Algarve Pro Racing
Were present with a pair of Ligiers, their Asian Le Mans Series Nissan-engined JSP2 saw usage for Michael Munemann and at least one other potential Asian LMS driver for 2018/19.
Munemann also tried out the ELMS-bound JSP 217 which also saw action with 2018 ELMS crew Ate Dirk de Jong, Tacksung Kim and Mark Patterson (later in the week).
Also taking a turn was ex Porsche one-make racer Ryan Cullen who will be joining Harrison Newey and Thomas Laurent in the Rebellion/ APR ORECA 07 that Algarve Pro will also bring to this season’s ELMS, the ex Rebellion spare chassis is also in the team’s workshops but did not attend the test.
United Autosports
The Yorkshire based squad attended with a pair of JS P217 chassis but one was only used as a base to provide season hopeful Oliver Turvey with a seat fitting.
He drove on Wednesday and Thursday with the main car otherwise seeing only Will Owen and Hugo de Sadeleer running.
United were also testing at Portimao with their LMP3 teams, four of the five Ligier JSP3s that the team will enter in the 2018 ELMS (x2) and Michelin Le Mans Cup (x 3) in action at the test.
AVF Adrian Valles Formula
Were present for the whole week with their full season pairing Konstantin Terschenko and Henrique Chaves, both of whom the team has converted from their single seater programmes.
Adrian Valles: “We knew the World Series was coming to an and and were looking for replacement programmes. Of course with the Series sharing the paddock with the ELMS and WEC over the past couple of seasons we’d had an opportunity to take a look at the cars and the business model and it made sense to take that forward.
“We started to talk to our customers late last year and happily both Henrique and Konstantin liked what they saw.
“We are taking it steadily though, no application for Le Mans this year and no decision yet on next year.
“We are though looking at whether Daytona might be possible for 2019.
Racing Team Nederland
Attended just on Monday and left on Tuesday with Frits van Eerd required on day job duty.
With the WEC-bound team though also having recently evaluated Michelin rubber there was plenty of speculation that the selection has already been made.
High Class Racing
Anders Fjordstadt and Dennis Andersen went about the tyre testing task with their usual gusto, Fjordstadt offering the observation that whilst the team were clearly disappointed at not being listed as a confirmed Le Mans 24 Hours entrant (currently 3rd reserve) that decision had not in any way interrupted their multi year LMP2 programme.
Whilst there are no plans whatsoever for anything other than a single car effort the team actually owns three Dallara P217 chassis, their second chassis did race-winning duty with SMP Racing last season and now is placed with AVF for the 2018 season. The third chassis will also see service this season as SMP Racing start their year with it whilst awaiting their race chassis, the Russian squad making a relatively late decision to rejoin the ELMS alongside their LMP1 programme in the 2018/19 FIA WEC.
Graff Racing
Had both of their ELMS-bound ORECA 07 Gibsons at the test, the first opportunity to see the #40 car in its new for 2018 G-Drive livery with James Allen, Enzo Guibbert and Jose Guitierrez listed on the car for the season.
The #39 car, still in the familiar tricolour livery sees Jonathan Hirschi, Alexandre Cougnaud and Tristan Gommendy in the car for the season it seems, Vincent Capillaire joins the team for Le Mans with SO24 backing.
Spirit of Race/ Aaron Scott
One garage at Aragon was allocated to Aaron Scott and the first two days saw the Englishman testing his client’s ORECA FLM 09, bound for the new for 2018 Masters Endurance Legends series.
Wednesday saw the garage occupied by the familiar #55 Spirit of Race Ferrari 488 GTE, Scott and Matt Griffin present for on track running, Griffin sporting an impressive new for 2018 facial appendage!
Cetilar Villorba Corse
Also present and on track all week were the Cetilar Villorba Corse Dallara LMP2 squad, all three drivers returning for the ELMS season, all of the Dallara cars appearing here in post ‘Joker’ form with the revised front splitter.
Signatech Alpine
The #36 A470 Gibson was present with all three 2018 FIA WEC drivers for the full week: Nico Lapierre, Pierre Thiriet and André Negrão.
TDS Racing
As reported on DSC whilst the FIA WEC bound ORECA of Francois Perrodo, Mathieu Vaxiviere and Loic Duval is all set, the team’s second car, backed by G-Drive, and due for a full season in the ELMS, has still to finalise a full season crew after Roman Rusinov’s request for condieration, effectively, of a performance-related ‘waiver’ to allow a Gold, Gold. Platinum crew (himself, Vaxiere and Jean Eric Vergne) was rejected.
DSC observed (Silver-ranked) Andrea Pizzitola testing for the team, together with (Gold-ranked) Alexandre Imperatori. In addition, as reported elsewhere by Gary Watkins, GP3 racer Giuliano Alesi, son of ex F1 star Jean Alesi was also in action at the test for the team.
Proton Competition/ Ebimotors
Christian Ried’s squad fielded their first pair of customer Porsche 911 RSRs at the test, a pair apiece from the team bound for the ELMS and FIA WEC.
The ELMS pair were at the test, trying out the new for 2018 one-make GTE tyre selection with Ried on site until Tuesday, Cairoli handling driving thereafter with Gianluca and Giorgio Roda set to join the Porsche man in one full season ELMS car.
Also present was Fabio Babini, set to campaign another Proton-supported car, this time entered by Ebimotors, for the full ELMS and Le Mans. Babini working with one of the Proton cars as the Italian team await delivery of their car.
