This weekend, United Autosports managed by Richard Dean won the Silverstone 4 Hours as well as coming first in the LM P3 category with the Ligier JS P217 and the Ligier JS P3 respectively. This superb result underlines the sheer professionalism of the Anglo-American team.

At the end of a closely-fought race the no. 32 Ligier JS P217-Gibson-Dunlop entered by United Autosports took the chequered flag in front of the no. 22 Oreca 07-Gibson-Dunlop run by G-Drive Racing and the no. 49 High Class Racing Dallara P217-Gibson-Dunlop. The presence of three constructors on the first ELMS podium of the season confirms just how competitive the LM P2 field is in 2017.

The no. 34 Ligier JS P217 run by Tockwith Motorsports, which made its debut this weekend in the LM P2 category, came home fifth setting the second-fastest lap in the race, only one-tenth-of-a-second slower than the quickest. The IDEC Sport Racing and Panis Barthez Compétition JS P217s finished in eighth and ninth positions. Algarve Pro Racing had to retire at half-distance when it looked on course for a top-3 finish.

With 15 Ligier JS P3s on the grid the LM P3 built by Onroak Automotive had the same success as in 2016, and as was the case in last year’s Silverstone 4 Hours in its first race in sports prototypes, United Autosports won and its two Ligier JS P3s finished in the first three with one on the topmost step of the podium.

This outcome was the result of a 1-lap penalty that hit 360 Racing. The English team’s car crossed the line in second place in LM P3, but fell back to seventh because it failed to respect the driving time of its Bronze driver.

Thus, French outfit Ultimate, after an encouraging learning season in 2016, was rewarded with a great second place in front of no. 3, United Autosports’ second Ligier JS P3.

AT Racing, making its debut in the LM P3 category this weekend, brought its no. 9 Ligier JS P3 home in fourth place after setting pole position in the category and good performances in the race, while M.Racing – YMR rounded out the top 5 with the no. 18 Ligier JS P3.

The next round of the European Le Mans Series will take place between 12 – 14 May on the Monza circuit. This coming weekend Onroak Automotive has three rendezvous with the Ligier JS P3s:
- At Barber for the second round of the IMSA Prototype Challenge,
- At Donington for the first round of the Henderson LM P3 Cup Championship,
- At Portimao for the official Michelin Le Mans Cup.

Jacques Nicolet: “I would like to congratulate the whole United Autosports team for its exceptional achievement. It was extraordinary to share the joy of this double victory with them over the weekend. We’re delighted with the performances of the Ligier JS P217 and the overall level of competition in the LM P2 field with three constructors on the podium, which confirms that the season is going to be a hotly-contested one. Concerning the LM P3s, I’m very pleased that there was no fall-off in effort. We still have as many cars racing and new teams have arrived while others have renewed their trust in us. Once again this weekend the Ligier JS P3 demonstrated its excellent reliability/performance ratio.”

The delegation of ORECA 07s has plenty to be satisfied with in this European Le Mans Series. After the fantastic pole position achieved by Ben Hanley, DragonSpeed were the first to shine, having led the beginning of the race. Then, and though they had started from the back of the grid, Graff took over with crew Allen-Matelli-Bradley, going from 28th to 1st place during the first hour.

But soon G-Drive Racing would take control of the 4 Hours of Silverstone. Extremely consistent, trio Hirakawa-Rojas-Roussel on board the No. 22 ORECA 07 reached the 1st place before mid-race. With authority, the Russian team completed a perfect second part of the round, and seemed to be racing for a first success. Unfortunately, during Hirakawa’s very last stint, the lead they had built up throughout the 3rd hour quickly melted away. Racing with a set of tyres seriously damaged from the qualifying sessions, G-Drive’s car could not fight back against first rival behind it, which stole victory from the team, just a few kilometres away from the chequered flag.

“There’s no way we’re going to be disappointed” says Nicolas Minassian, now DragonSpeed’s Team Manager, and also bringing technical and management support to G-Drive Racing. “We delivered a good performance. Lots of positive things to remember after such a weekend. Yes, our car and our race got thwarted by some issues with the gearbox control unit. But apart from that, the team and three drivers did well overall. As for the No. 22 crew, they unfortunately made a mistake during the practice sessions and then paid for it at the end of the race. Obviously that’s a bit frustrating but that’s part of our learning process. We’re a young team, our drivers need to learn as well. We need to work on how to manage our races, but with the whole championship in mind, as the bigger picture. The overall outcome is satisfying for the team, that’s what we need to keep in mind.”

As for Graff, main driver Eric Touillet reported similarly. “There was some stumbling and difficulties when changing wheels. Personally I experienced an engine shut-off as I was coming out of the pits and taking back to the track. The reset required in that case meant that we lost some seconds then. But generally speaking, we’ve shown great things this weekend. Our cars were really competitive and the entire staff did a great job to really make the most of the ORECA 07 which this weekend demonstrated it’s the fastest one on track. We need to refine some things, but we’re confident for what’s to come.”

Next round will take place on Monza race track, on May 12th, 13th & 14th.

“We’re gutted,” said Team Manager Samantha Cox. “We were confident of a podium finish, probably second and then the gearbox failed. The drivers and team did a great job. We’ve had a great weekend, it’s just a real shame for all of us that we couldn’t get the result we deserved here at Silverstone.”

Ahead of the 4H of Silverstone, the Portuguese-based team worked their way through the two 90-minute practice sessions with Andrea Pizzitola, Andrea Roda and Matthew McMurry all taking turns behind the wheel of the Ligier LMP2.

The ten minute-qualifying session saw Pizzitola claim the provisional pole position, only for a rival to spin and bring out the red flags. The session resumed with just over five minutes remaining and the team opting to save a set of tyres over that of their rivals, fully aware that they would be beaten to the pole, but this would benefit in terms of strategy on race day

Starting fifth, Roda took the first stint and found himself in a tight battle with the #32 Liger and 39 Oreca for third position. With 40-laps complete, Roda took second position and pitted shortly afterwards to hand over to Matthew McMurry. The American racer resumed in second position, maintaining the gap to those chasing behind before the gearbox failed.

