It’s been quite a week for Salih Yoluç, taking the Pro-Am championship honours in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup in Barcelona and then claiming his first win in the FIA World Endurance Championship in Fuji on Sunday.
With the Japanese victory, Salih becomes the first Turkish driver to win at the highest level of endurance racing. While far from the end of the season, the result does make it a sensational 12-months for Salih who will shortly be defending his FIA Nations Cup title for Team Turkey.
Together with TF Sport teammates Jonny Adam and Charlie Eastwood, the breakout victory had been a long time coming, with no less than four runner-up positions in the 18-19 FIA WEC Super Season.
Pole position followed at the first race of the current campaign at Silverstone, only for braking issues to blight the bid for his first win. Travelling to Fuji, Salih and the team were confident of a strong showing and duly topped the practice sessions. Salih and Jonny qualified the #90 Aston Martin Vantage on the pole positions once again, laying the foundations to the imminent first victory.
Salih took the start and quickly established a margin over the rest of the LMGTE Am field and in what was a flawless performance completed his two stints to hand over to his teammates with the race there for the taking. Charlie and Jonny completed their stints to take the memorable victory a lap ahead of the field.
“It feels really good to finally get our long overdue win in WEC,” Salih stated. “We didn’t put a foot wrong all race, the car was great, the team performed brilliantly in all of the pitstops, while Jonny and Charlie did well to manage the gap. As a result, we maximised the weekend points wise and I’m now looking forward to Shanghai with confidence.”
Salih is next in action in the FIA Motorsport Games in Vallelunga before heading to China for the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.