LMP2 (10 Cars)
26 | D | G-Drive Racing | Roman Rusinov, Alex Brundle, Rene Rast | Oreca 05 Nissan
27 | D | SMP Racing | Nicolas Minassian, Maurizio Mediani | BR01 Nissan
30 | D | Extreme Speed Motorsports | Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek, Ed Brown | Ligier JS P2 Nissan
31 | D | Extreme Speed Motorsports | Ryan Dalziel, Pipo Derani, Chris Cumming | Ligier JS P2 Nissan
35 | D | Baxi DC Racing Alpine | David Cheng, Ho-Pin Tung, Nelson Panciatici | Alpine A460 Nissan
36 | D | Signatech Alpine | Gustavo Menezes, Nicolas Lapierre, Stephane Richelmi | Alpine A460 Nissan
37 | D | SMP Racing | Vitaly Petrov, Viktor Shaytar, Kirill Ladygin | BR01 Nissan
42 | D | Strakka Racing | Nick Leventis, Jonny Kane, Lewis Williamson | Gibson 015S Nissan
43 | D | RGR Sport by Morand | Ricardo Gonzalez, Bruno Senna, Filipe Albuquerque | Ligier JS P2 Nissan
44 | D | Manor WEC | Matt Rao, Richard Bradley, Roberto Mehri | Oreca 05 Nissan
10 cars for CoTA with no changes from the full season count in Mexico
Notable is the change in driver line-up for Manor, Roberto Mehdi making it a full early season #45 crew now aboard the #44 alongside Matt Rao and Richard Bradley.
Manor will no doubt be delighted by the news that their Brembo braking issues seem to be behind them with paddock sources confirming to DSC that the Oreca 05s and Alpine A460s will be fitted with AP brakes from here on in, the issues have bitten Manor hard, and it is no exaggeration to say that the absence of the second car can be laid more at the door of those issues (four separate brake failures) than at any other single factor.
Those issues though mean that the high profile Manor effort is no longer a force in this year’s Championship standings – the handy looking line-up though will be keen to remind the field of their potential as the runners and riders shape up for the run in to the Championship, and enter the silly season ahead of 2017! Don’t count them out here.
SMP Racing look to be going through some internal uncertainties at present
SMP Racing look to be going through some internal uncertainties at present. That won’t help the focus on squeezing the best available pace out of the BR01s. The #37 DNFed in Mexico after a mistake from the usually iron-clad reliable Viktor Shaytar and that has dropped the better placed of the pair back a little don the order, now 6th in the points.
The #27 meanwhile, once again, sees alleged full season driver Devi Markozov absent – Patrick Dempsey’s Gallic lookalike Nic Minassian and Maurizio Mediani form the dynamic duo once again.
Ahead of SMP in the points now are Strakka Racing, the team finding rhythm from their #42 Gibson, Lewis Williamson going well again last time out but likely to be more comfortable in CoTA. Nick Levants seems more comfortable too at present and Jonny Kane is just…well Jonny Kane!
Strakka lie 13 points back from the recently luckless G-Drive Oreca trio, gearbox in Germany, brake disc in Mexico, Roman Rusinov’s post-race mood last time out was understandably black.
He’ll be as pleased as the Manor boys that the Brembo factor has been eliminated from their attack but there’s now a mountain to climb, a 59 point gap to the Championship leaders.
They’ll be charging again though, Alex Brundle very motivated, Rene Rast simply the fastest man in this class field.
First target for the #26 crew, aside from race wins, is to climb back up the order. They now lie fourth, and the next target is the #31 Extreme Speed Ligier.
This is the second ‘home’ race in succession for the Tequila Patron backed two car squad whose realistic racing hopes lie with the Pipo Derani/Ryan Dalziel and Chris Cumming driven car.
This team has had a quietly extremely effective 2016 thus far, only once off the WEC class podium (though sadly far them that non-podium came at double points scoring Le Mans!). They sit 3 points ahead of G-Drive, 56 off the lead and will want to show what they can do at a track that the team knows well. They’ll be in the mix.
One of the feel good results of the season in any class came last time out with RGR Sport taking the class win in their #43 Ligier on home ground. That’s a pair of wins this season for the Bruno Senna, Felipe Albuquerque, Ricardo Gonzalez trio, and a deserved second place in the points, 33 points off the lead.
If the car can continue its extraordinary pace from Mexico, Senna a full second faster than anyone else in qually and initially pulling away at the front of the field seemingly at will, then this could be a major factor in the race.
Away and clear at the front of the points standings though is the #36 Signatech Alpine.
First a word for the sister #35 Baxi DC entered car, another to reportedly suffer a brake failure this year, at Le mans, that cost the team a major points score and a big blow to their confidence too. They have the potential pace to be there, but now need to prove it as the clock ticks down to decision time for 2017.
For the Championship leaders though there are two available strategies: defend their 33 point lead conservatively, or turn the screw.
Nico Lapierre, Stephane Richelmi and Gustavo Menezes have been, as a trio, the class of the field throughout the year
Nico Lapierre, Stephane Richelmi and Gustavo Menezes have been, as a trio, the class of the field throughout the year to this point, jut a fourth place at Silverstone spoiling a scorecard that otherwise has seen the #36 score three wins plus second place last time out.
We can argue about driver rankings all day but the reality is that this squad features two drivers with no LMP racing experience prior to this year – If they can maintain the racing momentum a little longer then it looks like SIgnatech might be celebrating three LMP2 Championships in four years in Bahrain – But then how many times have we had to row back from those sorts of assumptions!?
