Tertre Rouge Works Completed
David Legangneux has once again been back to Tertre Rouge where work is now complete on resurfacing ahead of Sunday’s Le Mans Test Day.
The new armco is now complete with the markers and mounting points for the additional sections to be placed when the track is in use clearly visible here.
A double layer of tyres has been placed at the exit of the corner, reduced to a single layer further down Les Hunaudieres.
Greaves Testing Today At Snetterton
The traditional pre Le Mans warm-up at Snetterton was certainly not warm and very sparsely populated today with torrential rain restricting the one car present to a handful of laps. Richard Leach braved the deluge for DSC
Greaves Motorsport were shaking down one of their Zytek Nissans with James Winslow in truly awful conditions – Here’s hoping for better weather this weekend.
Alessandro Latif Getting Comfortable
Matt McMurry may be breaking records at Greaves Motorsport (and more from Matt in the coming days on DSC), but the team has another young star aboard too as Alessandro Latif, who only turned 18-years-old last month, will share the #42 Zytek Nissan with Michaël Munneman and James Winslow.
“Greaves Motorsport has consistently been one of the leading teams in the LM P2 class and has a bundle of experience,” commented Latif who drives the Zytek for the first time this week – here seen in the middle of his seat fitting.
“I was close to racing for them at the end of last year in Bahrain but didn’t compete due to financial reasons. I’m desperately hoping that I can attract some funding and support for my maiden Le Mans campaign – it would be nice to think that a British company wants to support a young British driver on the world sportscar ‘stage’.”
For Alessandro, competing in the prestigious Le Mans race culminates a hectic six-month period that is laying the foundations for a successful career in GT and now sportscar racing.
Last November, Latif was invited by Audi Sport to test an Audi A4 DTM in Spain as part of its annual young driver test and in January contested his maiden twice-around-the-clock race, finishing an impressive fifth in the Daytona 24 Hours and claimed eighth place in the Sebring 12 Hours two months later.
Alessandro, driving a Flying Lizard Motorsports Audi R8 LMS, was the highest-placed British-based driver in his class in both races. He also races an Audi for reigning DTM champions Phoenix Racing in the seven race Blancpain Sprint series alongside 2012 FIA GT1 World Champion Marc Basseng.
Alessandro continued: “Le Mans marks my second 24 hour race after Daytona. My experience is limited but at least I know what to expect in a race of such duration although Le Mans is like no other race – that much I do know!
“This is my biggest race to date and actually the biggest race possible I could ever compete in. Daytona and Sebring were pretty big and special as well but Le Mans is Le Mans – there is literally nothing else like it in the world and it has always been my dream to race there.
“I can remember watching Steve McQueen’s Le Mans film over and over. I’m over the moon to be racing in such a historic race this year.”
“It has been a crazy last few months where things have moved very quickly but as a driver I focus on the next task at hand,” confirmed Alessandro who has personal support from French luxury shoemaker Corthay.
Get Well Soon Matthieu
Major commiserations to Prospeed’s Matthieu Vaxiviere who injured his back in the World Series by Renault race in Monaco at the weekend.
The 19-year-old Frenchman, who was scheduled to make his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut this year, will not be able to drive at Le Mans after being diagnosed with a fractured T5 vertebra from the Monaco accident, Matthieu is set to stay out of the cockpit for six whole weeks.
Prospeed’s final driver line up for the #75 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (with Emmanuel Collard and Francois Perrodo) will be announced soon.
