The CEFC TRSM Ginetta team were the first LMP1 team to clear scrutineering yesterday with both the #5 and #6 G60-LT-P1s, plus five of the drivers passing through the formalities with no dramas. Oliver Turvey will do so today after being on reserve driver duty at Formula E in Zurich yesterday.
Both cars were presented in the same aero trim that they ran at the Test Day, though the team still expect to present a lower drag “Le Mans optimised” kit later this week.
The cars are both featuring a number of new sponsor logos here, proof positive that the commercial push by both TRSM and Ginetta is still firmly underway as all concerned work hard to secure the programme beyond Le Mans.
Lawrence Tomlinson was certainly bullish on the prospects for the Ginetta beyond the race this week.
“We’ve been working hand in glove with TRSM to make all of this happen because, of course, we want them to succeed and we want to show the capabilities of the car on the biggest stages possible. “We know, of course, that the lead in has not been ideal, in particular, that has hit the testing programme so coming here with a lot less track time than the rest of the class is not what we would have wanted, but we are cracking on and getting everything done.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team at Ginetta and it’s clear that they have produced an end product that justifies the effort. I think there’s every chance of helping to grow the LMP1 grid during the season and we have a third car ready to go if anyone wants to join us in that endeavour!”
Team principal Graeme Lowdon too was keen to praise the efforts of his crew behind the scenes:
“The lads have worked really hard, and we’ve had really good support from Ginetta as well. We’re really pleased that we’re moving forward. You can see from the other non-hybrid teams, that you can make a big difference after running more. But we’re not trying to focus too much on pace at this stage because there’s a lot more we need to tick off the list.
“The car will kind of (be in a low-drag kit), but you have to remember we haven’t run the car much at all, so to be low-downforce it means you have to be lower than something else. Yes, it’s going to be lower than what we’ve looked at previously, but I think we’re trying not to categorise it as a low-downforce package necessarily. The car already doesn’t seem to be short of downforce anyway!
“It’s a 1.5 year season, with two Le Mans and so there’s still a lot to discover as far as Le Mans 2018 is concerned. We’ve got some good people together, a good base package, but now we need to move forward. If we can get in the mileage we want during next year’s race we’ll learn a great deal too. We have to keep learning. This is just an epic race, which we have huge respect for.
“You can see when there are red flags here, that it takes a long time to clear them up. It’s such a long lap. So even though there’s a lot of track time, you don’t get as much time as you’d think. But it’s super important we get as much mileage done as possible.
“At this point, I haven’t got a specific target, and I don’t want to, I just want us to be in a position where we can all work as hard as possible and get the best result we can be. That’s when I’ll be happy.”
The drivers too are fully engaged in taking the cars, and the Le Mans effort, forward as quickly as possible.
Mike Simpson:
“I am delighted to be here, of course, to be trusted first with the development, and now the first race for the new car is something I am intensely proud of. Everyone knows there is a huge amount more to come from the car and it’s a matter now of focusing our efforts where we can help that as quickly as possible.
“Of course we would have liked more track time before arriving here – but we are where we are, every step forward now is a major win for the effort – I love the pomp of this day, my first time being involved, but I can tell you that everyone is just desperate to get the cars on track.”
Léo Roussel:
“We are fully focused on improving our package. We know that we have a good margin of progression. People can count on us for the race. The car is extraordinary and mega to drive. I’m happy to be competing in the top category after a few tough years (except in 2017).
Charlie Robertson:
“We were concentrating on getting our 10 laps done during the Test Day. We feel we have some pace to come. Unlike us, the other competitors have a lot of prototype experience: BR has worked with Dallara before, Rebellion has done several Le Mans races and it’s the same for Toyota. We are very fresh to this 24 Hour race. We will see a big step forward with our car in the coming week.”
Oliver Rowland:
“I did a couple of tests in the car before Spa. I got here and in the beginning, I was a bit all over the place but once I had a hang of the track, I enjoyed it. The Ginetta’s performance in the corners is impressive. The balance of the car is very good and we are fast in the Porsche curves.”
Alex Brundle:
“We got off the mark at the Test Day. The other tests we’d done were a bit broken, with teething issues. So that was a bit of a shakedown, and at the Test Day, we got through some items. But there’s no glossing over the fact that we’re massively behind. The reliability at the test though was really heartening, we had one stoppage in the morning and ran well for the rest of the day. We just need to build on that, hit the ground here, and progress.
“We have to max out practice, if we do that then we’re in with much more of a chance.
“There’s a lot more to come. The 3:28.1 I did was with a full tank and old tyres. So you know there’s more. The test was more about making sure we were reliable. We also were running in a higher downforce trim than we’d like, and there were some engine niggles to iron out. I think that you have to remember that we missed the six-hour race at Spa. The progress is going to be leaps and bounds, the question is, is there time before the race to get to where we want to be.
“When you see the top speeds of the various cars, most aren’t as fast as the LMP2s. So when you’re asked what’s magical about LMP1, it’s the speed in the corners, the tyre performance. It’s a step and something you have to get used to. When you first jump in, you’re over braking for 10-12 laps because you’re not used to.
“The G60-LT-P1 is an incredible car, it just hasn’t had the time to develop. It’s hard to explain to someone who is just watching the timing screens, that we can make massive jumps. But once we iron out issues, at Le Mans, we’re not finding two tenths, it’s a second. The car is capable, it’s just a question of whether we have the time”
