A month after the opening round of the championship at Silverstone under heavy rain, Morand Racing and its drivers Natacha Gachnang and Franck Mailleux meet up with the European Le Mans Series and more specifically Italy and the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Autodromo for a 3 hour long race on Saturday May 18th.
The Italian racetrack that is located 40 kilometers away from Bologna has already hosted Formula 1 races for years and many endurance events ranging from 250 to 1000 km long races. The drivers of the Morand Racing team – the French-Swiss duo- will have 2 hours of free practice on Friday in order to domesticate and exploit every corner of the iconic racetrack !
Nearly 5 kilometers long and running anti-clockwise, Imola mixes long straight lines, high speed, difference in levels and numerous chicanes. The 3 hour long race will take place on Saturday afternoon ….. start at 4 pm Italian time !
Benoit Morand – Team Manager : « Imola offers a huge variety of corners and it’s a real challenge for our Morgan Onroak LMP2 prototype, for our engineers as well but also for our drivers even if they already know the track. We worked with Onroak on our chassis but also with Judd which is our engine technical partner and Dunlop in order to get a highly competitive package next weekend. Silverstone and its bad weather are behind us. Let’s now focus on Imola and set our sights on the podium.»
Franck Mailleux : « I have good memories as regards Imola, in particular a podium in 2011 when I was racing in the International Le Mans Cup. The Enzo and Dino Ferrari Autodromo is a very challenging circuit both technically and physically. We showed our capabilities by leading the race in awful weather in Silverstone. Our technical package Onroak-Judd- Dunlop is impressive and it could turn to our advantage. »
Natacha Gachnang : « As a team, we showed that we are able to take the right decisions at the right time. We are now focused on Imola. The last time I raced in Imola was in 2009 for a Formula 2 race. The track requires a lot of rhythm and racing in LM P2 category will be something new. Free practice sessions aren’t that long with only 2 hours and it will be our goal to get the most of these two sessions before qualification. »
Source : Morand Racing