“I was simply driving along and there were no issues and then I went to shift and the revs just jumped up like I was in neutral,” said McMurry. “That was the end for me, the gearbox failed and I parked the car. A real shame but we proved our speed here today.”
 
Algarve Pro Racing return to the European Le Mans Series for round two at Monza 12-14 May.

It has been a faultless race for the trio of Proton Competition, in a weekend made difficult, in the LMGTE category, by the obvious supremacy of the Aston Martins, clearly advantaged by a the Balance of Performance (the system aimed at balancing the performances of all cars) applied at the beginning of the season. Thanks to an excellent strategy and the good pace of the three drivers, the Proton Porsche has been the only car able to give some concerns to the Astons, managing to finish in-between the two British cars.

The next ELMS event, the 4 Hours of Monza, will take place on 14th May.

Joel Camathias:

“It has been an excellent start of the season and a podium finish that we can be proud of, given how things presented themselves this weekend. Since free practice, the Astons seemed to fly, beating everyone else by more than two seconds. We have focused on doing our set-up work and took fourth-fastest in qualifying. In the race, we proved more competitive, running always in the top three and reducing the gap from the Astons. The team designed a race strategy that worked nicely, with perfect pit stops, and all three drivers were able to keep a fast and consistent pace. I did the central double stint and Matteo, in the final stint, was able to steal second from the competition. Good team work, for sure, but we hope that the Balance of Performance will be corrected before the next round, at Monza, which is home race for Matteo and me…”​

Twelve months ago in the corresponding race, the Anglo-American team sensationally won the LMP3 category in its maiden sports-prototype race on United’s European Le Mans Series début. In this year’s opening race of the series at the Northamptonshire circuit, Filipe Albuquerque, Will Owen and Hugo de Sadeleer dramatically scored the team’s début ELMS LMP2 class win – even overcoming a drive-through penalty. Meanwhile John Falb and Sean Rayhall comfortably repeated the team’s LMP3 victory in the 4 Hours of Silverstone. The Zak Brown and Richard Dean led team held front row class start positions and went on to achieve a double victory – the latter never having been achieved by a sports-prototype team in the same race. Furthermore Wayne Boyd, Christian England and Mark Patterson completed the team’s joy with third-place in the final results.

The second round of the ELMS is staged at Monza (IT) on 14 May while the previous day sees the opening two-hour race in the Michelin Le Mans Cup in which Matt Bell (GB)/Jim McGuire plus Shaun Lynn (GB)/Richard Meins (GB) fly the flag for United in a brace of Ligier JS P3 sportscars. But before heading for the ultra-fast 3.6-mile Autodromo Nazionale track north of Milan, the Leeds-based team contest the opening 2017 Henderson Insurance LMP3 Cup Championship races at Donington Park (GB) next weekend (23 Apr) with a pair of Ligiers.

Richard Dean, Team Owner and Managing Director, United Autosports:
“It’s been an incredible day! Last year we achieved 1-2 on our ELMS début and I didn’t think it could get any better but to win LMP2 on our class début, dominate LMP3 again with a win and third place is truly amazing. I wish Zak could have been here to see it.”

Zak Brown, Team Owner and Chairman, United Autosports:
“Amazing – simply amazing! What an impressive job by everyone at United Autosports. I’m so happy and very proud of our team.  I wished I could have been at Silverstone but watched the last 90 minutes ‘live’ after our [McLaren-Honda’s] qualifying here in Bahrain.”

LMP2: #32 Albuquerque/Owen/de Sadeleer. Qualified: 2nd, 1m 44.314s (FA). Race: 1st.

De Sadeleer, making his sports-prototype debut and having only previously raced at Silverstone twice (Formula Renault), started from the front row courtesy of Albuquerque’s heroic efforts the previous day, running impressively in second for much of his opening stint despite his lack of LMP experience. The Swiss pitted with 40 minutes gone for fuel, plus left hand side tyres only, resuming seventh and took the lead almost 80 minutes into the race before making a scheduled pit-stop.

Owen, who made his LMP2 début in the US earlier this month and was racing at Silverstone for the first time, re-joined second having taken on left side tyres only plus fuel. Will, however, had to serve a drive-through penalty on 90 minutes for an earlier “yellow flag” no overtaking infringement by de Sadeleer dropping to fifth. With an hour to run, Albuquerque was second, 30 seconds down on the leader, but consistently lapping faster, Filipe stormed to tremendous 6.339secs victory having taken the lead with just two minutes remaining.

Filipe Albuquerque (P): Born/Lives: Coimbra, Portugal. Age: 31
“It was brilliant – a dream. I managed my tyres from when I got in the car. The gap was coming down and I could then see the leader was struggling. I enjoyed the last lap when I was in the lead! We must remain calm and focussed for the next race. Qualifying had been tricky, taking care of the tyres for the race. I only had enough fuel for one flying lap at the end after the early times were deleted. I pushed very, very hard – squeezing everything out of the car.”
 
Will Owen (US): Born: Plano, Texas. Lives: Denver, Colorado. Age: 22
“It’s a great start to the season in my first race with United. Everyone in the team has worked hard day and night and deserve this success. I’m super happy. My stint was safe and clean with no dramas.”

Hugo de Sadeleer (CH): Born: Lausanne, Switzerland. Lives: Monaco. Age: 19
“What a way to begin with United Autosports! I managed the start well and the stint, just trying to be consistent. I saw the yellow [flag] and slowed and so didn’t think I’d done anything wrong but obviously there had been a GT car somewhere.”

LMP3: #2 Falb/Rayhall. Qualified: 2nd, 1m 53.786s (SR). Race: 1st.
#3 Boyd/England/Patterson. Qualified: 3rd, 1m 54.181s (WB). Race: 3rd.

The United Autosports duo lined-up second and third respectively in class, qualifiers Rayhall and Boyd running at the head of the field until their respective pit-stops. Sean and Wayne pitted with a little over one hour gone, Rayhall staying in the car after taking fuel only at the stop while England took over from Boyd, fuel and a fresh front right tyre going on his Ligier – the duo back at the head of the field almost immediately.

