British motorsport rising star Harry Tincknell has had an extremely impressive maiden test in a Le Mans 24 Hours-style racer. Tincknell, a race winner in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship this season, drove an LMP2-class Zytek-Nissan run by the highly-respected Jota Sport team in the two-day test at Spain’s Motorland Aragon circuit.

The 21-year-old had just one day between his most recent F3 outing, where he took three top-six places at the Zandvoort track in the Netherlands, before getting down to business with Jota, one of the top teams in the hotly-contested European Le Mans Series.

Harry shared the driving with team owner Simon Dolan, who along with co-driver Oliver Turvey claimed third in the ELMS this season, with one race win and two further podium finishes.

“I had two or three runs on Tuesday, just to get a feeling for it,” said Devon driver Tincknell. “Simon did most of the running that day, but on Wednesday I took over for the lion’s share. I did five 12-lap runs before doing a race stint of almost an hour in the afternoon.

“The car was very nice to drive. I’ve heard a lot of people say that it’s like driving a big F3 car, and I would go along with that. It’s heavier, there’s more power and more downforce, but if you were to come into sports-prototype racing from F3 with this car, then it’s ideal to transfer what you already know and learn new skills.

“It was really interesting. I was able to try quite a few different compounds and structures with the Dunlop tyres.

“We were pushing hard, and it was interesting to see how the tyres, once they lose their initial peak, only drop three or four tenths of a second per lap and then stay really consistent, even in 30-degree heat. And, because the fuel levels are coming down, the lap times stabilise.”

Harry, who is a BRDC Rising Stars member, also got to grips with the differing demands on the driver from what he is used to in F3. “A lot is expected of the driver,” he said. “There’s telemetry so the team can see what the car is doing, and they radio to the driver and tell him to make a change. While you’re driving you have to change throttle maps, traction control… You’re on the radio a lot more.

“Jota are a very professional team. Everything ran well and the car was faultless. It’s a slightly different mentality working with a co-driver though. You have to work with each other, whereas in an F3 team you don’t want your team-mates being too quick!”

Sam Hignett, a Jota Sport partner who is responsible for running the racing team, was hugely impressed with Tincknell’s performance.

“He did a great job,” said Hignett. “He built up to it, didn’t make any mistakes and then posted some very respectable lap times. He is a very impressive young man.

“I have no doubt that he could slide straight into endurance racing in an LMP2 car and do a very good job. He has got a very promising future in this type of racing if that is what he chooses to do.

“Also, his feedback was very good, especially as it was the first time he had ever taken part in any tyre testing. He was able to feel all the minutiae of changes in compounds and constructions of the different Dunlops.”

Tincknell, who is mentored by Le Mans legend Allan McNish, now has a new discipline of racing to assess as he considers his options for 2014.

“I’m keeping my options open,” he said. “Allan wants me to focus on my last few F3 races for now, especially the Macau Grand Prix in November, which is the really big one. But I found the LMP2 car very enjoyable and I certainly wouldn’t turn down another opportunity to drive one.”