After storms earlier this week the weather in Barcelona for the return, after a decade away, of ACO rules racing looks set fair, indeed scorching hot, throughout this weekend and into the WEC Prologue beyond.
Indeed the first of the Toyota trucks, plus the Racing Team Nederland rig had arrived at the circuit by late on Thursday evening.
Gary Findlay has joined the #32 BHK Motorsport ORECA LMP2 effort this weekend, the run marks Findlay’s second entry in a Gibson-powered LMP2 after a then one-off race at last season’s Silverstone round in the #40 G-Drive backed Graff car. Just a suggestion from here to the team, perhaps a smaller typeface of vinyl might have been better?
Nic Minassian will make another race start in the #27 IDEC Sport Ligier, replacing Patrice Lafargue, the team co-owner is present in Barcelona but has opted not to race this weekend.
Minassian also drove the Ligier at Red Bull Ring last year.
He’ll share the #27 with full-season driver Stephane Adler, William Cavailhes, who raced for IDEC Sport twice last season, replaces Erik Maris in the line-up this weekend too.
Olivier Pla is on site and ready to take up his duties for the remainder of the season with Algarve Pro Racing, replacing Mark Patterson, who is due to make his High Class Racing debut at the WEC Prologue next week.
Adrien Tambay’s LMP race debut is confirmed, the 28-year-old ex-Audi and Strakka AMG GT3 man, son of ex F1 star Patrick Tambay, shares the #34 Inter Europol Ligier with Kuba Smiechowski and Nigel Moore.
Both Kessel Racing Ferraris remain in the attractive, revised liveries unveiled and raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
And this weekend the ELMS welcomes the ACE 1 Villorba Corsa LMP3 team. The #10 car was a surprise omission from the full-season entry but joins midseason. The addition of the #10 car sees Villorba Corse rejoin the ELMS ranks despite the Cetilar Racing LMP2 effort switching to the AF Corse squad for its move to the FIA WEC. It will also compete in the Le Mans Cup this weekend with its Mercedes AMG GT3.
We’ll catch up with the team today to hear more about its plans.