Falb, like Rayhall, making his race début for United, took over the lead Ligier from his fellow American with a little short of two hours to run, England switching a lap later to Patterson – the United Autosports pair both taking on fuel and tyres and resumed one-three. With an hour to go, Falb enjoyed a near full lap advantage although Patterson had slipped to fifth. John brought the lead #2 Ligier in for its final pit-stop with 50 minutes to go (fuel only), Mark following suit minutes later handing over to Boyd. Falb survived a quick spin without contacting anything on his way to a dominant 41.166 seconds victory while Boyd had sliced his way back up to in fourth at the chequered flag – less than three-seconds from scoring a podium. However, late on Saturday evening the #3 Ligier was listed third in the final results after a breach of regulations by another car.

John Falb (US). Born: Dallas, Texas. Lives: Las Vegas, Nevada. Age: 45
“The race evolved exactly as planned. It was a case of staying focussed. My stint was great, I could pound out the laps with consistent times. I’m so very pleased. I had a small spin very near the end but it didn’t hurt us.”

Sean Rayhall (US): Born/Lives: Atlanta, Georgia. Age: 22
“Words can’t describe how I feel. The team has done an awesome job. The pit-stops were flawless. The strategy was spot on throughout. It was a ‘picture perfect’ race for us. I went into the lead at Turn 3 and then just got my head down and pressed on. It was great to claim a front row spot in my first race with United the previous day. It was almost ‘pole’ but I made a small mistake in the first sector on my final lap.”

Wayne Boyd (GB): Born: Belfast, Northern Ireland. Lives: Templepatrick, Northern Ireland. Age: 26
“I got off to a good start and brought the car into the pits in second. The car was consistently fast so we take many positives away that we can use to good effect in Italy. Qualifying went well. Unfortunately I found myself in traffic when the tyres were at their optimum.”

Christian England (GB): Born: Barnsley, UK. Lives: Huddersfield, UK. Age: 35
“I enjoyed the race, pace was good, and car handled well for me. I pitted to Mark in second but he lost over 30 seconds trying to re-start with a clutch issue. Wayne just missed out on third place on the road but we ultimately achieved a deserved podium. We can now look forward to Monza.”

Mark Patterson (US): Born: Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Lives: Montana, USA. Age: 65
“Unusually we gave some time away in the pits today while I was a little disappointed with my own pace. Christian did a great job and Wayne was awesome. It’s always great to race at Silverstone – and fantastic to see United score two class wins with our car ultimately taking third-place.”

Team Principal Amadio says: “We did a super job and we are very happy for that. After an exciting race the team had a concrete result and I must say ‘well done’ to the drivers and all the boys. We had a consistent pace and we also understood how to improve some new details. We were making our debut in LMP2, with the new prototype, against many fierce rivals and on one of the most demanding track in the world: it was really a great day!”.

The car, which started the race fourth on the grid with Roussell at the wheel, briefly slipped to sixth in the opening hour, before making a charge to the front. With two and a half hours remaining, Roussell took over from Rojas in fifth and battled with the front runners, eventually taking the lead. The 19-year-old Frenchman dived up the inside of the overall leader at Copse just before the halfway mark, and would hold the top spot until Hirokawa took over for the final stint.

Hirakawa continued to lead upon getting in the car, but was on used tyres. With time winding down and a 30-second lead, the Japanese driver battled hard to hold the position, but had to settle for second after being passed in the final minutes. Nevertheless, it was an impressive result for the trio, in their first race together.

“Leo was a bit ragged at the start,” team principal Elton Julian commented after the race. “But he really redeemed himself when he got in for his second stint. We knew we’d struggle at the end with the tyres being worn after Ryo’s spin in Qualifying, so we’re extremely pleased with such a good points haul. At the end of the season we may realise how crucial the result was.”

Memo Rojas, driver of the Number 22 said post race:  “If you feel this disappointed to finish second place you know you are doing something good!  The car was fast, the team worked well together, the signs are very good that this could be a very good year.”

DragonSpeed’s Number 21 ORECA 07 Gibson in the race meanwhile, finished down in 11th spot after a gearbox issue ended its chances of victory in the first half of the race after Ben Hanley took a decisive lead from Pole Position. The car’s pace was nevertheless encouraging though, with Hanley setting the fastest time of the race, a 1:47.474, on the fourth lap.

“It was a really good performance from the team,” Hanley said, commenting on the race. “The car was quick all weekend, we were just unlucky that we had that small gearbox issue which cost us some laps. We’re looking forward to Monza now, we’re competitive and have potential to win races this year, that’s the main thing.”

Next up on the 2017 European Le Mans Series calendar is the trip to Monza, Italy, for Round 2 of the season on the 14th of May.

Dragonspeed qualified on pole position and led to the first stops. From there the lead was exchanged repeatedly with 6 different leaders during the four hour battle. Tyre management was key with all LMP2 cars being new and teams learning how to get the best from the tyre and car packages. One of each manufacturer was in the top three, with two of each, Ligier, Oreca and Dallara, in the top six showing the competitiveness in the series with the new generation cars. The top seven cars chose to compete on Dunlop tyres in the open-tyre class.

In the one-brand tyre GTE category, TF Sport won the race in the Aston Martin Vantage V8, finishing one lap ahead of Proton Competition’s Porsche 911 RSR 991. The class was also closely fought with the lead being exchanged between the Porsche and both Astons.

Mike McGregor, Manager Testing & Track Support, Dunlop Motorsport

“It was a great race and a testament to the hard work of the manufacturers. To have such a mix of cars in the finish order for the first result is fantastic. Both our winning teams had clean races and the right strategy combined with good tyre management.

“The investment and hard work from our tyre design team to make sure that we can optimise the tyres to the different chassis has shown here. We now have our first set of race data and we can continue our learning to optimise performance for each team. The European Le Mans Series has put together what is looking to be a great season and now we can look forward to the next round at Monza.”

After the short first pitstop (two pitstops must be a minimum of 100 seconds) in his second stint Smiechowski got a drive through penalty for abuse of track limits and with this gave away his 3^rd place. He fell back to 5^th but was, within one lap, back up to 4^th. He then handed the car to Martin Hippe. Hippe fell back to 5^th but moved up to 4^th.  In his two stints he had many fights and could remain 4^th till the next lot of pitstops. He fell back to 7^th and with only 15 minutes to go, remained there till he crossed the finishline.

