G-Drive Racing finishes second in opening round of Blancpain Sprint Series

22 April 2014

On21April, the first round ofthe Blancpain Sprint Series (previously known asthe FIA GTSprint) was held atthe Circuit Paul Armagnac inNogaro. The round comprised aqualifying lap and two races, each lasting one hour.

G-Drive Racing, sponsored bythe G-Drive premium fuel brand, istaking part inthe series for the first time. The team made animpressive start tothe season, finishing insecond place: less than two seconds behind the winning German team.

“This year, the development ofour motor racing project has been stepped upalevel. Weare now working inpartnership with Audi Russia for the Blancpain Sprint Series— sprint racing being anew area forus— inwhich the G-Drive Racing team are driving Audi R8vehicles. Iam certain that 2014 will beeven more successful for G-Drive Racing”, commented Gazprom Neft Regional Sales Director and Project Manager for G-Drive Racing Alexander Krylov.

The Russian team will betaking part inall stages ofthe Blancpain Sprint Series, which will beheld intheUK, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Portugal, and Belgium, before concluding inBaku, Azerbaijan inNovember.

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REFERENCE

Gazprom Neft’s G-Drive Racing project supports Russian motorsports. Aspart ofthe project, Gazprom Neft sponsors G-Drive Racing, which iscompeting inthe FIA World Endurance Championship inthe LMP2 class aswell asinthe new European championship, the Blancpain Sprint Series (previously the FIA GTSprint).

G-Drive isanext-generation fuel available atGazprom Neft filling stations. This premium fuel contains additives that increase engine power byupto12%, improve acceleration byupto1.8seconds, and offer first-rate protection for engine fuel systems.

The Blancpain Sprint Series (BSS) isanew European championship which until 2014 was known asthe FIA GTSprint. Itconsists ofseven stages, each ofwhich includes qualifying laps and the main race. There are two drivers per car, who switch over halfway through the race.

The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) isone ofthe five largest world series held bythe Fédération Internationale del’Automobile (FIA), alongside Formula1. The championship features eight stages spanning three continents: Austin (USA), Spa (Belgium), LeMans (France), Silverstone (UK), Sao Paolo (Brazil), the Kingdom ofBahrain, Fuji (Japan), and Shanghai (China). The24 Hours ofLeMans, aWECstage, isone ofthe three most prestigious races inthe world alongside the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix. Over 310,000 spectators cheer onthe drivers atLeMans every year.

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