Last weekend, former FACH AUTO TECH star Earl Bamber secured the World Championship at the penultimate round of the FIA WEC in Shanghai. Following his victory at Le Mans earlier in the year, the New Zealander crowned his maiden full season in the series in the best possible manner. We would like to congratulate the new World Champion and take this opportunity to look back at his early days at FACH AUTO TECH.
“Earl Bamber came into the team at the start of the 2014 season, just one year after we began competing in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup,” says team principal Alex Fach. “Earl had made two guest appearances for our team in 2013, and at this point he was only just starting his motorsport career. He soon showed what he was capable of though, with a memorable outing at the first race of the season in Barcelona.” Starting from second on the grid, the young Kiwi put in a fantastic performance to take his first victory in the fiercely competitive single-make series.
Bamber took eight podiums that year – twice standing on the top step. It was a brilliant season, which he crowned with his first championship victory. One year later, Bamber switched to the Porsche works team to race at Le Mans – taking a surprise victory at his first appearance at the endurance classic. His second Le Mans victory, and first World Championship title, followed in 2017.
“After the race in China I wanted to congratulate him, and he called me straight back and said thanks,” says Alex Fach. “He developed extremely quickly here at FACH AUTO TECH and I am so proud of what he has achieved. The year he spent here was an important stepping stone on the way to future achievements – for us too, not just for Earl. I am very grateful to have worked with him and would like to congratulate him once again on becoming a World Champion!”