An unplanned return to the circuit at Paul Ricard this morning saw the opportunity (in gale force winds that have caused some damage in the paddock, and at one stage saw a trackside tyre bale (two stacks deep, four stacks wide) blown into the pit entry from the inside of the final turn!!) for a brief tootle down through the pitlane and paddock as the European Le Mans Series runners set up ahead of two days running from tomorrow.
Not every team has yet opened up shop but there was plenty enough ‘new’ to warrant the stroll:
Inter Europol have both of their ‘Norwich City’ Ligiers looking splendid (above) after the jetwashing that was the opening round of VdeV a couple of weeks ago .
We have a pair of LMP2 squads with a Ligier and an ORECA apiece for 2018.
Algarve Pro Racing add the APR ‘Rebel’ 07 to their regular Ligier and all six of their drivers were on parade this morning, thus confirming that against all the odds Mark Patterson is back once again at the ripe old age of 102! The ex-Manor ORECA is now in full APR livery, the team working hard already this morning ahead of track action tomorrow from 9am local.
IDEC Sport too have a mixed entry, they cancelled their order for a second Ligier, taking delivery of a new 07 in its place.
AVF have their Dallara fully liveried now, this the race-winning car from SMP Racing here last year, and the spare chassis for High Class Racing. Behind closed doors the brand new car for SMP racing is here too, replacing the planned early season loan of a spare High Class racing chassis.
Another very welcome addition to the LMP2 entry is Racing Engineering, their ex-Rebellion ORECA 07 is also now fully liveried in appropriately Spanish colours.
The four teams staying no from the WEC Prologue are all here too, not all will run in the ELMS Prologue though.
There is a fifth car which also ran yesterday that is set to test (and race) here in the ELMS. Though that is, for now at least, not back at the track, Christian Ried confirming that the early part of the EbiMotors plan is to utilise one of the Dempsey Proton WEC cars until after Le Mans when their own new car will be available.
The Proton #88 Porsche for ELMS meanwhile sports an all over grey livery. We like it, Christian Ried likes it, Matteo Cairoli needs more convincing, DSC blames the youth of today!
Ultimate’s new (delivered just days ago) Norma M30 is present in full and still eye-catching teams colours. The team still has their Ligier, does not plan to run the JS P3 anywhere else currently and may well offer it for sale. Matthieu Lahaye was in the midst of a seat fitting as DSC passed by.
In LMP3 DKR Engineering still list their somewhat controversial all Silver line-up in a smartly reliveried Norma M30, the 2017 Michelin Le Mans Cup-winning car.
And it seems like the ‘livery de jour’ for LMP3 might well be something based around the ‘fashionable camo’ therewith both Speed Factory (above) and M Racing by YMR choosing variations on that theme for 2018.
