The 2015 European Le Mans Series reaches a conclusion at Estoril this weekend with three of the classes still to find their Champions.
LMP2: 10 Cars
20 AF Racing BR01 – Nissan Maurizio Mediani David Markozov Nicolas Minassian
21 AF Racing BR01 – Nissan Mikhail Aleshin Kirill Ladygin Victor Shaytar
25 Algarve Pro Racing – Ligier JS P2 Nissan Michael Munemann James Winslow Andrea Roda
29 Pegasus Racing – Morgan Nissan Léo Roussel David ChengJono Coleman
33 Eurasia Motorsport – Oreca 03R Nissan Pu Jun Jin Nico Pieter De Bruijn
38 Jota Sport- Gibson 015S-Nissan Simon Dolan Filipe Albuquerque Harry Tincknell
40 Krohn Racing – Ligier JS P2 – Judd Tracy Krohn Niclas Jonsson Olivier Pla
41 Greaves Motorsport – Gibson 015S-Nissan Gary Hirsch Bjorn Wirdheim Jon Lancaster
46 Thiriet by TDS Racing – Oreca 05 – Nissan Pierre Thiriet Ludovic Badey Nicolas Lapierre
48 Murphy Prototypes – Oreca 03R Nissan Nathanaël Berthon Michael Lyons Mark Patterson
Ibanez Racing’s push to return to the ELMS for the final round has fallen short it seems so its a perfectly acceptable 10 cars for Estoril in the top class.
There’s one driver change to confirm with the season long efforts of Tristan Gommendy aboard the #46 Thiriet by TDS Racing replaced by Nicolas Lapierre as the Belgian team look to find some pace they feel has so far remained undiscovered in their Oreca 05 Nissan. Lapierre’s knowledge of the identical KCMG equipment is likely to be the catalyst for the change but the (other) experienced Frenchman will be missed.
After the post race dramas of Paul Ricard, Jota losing a race win after a disastrous miscalculation on driver seat time, the Championship could barely be more delicately poised. Just a single point separates the #38 Jota Gibson Nissan from the identical #41 car of Greaves Motorsport – Qualifying tomorrow could see the Championship all square, though on countback Greaves have two wins to Jota’s one (with TDS on one too).
Only the TDS Oreca can prevent a Gibson from winning now, the #46 10 points off the Championship leading Jota effort, nine back from second placed Greaves and realistically that scenario requires both to hit trouble at least to some degree. Fourth or better is require to overhaul the Gibsons even if neither score.
There are though several other runners that could get in the mix and make this mathematically interesting to the very end.
Not least the AF Racing BRO1s (ex SMP Racing) the cars now on Dunlops were very quick indeed at Paul Ricard and will likely have found a touch more reliability in the intervening weeks.
Murphy Prototypes too are very capable of producing a sustained run of real speed, the luck of the Irish though has deserted them for much of the season.
Look out too for the efforts of both Eurasia’s Oreca Nissan and Pegasus Racing’s Morgan Nissan, both have shown flashes of real form, Eurasia in Austria, Pegasus last time out at Le Castellet.
Finally there are the two Ligiers, Krohn Racing’s Judd engined #40 car sits fourth in the points, out of the Championship fight but with a team, now bolstered considerable by the arrival of Olivier Pla, hungry for a podium finish.
Algarve Pro’s Nissan engined JS P2 is capable of raw speed too, particularly in the hands of James Winslow, can the #25 get in amongst the front runners? The formbook says no, lets see what transpires!
LMP3: 5 Cars
2 Team LNT – Ginetta Nissan Charlie Robertson Sir Chris Hoy
3 Team LNT – Ginetta Nissan Mike Simpson Gaetan Paletou
5 Scuderia Villorba Corse – Ginetta Nissan – Roberto Lacorte Giorgio Sernagiotto
9 Graff Racing – Ligier JS P3 Nissan Thomas Accary Eric Trouillet Gary Findlay
15 SVK By Speed Factory – Ginetta Nissan Konstantin Calko Jesus Fuster Dainius Matijosaitis
The Championship title was settled in favour of Team LNT’s Charlie Robertson and Chris Hoy last time out but there’s a new contest in play here as the founding member of the LMP3 class, the Ginetta Nissan finally meets the much hyped new Ligier JS P3 head to head.
It’s the now regular quartet of Ginettas agains the solo debutant Ligier of Graff Racing but on form its the two LNT cars that are likely to present the Ligier with the challenge on pace.
The World debut of the Ligier in DC Racing’s opening round Asian LMS win last weekend saw the new car run fast and reliably, the difference here with the non-competitive 2:30 pit stops could be a factor but there’s a lot to play for in an LMP3 marketplace that looks set to become remarkable for more than just the numbers being sold!