Kuba Smiechowski: “ It was very slippery on the track and after the start I had a great fight with the car in front of me. But it did spoil my tyres a bit. Overall the car was good but I just can’t get to grips with this circuit. Silverstone is just not my favorite track. I was very careful with the track limits but apparently not careful enough as I got a drive through penalty. Shame but that’s all in the game. Now onto Monza.”

Martin Hippe: “Overall we are happy with finishing 7^th in the first race, specially after starting from 15th. We had no mechanical problems at all this weekend. We still need to work on our race set up, but it is not a bad start for the season.”

Jörg Kranzfelder (teammanager): “We are actually happy with the result. Both drivers did consistent laptimes. We still have to work on the speed of the car, but as usual it is work in progress.”

Quickest lap Kuba Smiechowski: 1m59s302

Quickest lap Martin Hippe: 1m.59s.624

“This is a dream start for us, something we definitely want to continue,” said TF Sport Director Tom Ferrier. “We were a little unsure as to where we stood after the Monza test, but this proves we really are right on the game and this is a perfect launch to what we think is going to be a fantastic season for TF Sport.”

Thiim claimed a sensational pole position in the #90 Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE on Friday and come Saturday afternoon, Yoluc started the four-hour race, losing one position at the start, then maintained station, remaining in striking distance, before handing over to Hankey at the one-hour mark.

Hankey wasted no time regaining the GTE class lead early in his stint, passing the #55 car and quickly extending his advantage at the head of the field to an impressive 30 seconds.

With just over half distance complete, Thiim took over for his stint and continued to show the true pace of the TF Sport entry as he further extended the gap to the #77 and #99 cars chasing behind.

With the race now truly under control now, Hankey took the fourth stint and calmly crossed the line on after 116 laps to record a dominant debut victory for TF Sport in the European Le Mans Series.

Salih Yoluc

“It’s a great result, we know we had the speed, so it was a good race and all three of us managed to have a clean race. The start was okay, there was some drama in front, but we managed our way through all okay. So, a great start!”

Nicki Thiim

“Brilliant for the team, especially here at their home ground to deliver this result. I came in and I’m getting familiarised with the team, Salih did an amazing job – made us comfortable and made it easier for us to bring the car home. Perhaps here we have a small advantage with Aston knowing the track setup wise but next up is Monza and we’re looking forward to that.”

Euan Hankey

“I never really thought we’d be in this position – if you had asked me in the middle of last year but we’ve all improved so much – especially Salih – and this made our live really easy really. Although I did have a few moments, some contact, but none-the-less we got over the finish line and we got the first place which was exactly what we wanted. TF Sport… unbelievable the way they have graduated to GTE. I hope it continues, I’m sure it won’t always be this easy.

“In the Monza test we were really fast so again if we can carry the Silverstone momentum to there, so we’re really looking forward to it.”

TF Sport are next in action in the British GT on Monday 17 April before moving on to Blancpain Endurance Cup 22-23 April. The next ELMS race for the winning #90 team is Monza 12-14 May.

If the goal for the team owned by Jerry Canevisio and Giorgio Testa was to complete as many kilometers as possible, it can be said that everything went according to plan. The French racecar was able to cross the finishing line without experiencing any mechanical issue, ending up P13 in class.

Over the four hours, the team only had to deal with a puncture right after the first driver change, when Roda was driving. The Italian, who had just relished Méndez, was sent spinning and was forced to make his way to the pits for an unscheduled additional stop.

Both Méndez and Capitanio completed hour-long stints while Roda drove for almost two hours, completing the final run to take the Norma M30 to the checkered flag.

“It basically went as we expected – said Jerry Canevisio - Our goal was to complete the race to make experience. Without that puncture and the additional pit-stop we could have achieved a better result. What counts now is that we have a lot of feedback on which we can work on so we can head the car’s development in the right direction over the tests that we plan to make before the next round at Monza”.

Both Capitanio (who took P12 in qualifying) and Méndez, the two Silver drivers, put up a quick pace while Roda, who was the only Bronze driver as well as the only one without track knowledge, did a great job by increasing his chemistry with the car.

The Italian round of the series is scheduled in one month at Monza, on the 13th and 14th of May. The Oregon Team will line-up at home with more ideal condition for an attempt to run at the front end of the charts.

The #22 G-Drive Racing by DragonSpeed Oreca of Ryo Hirakawa meanwhile, qualified in P4 with a lap time of 1:45.216, meaning both DragonSpeed-run prototypes will start on the front two rows.

Hanley’s fastest lap came after a brief stoppage for another LMP2 runner getting stuck in a gravel trap, leaving the front-runners with just five minutes to battle for the top spot once the session returned to green.

The 32-year-old withstood the intense pressure to set the best lap of the session to put the DragonSpeed team and the Oreca 07 atop the times for the first Qualifying session in Europe for the new-for-2017 LMP2 cars.

“We spent two laps getting the tyres ready for the first push, and then the red flag came out just as I was starting to push in the final sector,” said Hanley, who will share the #21 Oreca with Nicolas Lapierre and Henrik Hedman.

“After the session got back underway we then had to push straight away, and on my second lap, the second and third sectors were just right. The team did a great job in getting the car set up so well.”

Hirokawa added: “It was a really good performance, especially after we had a few issues this morning. I had a lot of confidence in Qualifying and had a spin, but recovered and still finished up P4. It’s a long race though and I’m looking forward it.”

“I’ve been looking for a moment to put Ben in the car for Qualifying, because I knew that he could get a result like this,” team principal Elton Julian said, commenting on the result.

“I trust him, having him drive the car in Qualifying on his home race was fitting and he produced, it was a great lap.”

Tomorrow’s four-hour race on the world-famous Silverstone Grand Prix circuit is set to begin at 14:30 local time in the UK.

ELMS – Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE

For TF Sport, stepping up the European Le Mans Series in the GTE class, is something of an honour, the move being granted after winning the GT Le Mans Cup support series in 2016. Racing the blue-liveried Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE with Nicki Thiim, Salih Yoluc and Euan Hankey, the team has already enjoyed an extensive test programme.

