The 2019 European Le Mans Series season has begun here at Circuit Paul Ricard, with the first day of pre-season testing underway.
There’s a lot of new colours on display in the garages. However, amongst the myriad of new liveries for the ELMS comes the return of a fondly remembered old one!
The arrival of Horst Felbermayr Jr in the #88 Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR comes along with the full liver of his family-owned plant, heavy haulage and specialist logistics company, long a feature of both Pro and Pro-Am Porsche racing in the recent past.
Beyond that, there are a host of new paint schemes to savour, many around the paddock saying that amongst the best is the #45 Thunderhead by Carlin Motorsport Dallara. It does look a stunner!
Olivier Pla was getting ready to go this morning to complete his ‘set’, and become the only driver in the ELMS to have driven all four LMP2 chassis!
There’s no change for the Inter Europol Competition team, in livery that is. Aside from that though there has been a sizable expansion for the Polish-flagged team in the off-season, its new-for-2019 #34 LMP2 Ligier adding to the team’s pair of JS P3s. The size of the team has grown significantly as a result, with almost 30 personnel on site this year, around double what Sascha Fassbender and co required in 2018.
On the driver front, Jake Parsons is testing today in the #13 Ligier JSP3 alongside Martin Hippe and new team signing Nigel Moore. A decision will be taken tonight on whether Parsons will race this weekend in the same car, or will transfer to the #14.
Dani Clos is here too, the ex-F1 test driver confirmed now for the full ELMS season with the team.
Another effort expanding into LMP2 is RLR MSport, the team fielding its new #43 ORECA (featured) for the first time, a new livery too here for both the 07 and for the LMP3 Ligier with an all-new driver line-up for the team featuring Christian Olsen, who moves over from Nielsen Racing, and two ‘Martins’: Martin Rich, long-time racer who is loving the LMP3 and young Dane Martin Vedel Mortensen.
Former Le Mans Series ace Warren Hughes is also present in the team’s pit, driver coaching.
At Nielsen Racing there’s a new car, a Norma M30 for Colin Noble and Tony Wells, who are fresh from their Asian Le Mans Series campaign over the winter.
DragonSpeed meanwhile, will test here with just one driver today, James Allen, who is on site. Both Henrik Hedman and Ben Hanley are on IndyCar duty at Barber in the USA.
Another team with an ORECA here this week, and for the rest of the season, is High Class Racing. The Danish outfit is showing off its new 07 Gibson with a revised livery and a new racing number (#20) in public for the first time.
And Cool Racing, the third team here this week stepping up from LMP3 to LMP2 is present with its now fully-liveried ORECA, as is the surprise addition to the LMP2 pack, BHK Motorsport.
The teams will be out testing until late tonight, the schedule for Day 1 featuring a Night Practice session that runs through to 21:00 local time in France.
