ByKolles Racing, run and entered by KOAL Racing Engineering, has unveiled their new look for the ex Lotus LMP CLM P1/01 AER.
ByKolles describe themselves as “the first Austrian registered LMP Team to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans”.
The #4 car will feature a livery based on the corporate palate of the team’s lead partners, Austrian-based sports sponsorship company YELLOWWINGS.
The driver line-up sees former GP2 racer Simon Trummer confirmed for the full season, the Swiss driver was rostered to drive for the team’s predecessor in Bahrain in 2014 but failed to start the race after an early technical failure.
Vitantonio (Tonio) Liuzzi and Pierre Kaffer also join the team’s driver pool and both will drive alongside their other racing commitments, Trummer is, at present the only confirmed driver for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
ByKOLLES RACING Director of Operations, Boris Bermes said: “The new car is testimony to the hard work and dedication of the team over the past five months. We have made major weight reductions to the car and with the combination of aerodynamic modifications coupled with a new gear box and new suspension geometries and performance upgrades throughout I’m really looking forward to seeing what our drivers can do with it.”
Simon Trummer: “From the moment I met the team last year, I knew I was going to enjoy working with them. Team spirit is really important to me, we win together and we lose together and I’ve watched how hard the guys have worked to create the best possible package, the ultimate motivation for me is to do their hard work justice. I can’t wait to see what we can do together and of course I’m very much looking forward to my Le Mans debut, which racing driver wouldn’t be?!?”
Tonio Liuzzi: “The team management and I have been friends for years and we recognise that WEC is difficult and LMP1 in particular is not an easy challenge. I’m seriously impressed with the work the team has done to improve the car and I welcome the opportunity to support ByKOLLES RACING and hopefully help a private team move forward and get some great results on the race track. I really enjoy the challenge of endurance racing, every lap feels like qualifying to me and I have always loved pushing myself to the limit.”
Pierre Kaffer: “We did a lot of work to the car last year and I’ve seen the developments to the car first hand, my honest gut instinct is that we have a very strong car this year. I have a huge amount of respect for the team, we’ve known each other a long time ever since I raced for in F3 in Germany, and I know they love a challenge. This LMP project is very ambitious and I’m delighted to be part of this journey towards reaching our ultimate goal of having a private LMP car win Le Mans. Above everything else, I’m really looking forward to putting the car through its paces on the track.”
