 Team Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR.
Keating started the race from pole position and put in an impressive opening stint of well over two hours for the team, completing his mandatory driving time in one go, thus saving the team a pitstop which allowed them to stay out front, beating the #98 Aston Martin Vantage AMR of Ross Gunn, Paul Dalla Lana and Darren Turner.
Speaking to Motorsport Week after the race, Bleekemolen explained just how vital the Texan's effort had been for the team.
"We knew we had a chance. We’ve always had a chance this season, just looking at the pace we had," the Dutchman said. "In the first race, we were unlucky so we had to start a lap down by the rules. All the other races we’ve been on the podium so far. To win, it’s always tough, there’s some really good teams. Everything has to go your way, but it did.
Ben really set it up with a three hour stint. It meant we could do it with seven pitstops. Also great thinking by the guys from the team, but obviously really good driving from him to do three hours and not lose any time to some of the pro drivers in the cars. So, really impressive."
When asked if Keating's marathon effort in the early hours of the race had been the key to victory, Bleekemolen replied:
"Yeah, oh yeah. We had a gap of a pitstop more or less to the Aston and we did one stop less. So it would have been real close without him doing this long.
We would have been in the pits shorter with the eight stops, because you can shortfill and you have better tyres on average, so the pace would have been a little bit better. I had to save some fuel as well, but in the end, this worked out better. This was an easier way to get a gap and keep it."
Bleekemolen explained the team's rationale behind keeping Keating in the car for such a long time, also hinting that the IMSA veteran spent more time behind the wheel of the Porsche than originally intended.
"Most bronze drivers did one stint, then they pulled them out and then they did another one," Bleekemolen pointed out. "But the problem is: the drive time is two hours and twenty minutes, and you can only do one hour. So you can’t do it in two stints.
Normally, the plan was to do two stints and then a short one and then pull him out, but his pace was so good. So we asked if he could do a third one, a full one and he said ‘yeah, I’m fine and I’m feeling good’. And that was the key'
