Greaves Motorsport is pleased to announce that they have signed Martin Brundle and his son Alex to drive for the team at next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. They will drive a Nissan-powered Zytek prototype in the LM P2 class. Greaves Motorsport won the class in the 2011 race with a Zytek Z11SN-Nissan. They then went on to win both drivers’ and team titles in the 2011 Le Mans Series.
Martin Brundle returns to Le Mans after a gap of ten years and is reunited with Nissan, having spearheaded their factory team effort at the race in 1997 driving the Nissan R390. Le Mans was also the scene of one of the greatest victories of Martin’s career, when he won the race outright in 1990 at the wheel of a Jaguar. He was the 1988 FIA World Sports Prototype Driver’s Champion and scored ten victories in major endurance races. In spite of his stellar sportscar record, Martin is best known for his Formula One career, with 158 Grand Prix starts, driving for teams such as McLaren and Tyrrell. Since retiring from Formula One he has become one of the most recognisable faces in the sport as a result of his award-winning television commentary and analysis.
Brundle returned to competitive motorsport earlier this year when he shared a car with his old F1 team-mate Mark Blundell at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. They finished a very competitive fourth overall and this re-awakened his appetite for long distance racing. As a result Richard Dean, Managing Director of United Autosports whose car Martin was driving at Daytona, suggested that Martin contact Greaves Motorsport. The purpose was to see if there was a way that both parties could realise another of Martin’s long term goals, that of driving at the world’s greatest endurance race, Le Mans, with his son Alex.
The first step in the project was to arrange a test session for Alex in the team’s Zytek Z11SN-Nissan. Following Greaves Motorsport’s victory in the first round of the 2011 Le Mans Series, the car remained at Le Castellet and a private session was held. Regular lead driver in the team, Tom Kimber-Smith, was on hand to set a benchmark time. Alex had several runs in the car and was soon right on the pace. “He’s bloody quick!” was Tom’s verdict. The team’s veteran Race Engineer, Paul Thomas, was also impressed with the speed and feedback of the young driver.
The next step along the way was at the official Le Mans Test, held at the classic endurance circuit. Alex, as the team’s potential reserve driver for 2011, had to complete ten laps and post a time that would qualify him under the ACO’s criteria for accepting drivers. Alex passed the test easily and was thus eligible to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Examination of the data afterwards showed that had Alex not been impeded in the Porsche Curves, he would have posted a time that would have put him second in the race qualifying itself. The dream of the Brundles racing together at Le Mans was becoming a reality.
In addition to the Le Mans 24 Hours, Alex Brundle will also join Greaves Motorsport to race a Nissan-powered Zytek prototype in the 2012 Le Mans Series. This is the fulfilment of a long term plan to recruit Alex for the Greaves Motorsport programme. Alex has extensive experience in the highly competitive arenas of the British Formula Three and FIA Formula Two Championships. In 2011 21 year old Alex was the top British driver in the FIA Formula Two Championship with a pole position and three podiums to his name.
Alex Brundle had this to say about signing for Greaves Motorsport. “I loved driving the Zytek Nissan on Le Mans circuit at this year’s official Test Day. A chance to compete in the full Le Mans Series, as well as the Le Mans 24 hours, along with my single-seater activities in 2012, is brilliant for my career. At Le Mans my father has been on Pole Position, led the race on many laps, and been part of the winning team; this experience will fast track my learning process. My thanks go to Nissan and Greaves Motorsport for creating this important opportunity which I will seize and maximise.”
Martin Brundle expressed his thoughts. “I’m very much looking forward to returning to the Le Mans 24 hour race with Nissan and the Greaves Motorsport LM P2 team. This is an unexpected pleasure heightened by the fact I will be team mates with my son Alex. I’m eagerly anticipating a very special feeling when handing the car over to Alex during one of the world’s greatest motor races. Class victory in front of the fanatical Le Mans spectators is the goal.”
Jacob Greaves, Team Manager of Greaves Motorsport, commented on the signing: “The announcement that Alex has joined us for the Le Mans Series and Le Mans is very exciting. He will bring single-seater speed and experience to what has become a very competitive class. With the changes to the regulations we will be fighting for outright wins against some very strong opposition so we will have to be at the maximum of our potential. Alex will help us to maintain our position as champions and will be a great addition to the team. Martin Brundle has won at every level of Endurance Racing, and is looking to continue that record next season. It is up to us here at Greaves Motorsport to give Alex and Martin a competitive, reliable car and we are confident that we can do so.Greaves Motorsport started a relationship with Nissan back in September 2009 when we discussed the possibility of working together. Since then Nissan has created a very reliable and powerful engine and that really has been the foundation of our success. Our relationship with Nissan is very important to us and we know that signing Alex and Martin is a very positive development of that.”
Team Principal, Tim Greaves reflected: “Greaves Motorsport has just taken a very significant step up the motorsport ladder, to sign two drivers of this quality is a reflection of where we are as a team and how we have developed over the past season. Martin is a motorsport legend, both in and out of the cockpit and there is no reason that Alex cannot match his father’s achievements in endurance racing. Our partnership with Nissan makes that a very real prospect. We are really looking forward to 2012.”
Source : Greaves Motorsport