Test 1 – February, AMR Official test at Portimao
Test 2 – March, Monza ELMS prologue
Test 3 – April, Silverstone shakedown

TF Sport Director, Tom Ferrier: “The official Aston Martin test was all good. We had all the drivers on hand – as we did at the other tests. The Monza test last month in the official ELMS test and while not perfect as we lost a day of running after a minor shunt, we had a really good test and got through the programme without issues. We showed really good pace – we’re not sure all of our rivals were at full speed – but we’ll see when we get to the first round at Silverstone this week…”
 
British GT – Astron Martin V12 Vantage GT3

As defending champions in British GT, Derek Johnston and Jonny Adam are aiming for nothing but GT3 title success, while teammates Mark Farmer and Jon Barnes are also looking to add to their silverware collection.

Test 1 – February, AMR Official test at Portimao
Test 2 – Oulton Park, two days of running
Test 3 – Rockingham
Test 4 – Silverstone

“We have done a lot of running recently – especially at Rockingham with both cars and the testing there has been all good so far. We’re heading to Oulton Park in a positive frame of mind, keen to capitalise on any errors from our rivals, and to give both cars a really good shot of winning.
 
“We have a new tyre this year, the same tyre we’re using in Blancpain, so in a way it’s a bit of a reset and that’s why we have been putting in the laps at as many circuits as we could – to understand the tyres and how they work with the car.”

Blancpain Endurance Cup – Aston Martin GT3

Jonny Adam and Ahmad Al Harthy team up for TF Sport under the Oman Racing banner in the Pro-Am Blancpain Endurance Cup. The first round of the Endurance Cup starts at Monza 22-23 April.

Test 1 – March, Official Blancpain test, Paul Ricard
Test 2 – March, Monza
Test 3 – April, Silverstone.

Joel heads to England in full shape: the pre-season collective test held at Monza on 29th March has allowed to familiarize himself with a car and a team he already know well, and the unforseen participation to the Blancpain GT Asia round at Sepang last week has been a perfect opportunity to take in race mileage. There couldn’t be a better preparation ahead of a campaign that will be open and closely-fought, especially in the LMGTE category, with a number of top level rivals.

The 3 Hours of Silverstone will take place on Saturday 15th April, starting at 15:30 hours, Central European time.

Joel Camathias:

“I’m obviously delighted to take the track again for what is the real start of my season. The European Le Mans Series is one of the top endurance series at international level, with a tremendously high level, especially this year. I am happy to be again at the wheel of a Porsche, a car and a brand that are close to my heart, and associated with Proton, whose professional approach I know well as they were the technical partners following the 911 I drove last year in the WEC. Having again as team mate Christian Ried, with whom there is a perfect match, gives me a lot of confidence, and I went along immediately with Matteo Cairoli, a very young driver but tremendously talented. On top, racing last week at Sepang has been very helpful to get rid of the ‘winter rust’, so there many reasons to do well in the ELMS, a series where I collected many satisfactions in the past. I only hope that the Balance of Performance of the cars elaborated by the organizers is the right one and don’t poses a challenge to our car. Still, the most important and nice thing is that we are back to business and ready to fight for very good results!” ​

The first round of the 2017 ELMS kicks off on Thursday with scrutineering and the first practice session, followed on Friday by the second one and the qualifying session. The 4 Hours of Silverstone will take place on Saturday at 14:30hrs. Live coverage will begin just before the race on www.europeanlemansseries.com .

Team Principal Amadio says: “We expect a thrilling but also a very demanding debut in Silverstone, despite all the testing sessions done. Cars are new for all so we think there will be several variables. During the testing sessions we equally divided the work among our three drivers who tried to improve their feeling with the new car. Our job was completed as planned and now the main goal is racing consistently and crossing the finish line. It would be very important to be able to make as much experience as possible because we still lack it and the team has to refine some details”.

This year Śmiechowski has a new teammate; Martin Hippe. Hippe has many years of racing in a variety of single seaters behind him and when not racing is active as a racing and data engineer, as well as being a drivers’ coach. This, of course, next to his daily job.

The two-day test two weeks ago at Monza went relatively well for the Inter Europol Competition team. Last year the team lacked some speed on the straight but that problem was hopefully solved at Monza. Different kinds of set up were tried and in general a lot of knowledge was gained and put to good use. For Hippe it was good to get a lot of time in the car and get comfortable with it.

Jakub Śmiechowski: “At Monza I think we made a huge step forward in means of understanding the car. We had some bad luck last year when we had to retire just five minutes before the end of the race, so I’m desperate to get a good result and a strong finish this year in the first ELMS race of the season.”

Martin Hippe: “At Monza I was very happy to get a lot of time in the car and learn the track. Now I am looking forward to Silverstone which is another new track for me to drive. For sure I know it from our trackwalk last year when I was working with Kuba as data engineer. I really like the fast corners like Maggots and Becketts so I will enjoy myself.”

After narrowly missing out on the ELMS GTE title in 2016, JMW Motorsport are back with their Ferrari 458 to mix it against the Ferrari 488′s, Aston Martin V8 Vantages and Porsche 911 RSR’s. “It’s a quality field with several factory drivers in it and I can’t wait to get going at the first round at Silverstone.” commented Fannin. After showing good pace at the ELMS Prologue at Monza, the 23 year old forms a strong partnership with Rob Smith and Rory Butcher. “I’d like to thank Jim McWhirter for adding me to the lineup. I’ve known Rory for a while, having raced against him in British GT and know how quick he is and Rob is very focussed on winning, so we’ll hopefully form a good combination.”

The European Le Mans Series kicks off at Silverstone over the Easter weekend where it forms part of the World Endurance Championship package and travels to Monza, The Red Bull Ring, Paul Ricard, Spa and closes with the final round at Portimao in Portugal in October.

The trio of drivers are familiar with each other and the team, as they drove together during various parts of the Asian Le Mans Series, which Team Principal Stewart Cox thinks is an asset going into an ELMS season where there are numerous new teams and driver combinations among the LMP2 ranks.

“It’s taken three years to put a team together that will enable us to go racing instead of just taking part,” said Cox. “The whole team are motivated to start the ELMS championship as we left Asia fighting for wins, and with the three drivers we now have, we have never been in in a better position. The team has improved leaps and bounds over the last six months and so have the drivers.”

