The first gathering of the 2015 European Le Mans Series teams will take place at the Paul Ricard circuit in the South of France on 23 & 24 March for the Series’ official Test Days.
31 cars will be present with all of the full season LMP2 teams represented.
LMP2
If plans come to fruition it will be the world debut in front of the media for two new cars, the Oreca 05 (in the hands of Thiriet by TDS Racing) and the pair of SMP Racing BR01 Coupes, the team having stepped back from the FIA WEC for a development year with their new cars.
In addition there will be new and returning teams on parade. Algarve Pro step up to LMP2 with the ex TDS Racing Ligier Nissan, the team back in ACO rules racing for the first time since a part ELMS season in LMPC some years back.
Ibanez Racing are another returning force, they too have Le Mans Series history but arrive in 2015 in full force with a pair of ex Millennium Racing Oreca 03-R Nissans.
Krohn Racing add Michelin tyres (the only ELMS LMP2 team to so far opt for the French rubber) and a Judd V8 (again currently unique in the Series) as the team step up from GTE for the very first time and make their ELMS debut.
Eurasia Motorsport are another debuting team, moving over from the Asian Le mans Series in their Oreca Nissan.
2014 Le Mans winners Jota Sport and Greaves Motorsport both have their newly uprated and renamed Gibson 015S Nissan LMP2s running, the cars look fast and the Gibson will be a force to be reckoned with.
Murphy Protoypes have no drivers yet listed but have confirmed Nathaneal Berthon for the season and are testing the Frenchman alongside Karun Chandhok this week.
Finally Pegasus Racing will have one of their pair of updated Morgan Evos at the test.
LMP3
Also due to be in front of a media audience for the very first time are the first Ginetta Nissan LMP3s to hit the track.
Three of the seven season entries are listed as Ginetta toil to get the very first representatives of this potentially hugely significant new class completed.
The entry lists both Team LNT cars, including the crew of young gun Charlie Robertson (watch this lad, he’s quick!) and Sir Chris Hoy, the British Olympic cycling legend stepping up to LMP racing from GT3 for the first time this season.
The Spanish SVK by Speed Factory team are listed too.
LMGTE
10 LMGTE cars are set to appear at the test:
AF Corse will bring their three F458 Italias, the #51, 81 and 2014 LMGTE vice champions #55 driven by Duncan Cameron and Matt Griffin. AF Corse is also the team behind AT Racing (#56) and Formula Racing (#60), who have graduated from GTC where they finished as vice champions in 2014.
Two additional Ferraris will run at Le Castellet for JMW Motorsport (#66) and Kessel Racing (#80).
The GTC race winners at the last meeting in Estoril Team BMW Team Marc VDS (below) have become a full season entry this year and will run in the LMGTE category with their brand new #52 BMW Z4 GTE.
Finally two Porsche will join the battle in the category, with the #86 911 GT3 RSR from Team Gulf Racing UK and the #88 Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR. That seems to mean that Proton may well have acquired a third 911 RSR for the season alongside the pair they will field in the WEC.
GTC
All of the six season entries in the GTC category will be on track at Le Castellet with four Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 : WEC LMP2 Driver Champion Sergey Zlobin, will amongst others be at the wheel of #57 SMP Racing, AF Corse will enter #62, 63 and 64 Italias GT3. The one and only Aston Martin Vantage GT3 on the full season 2015 ELMS grid is entered by Danish team Massive Motorsport (below), while TDS Racing, in addition to its involvement in LMP2, will run the BMW Z4 GT3 #59.
