“To compete in the greatest race, the Le Mans 24 Hours, is a privilege and an honor,” explains Filipino Robert Bautista, crew chief for Eurasia Motorsport. “It makes us feel proud when the Philippine flag is flown on the grid.” And in finishing the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Manila-based race outfit — with its all-Filipino mechanic crew — made the most out of the opportunity despite several setbacks throughout the race. Simply getting to the chequered flag is a commendable achievement, but they did more than that, improving from their starting position to finish 14th in the LMP2 category and 18th overall out of a grid of 59 total cars.
Of the three drivers in the lineup – gentleman racer Nobuya Yamanaka, Ex-F1 driver Roberto Mehri and Porsche Carrera Cup champion Nick Foster — it was Merhi who took qualifying duties, putting Eurasia 17th in class (23rd overall). Merhi also encountered problems during the night stint, having to make an unscheduled pit stop with a slow puncture, giving the Pinoy pit crew one of several emergency operations. Le Mans veteran Merhi commented that, “The team was great, and the mechanics were fantastic too!” The Ligier LMP2 car didn’t suffer any major damage and was quickly able to get back on track.