Roda (26) won the Asian Le Mans Series driver’s championship at Sepang International Circuit in January – while Algarve Pro Racing secured the team championship – and was announced for the ELMS season during the ACO’s February live stream that also revealed entries for WEC and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“I’m so happy to join Algarve Pro team after the championship victory in Asian Le Mans Series,” said Roda. “I’m looking forward to driving again with Matt and Andrea; we did a very good job together. The lineup is strong to compete in ELMS and I’m sure everybody will give 100% to make a great year.”

McMurry (19) competed in ELMS and 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014 in LMP2, and has continued in that category and the LMPC class over the last two seasons with multiple podiums in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship and AsianLMS. He is also in his second season of GT racing via Porsche as the additional driver for Park Place Motorsports during the four major US endurance events.

“I’m really looking forward to being back in Europe, while also continuing my work in the US,” said McMurry. “It’s going to be a very busy year, but busy is good. ELMS will be more competitive than ever with 13 entries in LMP2, so the competition will be strong and that’s for the best.”

Pizzitola (25) is a Nissan factory driver who showed incredible pace during the three ELMS rounds in which he ran with Algarve last season, and who sat on the pole multiple times during the recently completed AsianLMS season. He is a product of the Renault ladder system, including Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, Formula Renault 2.0 NEC, Renault Sport Trophy and Sport Endurance Trophy.

“I am really happy to be part of the adventure again with Stewart and Samantha (Cox) and I am so touched and glad that they give me this confidence and they trust me,” said Pizzitola. “I will give the maximum as always to get the best result with the team. They did a great job last year, we improved a lot during the season and the car was really good at the end. I am confident for this year. I think we have a very good line up altogether and I can’t wait to be in the car for the first test.”

Algarve Pro Racing has an automatic-invite to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Cox said that the team is currently in the process of evaluating driver combinations, and hopes to confirm its lineup for the classic after the Monza test.

The appointment marks a new phase in a long and highly successful career in motorsport for Minassian, a senior management role with the expanding DragonSpeed team following on from a driving career that has seen the Frenchman compete and win in the upper echelons of single seaters and sportscars over a near 25-year career thus far in the cockpit.

It doesn’t mark the end of Minassian’s driving career though. He enters the season as DragonSpeed’s reserve Pro driver in addition to his other duties.

Announcing the appointment Team Principal Elton Julian said: “I’ve known Nic since the very early days of our driving careers. We share a passion for the sport and from the moment we started to talk about this appointment, the shared vision and passion was clearly there.

“With the expansion of the team to two cars this season his input will be vital, not just with the work he will do with the drivers, but in working alongside me to build up the business side of the team. His knowledge, insight, and his contacts are pretty amazing and he has already made some major and very positive contributions to the shape of the team for 2017.”

Nicolas Minassian added: “I’m really excited by this new role with what was already a great team. I know from my previous career what it takes to create a good team, and what more it takes to expand that effort.
 
“Working on the sporting side of the team allows me a very free reign to contribute in a number of ways, to help Elton and the rest of the team to do exactly that. I am enjoying, of course, working with the drivers on performance, and have enjoyed working with Elton in the close season to help find and finalise the crew for the second (G-Drive) car.  Finding the right mix of ability, personality and budget is never easy!
 
“I’m very happy too to be working on the business development side of the operation, looking to the future and using my knowledge and contacts on a timescale that was often not possible during my driving career. The signs are very good that this team is raising the bar. I’m looking forward to getting involved in extracting the very best out of what we have, and enjoying our successes.”

Roussel completes a two-car ELMS effort for the team, now based in the south of France, who will also field a second ORECA, their number 21 car (racing under the 10Star DragonSpeed banner) piloted by Henrik Hedman, Nicolas Lapierre and Ben Hanley.

Léo Roussel said: “I can’t wait to get started at Monza for what looks to be a really exciting ELMS season.

“It is a real pleasure and an honour to be a member of the team and to share the G-Drive by DragonSpeed ORECA with Memo and Ryo. It’s great to be taking this programme forward with a team, and teammates who are just as passionate as I am about the sport, and who will be looking to take the team to the front row on the grid and the top step of the podium. I’m delighted to be trusted with this opportunity by the team – I hope to live up to their expectations throughout the season.”

Léo brings backing from Cesa, Meusnier, Electricity Perrin, Swiss LED Lighting and RiderProd Design.

Team Principal Elton Julian said: “We are delighted to welcome Léo into our team.  

“We have been lucky to have some very talented drivers in our cars and adding Léo continues that story.  Our target is to provide him with the tools and support to show his full potential in what will be a pivotal season for his young career. Combined with Ryo and Memo, this trio gives us the motivation to deliver on our ambitions.”

Roussel will join the team for the official pre-season test at Monza on 28-29 March in preparation for the ELMS season opener at Silverstone on 14-15 April.

After an excellent 2016 season in the FIA-WEC with KCMG, the Hong Kong team technically supported by Proton, who has re-oriented its racing plans, Joel will remain linked to Porsche and Proton, as a consequence of the excellent cooperation established in 2016.

Joel will be part of Proton’s effort in the LMGT Am category of the ELMS, a series he last raced in 2013 and where he won the GT title in 2006, already with a Porsche, of Autorlando Sport, together with Marc Lieb. The ELMS, which has experienced a steady growth in recent years, is expected to be in 2017 one of the most well-attended and competitive series in the international GT scene.  It includes six 4-hour races in Silverstone, Monza, Red Bull Ring, Paul Ricard, Spa and Portimão.

Camathias’ program may also include the mythical Le Mans 24 Hours, which he would contest for the third time. A confirmation is expected at a later stage.

Joel Camathias:

“I am delighted to announce a 2017 racing programme that will be extremely exciting. The ELMS is a series that I know well, and that I won back in 2006. It is bound to be the most closely-fought international GT endurance series this year and it will take us to some of the most prestigious tracks in Europe. I thank Proton Competition for their trust, after the excellent work done together last year in the WEC under the KCMG banner, and I am really looking forward to be part of their effort and to defend again the colours of Porsche. I am also working to do Le Mans, the greatest race of all, for the third time and hopeful to conclude a deal soon.  I am really anxious to start the season and in the meantime, I am going through an intense physical training programme, as all aspects will be crucial to do well this year.”
 ​

The two-day test is a crucial shake-down ahead of both the European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans and for Aidan, it’s the perfect chance to get acquainted with the #25 Ligier JSP217 Gibson.

