For the past two seasons, the partnership between Speedy Racing and Team Sebah has been steadily growing and 2010 will be no different as several changes to the program take shape.  The team is now called Rebellion Racing and will enter two Lolas in LMP1 powered by a new engine, the V10…Rebellion!

After a year of learning in 2008 with one Lola B08/80 entered in LMP2, the Speedy Racing/Team Sebah switched to the next gear last year, with involvement in both prototype categories.  It was a successful campaign as the LMP1 regularly showed well, most notably with a second place in the 1000km of Silverstone for Belicchi/Fässler/Prost, while the LMP2 finished in second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans before coming in second of the Le Mans Series championship in the hands of Kane/Pompidou/Leuenberger and winning Michelin Green X Challenge.

After demonstrating its qualities, the Speedy/Sebah seems ready to take the next step.  This comes in the form of a stepped up presence from Rebellion.  A team sponsor for the past two seasons, the Swiss watchmaker will now be giving its name to the team – good news in terms of present economic times.

Rebellion Racing will concentrate on the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where two requests for invites will be made in LMP1.  Other participations in other series (ALMS or Asian LMS, that is the question) are not to be excluded either.  This means the team will invest it’s energy entirely in the top category: Even though it has three automatic invites to Le Mans, the team will not continue in LMP2 and will instead take the fight to LMP1 with two Lola coupes. 

These two Lola coupes are themselves another change.  One change comes in the back, where te V12 Aston Martin makes way for the V10…Rebellion.  This engine is the result of a technical partnership between Judd and Rebellion Timepieces who, “using the highest technologies in metal alloys, composites and fabrication, wished to be associated with a racing engine,” said a team release.  There is also a change in the area of the chassis since the Lolas will benefit from a more polished aero package and the results of work led by Lola and Rebellion Racing in the wind tunnel will be show in the coming weeks.  A small surprise, however, is no change in rubber, sticking with Michelins even though the team tested Dunlops at Estoril.

And last but not least, the drivers for 2010.  Rebellion Racing has gone for continuity, since the three men confirmed for next season have already driven for the team: Andréa Belicchi and Nicolas Prost, who were already teammates in 2009 with Marcel Fässler, will be joined by Neel Jani who only ran the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the team.  A very respectable threesome, who should make things interesting next year.  We would like to note the absence of Marcel Fässler and Xavier Pompidou, but one seat is still available for the whole season.

The other drivers who will fill in the composition of the Le Mans entries will be announced soon.

Rainier Ehrhardt