“This is a great opportunity for me,” said Aidan. “It’s a thrill to best testing the LMP2 car and to be doing so at Monza makes it extra special. It will be my first time at the circuit and the first time in Europe, so it will be a great experience and all part of the learning curve.”

For Algarve Pro Racing, the decision to run Aidan was an easy decision to make. “We’ve only known Aidan for a very short period of time,” stated Team Manager Samantha Cox. “He joined us in Malaysia and as part of the team, helped us secure victory and with it the Asian Le Mans Series title so we’re naturally delighted to have him back with us alongside Andrea Roda for this important Monza test.”

The Monza test takes place over two days with night and day sessions scheduled ahead of the first round of the championship at Silverstone on 15 April.

“I’m excited to be joining G-Drive and DragonSpeed and wish to thank both them and Toyota for this opportunity,” said Ryo Hirakawa. “It’s an honor to lead the TDP initiative in prototype racing. I really enjoyed my first season of ELMS; it was great to win races and challenge for the title, and I hope to do the same in 2017. I’ve been training hard over the winter to prepare for this season and can’t wait get started.”

“I am really happy to be driving for DragonSpeed,” said Memo Rojas. “I believe racing the ORECA chassis alongside Ryo will allow us to fight for wins and the ELMS championship this season. I want to express big thanks to my sponsors Telmex, Telcel, Infinitum, and Red Bull for their support during these difficult economic times in my country. All of us will be doing our very best to deliver maximum results at every race weekend for our many Mexican fans.”

G-Drive Racing principal and 2015 FIA WEC LMP2 class champion Roman Rusinov said, “I’m pleased to welcome Ryo and Memo to our ELMS program with DragonSpeed and am confident they will put us in the forefront of the battle to win the championship again this season.”

DragonSpeed team principal Elton Julian said, “Having Ryo and Memo on board gives us a strong team who really complement each other. Ryo’s great natural speed is backed by his ever-improving racecraft, while Memo’s long record of success shows he knows everything it takes to win championships.”

Of course. To start with two Norma teams amongst the most prestigious taken on by the ACO for the 2017 championship is an excellent news for Norma. More announcements are to follow. Also, I’d like to point out that we are the only non-Ligier manufacturer in the P3 group. It’s a big challenge.

TDS Racing will finally miss to enter the LMP3 category this year. What is the reason?

We won’t be seeing TDS Racing in the LMP3 category this year. Thanks to the excellent 2016 results, the team signed two contracts over the winter to enter the LMP2 category in the WEC championship. As soon as it was official, Xavier (Combet) and Jacques (Morello) contacted me to give me the news. Together, we agreed that TDS would give the LMP3 category a miss this year. However, we are still working together on the project and we are already preparing our future collaboration.

Are there other championships on the agenda for the M30?

Absolutely. We’ll be taking part in the VdeV, the Michelin Cup and later on in the Asian and other national and continental championships. With teams like Brooks Racing, DB Auto and DKR Engineering, believe me, we are quite ambitious. Our presence in the USA in IMSA for the first race in Sebring mid-March is also sure now. We have been working hard behind the scenes for months to prepare our arrival this season with the M30, and we would love to see the M30 compete very soon against the four other manufacturers, wherever it is possible.

Let’s talk about the M30, when will we see it?

Our first cars are being assembled and the first one will be in the hands of Romain Dumas in a few days. We will send out an initial photo promptly. Mid-February, the Norma M30 will be on American soil for the first time to prepare for IMSA. And this won’t be the only one, as four additional Norma M30s will soon cross the Atlantic. But before the M30 has its first moments on the racecourse, we still have 12 cars to deliver and numerous discussions are underway. We have been really moved by the recognition we received and this has pushed us to keep working right up until the last minute on the M30 design. We need to be patient just a little longer. All I can say is that the whole Norma team, whose workforce has increased by almost 50% in the last six months, is ready and raring to ensure the successful launch of our LMP3.

Will the M20 CN still have an important position in the Norma programme?

More than ever! The results speak for themselves. We have had the best CN on the market for years. We produce several dozens of them every year. And this winter, the pace has speed up even more. Our workshops are operating at full throttle at the moment and new markets have opened up to us. Four Norma M20s have been delivered in Florida this winter. And others are to follow elsewhere. We also have our loyal teams who are renewing their fleets, such as VdeV teams. The M20 is still doing excellently and we have resources in mind and numerous ideas to improve its performance even more if necessary.

This year Onroak Automotive is again very well represented in the European Le Mans Series with 19 Ligiers expected on the grid. Five Ligier JS P217s, the new LM P2 produced in the Sarthe workshops, have been entered for the European championship. They will compete against the new Oreca 07s and Dallara P217s making up a big field of 13 LM P2s in the premium category of the series.

The obvious appeal of the LM P3 category and of the Ligier JS P3 in particular, to teams has been confirmed in the ACO’s European series. Among the 16 LM P3s entered are no fewer than 14 Ligier JS P3s as well as two new Norma M30s.

Numerous teams have renewed their confidence in Onroak Automotive by continuing with the Ligier JS P3 or opting for the Ligier JS P217. The following have decided to run these cars in the ELMS: Algarve Pro Racing, By Speed Factory, Duqueine Engineering, Eurointernational, IDEC Sport Racing, Inter Europol Competition, Panis Barthez Compétition, RLR Msport, Tockwith Motorsports, United Autosports, Ultimate, Yvan Muller Racing and 360 Racing.

AT Racing has also chosen an Onroak Automotive car and it has joined the French constructor in 2017.

In June, Ligier will also have a strong presence in the mythical Le Mans 24 Hours with six cars entered for the LM P2 category.

Thanks to their titles in the ELMS LM P3, Asian Le Mans Series and Asian LMS LM P3, United Autosports, Algarve Pro Racing and Tockwith Motorsports have been given an invitation for the Le Mans 24 Hours and they will each run a Ligier JS P217 in parallel to their entry in the ELMS.

The ACO selection committee had also accepted the entries of IDEC Sport Racing, Panis Barthez Compétition and Eurasia Motorsport, which will also race a Ligier JS P217 in the Sarthe classic. RLR Msport is the first reserve so there could be an additional Ligier JS P217 on the grid.

On 28-29 March the ELMS entrants will take to the Monza circuit for the pre-season official tests before the first race, the Silverstone 4 Hours, on 15th April. The Le Mans test day will be held on 4th June and the race on the weekend of 17-18 June.

Jacques Nicolet, Onroak Automotive President: “Again I would like to thank all the teams that have renewed their confidence in us this year as well as those who are joining us. The on-going success of the Ligier JS P3 needs no further proof, and we hope that we will very soon share fresh victories with the new Ligier JS P217 with our teams.

“The setting up and the efficiency of our client support service are still among our major priorities and we will accompany our teams at all the rounds of the ELMS. During the Le Mans fortnight they can take advantage of our infrastructures. The proximity of our workshops based in the heart of the circuit is a real benefit as we can intervene in real time if required.

I’d also like to congratulate the ACO. The unveiling of these lists proves the uncontested success of endurance in Europe and throughout the world, and the exceptional quality of the fields promises some great racing in 2017.”

DragonSpeed’s 2016 driving squad of Henrik Hedman, Nicolas Lapierre, and Ben Hanley will return to the ELMS in a new ORECA 07-Gibson, run from the team’s base at Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France. Hanley’s off-season promotion to Gold status in the FIA driver rankings means that the minimum drive time for Bronze pilot Henrik Hedman will double to 90 minutes of the standard four-hour race duration.

“This isn’t just what we have to do, it’s what we want to do,” said team boss Elton Julian. “We get to keep Nico and Ben in our team for the ELMS, while Henrik is pumped to take advantage of the extra seat time to continue honing his speed and racecraft.”

With Lapierre committed to the Signatech Alpine team at Le Mans – with whom he won the LMP2 class in 2015 and 2016 – the search is on for a third driver to join Hedman and Hanley at La Sarthe.

The stablemate to DragonSpeed’s number 21 machine in the ELMS and at Le Mans will be a second ORECA entered by G-Drive Racing, who claimed the 2016 ELMS championship with two wins and four podium finishes. Drivers will be announced at a later date.

G-Drive Racing principal and 2015 FIA WEC LMP2 class champion Roman Rusinov said, “I’m delighted that DragonSpeed will be supporting the defense of our ELMS title and operating our Le Mans entry this year, as they are one of the very best teams in LMP2.”

“The expansion of our program for 2017 is just reward for the amazing dedication and skill of the entire DragonSpeed crew as well as Henrik’s confidence in us over the last four years,” Julian said. “I can hardly believe it myself, but with two cars confirmed for the ELMS and Le Mans, I can say that we’re right where we always wanted to be going into our tenth season of racing.”

Included in the announcements were the racing teams’ choice of tyre manufacturer for these endurance events. This year, in the European Le Mans Series an increased percentage of teams (84% v 71% at the start of 2016) in the open competition LMP2 prototype class have nominated Dunlop as their preferred technical partner.

In the LMP2 category of the FIA World Endurance Championship, where Dunlop has been the choice of Le Mans 24h winners for the last six years, the majority of teams (18 of the 23 cars) have also chosen to nominate Dunlop tyres. 

In the FIA World Endurance Championship LMGTE classes, Aston Martin Racing, who claimed two 2016 titles (Nicki Thiim and Marco Sørensen won the FIA World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers and the team secured the FIA World Endurance Trophy for GTE Pro Teams), have also chosen Dunlop once again to lead their 2017 defence. 

Director of Motorsport Operations, Jean-Felix Bazelin is delighted with the commitment shown by Dunlop’s partners: “To have so many teams nominate Dunlop as their preferred technical partner in these demanding endurance championships is very rewarding. It is testimony to the amount of work that our service, manufacturing and technology teams have put in during the past season and winter testing period.  We restarted our testing programme for 2017 the day after the final championship winning race, developing tyres for both GTE and LMP categories. The push to develop and improve has been relentless”

Dunlop have been testing in Sakhir (Bahrain) Sebring (USA) and Paul Ricard (France) since the end of the 2016 season. On latest LMP2 cars, the combination of the new rules and a brand new Dunlop tyre specification has seen lap times that are close to the pace of the highly advanced front running LMP1 cars from just four seasons ago. 

Dunlop has 34 wins in the Le Mans 24h race, more than any other tyre company. The first Dunlop Le Mans win was in 1924.  

The FIA World Endurance Championship and European Le Mans Series season begins at Silverstone (UK) on April 15/16th.

The newly formed Racing Team Nederland, which has submitted entries for the Le Mans 24 Hours and the European Le Mans Series, has been testing its all-new LMP2 Dallara P217 since last November.

Following a pair of two-day sessions in France (at Magny-Cours and Nogaro) and a full week at Sebring in the United States, the team will continue testing at Paul Ricard this Wednesday and Thursday.

Towards the end of the second day of the test (Thursday at 16.00 CET), the Automobile Club de l’Ouest will reveal the entries accepted for the Le Mans 24 Hours during a press conference aired live on www.lemans.org. During this innovative press conference, held in Le Mans, the entries accepted for the European Le Mans Series will be announced as well.

“It will be quite a tense moment of course,” Mark Koense confirms on behalf of Racing Team Nederland. “Traditionally, the Le Mans 24 Hours attracts more entries than the 60 cars that can participate in the race. This Thursday we will know which teams have been selected by the ACO.”

The team’s founder Frits van Eerd, former Le Mans-winner Jan Lammers and 11-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner Rubens Barrichello are the Racing Team Nederland drivers.

The official presentation of the team, the car and its drivers will be held soon.

Team principal Amadio adds; “First of all, our best welcome to Christian. I am sure that his unquestionable driving skills, international experience and brilliant achievements will provide a significant contribution to the growth of the whole team and to the process of optimization of our internal structures”.