BHK still working hard
BHK, has still not taken to the track with its new ORECA 07 Gibson. A team source sharing with DSC that its ex-G-Drive Racing car has required very substantial work. When last seen by DSC within the final hour of the penultimate Test Session, the team was busy putting set up on the car. Judging by the van full of ORECA-sources parts delivered yesterday afternoon, it appears to have been quite a task to get it ready.
Ready for @EuropeanLMS official test in @PaulRicardTrack
P2 Oreca #35 #ELMS #ELMSTEST @effediracing @Sergio_Campana pic.twitter.com/OUZ5PU3XUv— BHK Motorsport (@BHKMotorsport1) April 8, 2019
The car did, however, did get shaken down during the final on-track session this afternoon.
Coigny enjoying LMP2
Alexandre Coigny was delighted with the progress at Cool Racing this week, this the third two-day test for the team with its new ORECA 07. The ex-EasyJet pilot has been thoroughly enjoying the step up in class.
“Getting into this car, after two years in LMP3, is like getting out of jail. It’s so much more responsive, it’s so much quicker, there’s a lot to learn and a lot more to squeeze out of the package, but we’re really looking forward to the season.”
Coigny did though, acknowledge the importance of the learning curve provided by LMP3.
“They are great little cars, particularly to learn about downforce on a really cost-effective package to build up that experience. I enjoyed the car but I’m going to enjoy this one a lot more.”
Carlin pushing on
Carlin, while still spending the week running through a programme, its team, which is comprised mainly of single-seater personnel, still very much getting to grips with running a prototype.
While the team is hard at work setting up and extracting the most from the P217 – which is quick on the Mistral Straight but a handful through some of the twistier sections of the Paul Ricard Circuit – it is still enjoying its first ELMS experience.
“Every time I get out of the car I have a smile on my face. I’m loving driving it.” driver Jack Manchester, said to DSC.
The lap times thus far haven’t been there, but the team has managed a lot of laps (108 on Day 1), and it is still very early days for Dallara’s only full-season representative in the ELMS this year.
Fjordbach, High Class breaks the LMP2 lap record
Former Dallara team High Class Racing meanwhile, did find a lot of pace, and broke the LMP2 lap record at the circuit with its new ORECA 07 Gibson.
Anders Fjordbach, ahead of his third ELMS season, set the time, a 1:40.404, eclipsing the best time set during the ELMS meeting last year and the top time from the 2018 FIA WEC Prologue.
“I hope it rains the rest of the week!” Fjordbach said on his Facebook page.
DSC understands that prior to this week, in private testing, at least two LMP2 teams were able to break that mark, Cool Racing’s Nicolas Lapierre understood to have been timed at 1:39.9. G-Drive Racing’s Job van Uitert also broke that time and set a 1:40.1.
LMC Paddock takes shape
The ELMS-supporting Le Mans Cup paddock is being set up today ahead of the pre-season test at Paul Ricard tomorrow.
DSC went for a stroll through the awnings being assembled to take a look at some of the new cars that have joined the ever-growing LMP3-GT3 championship for 2019.
Beechdean AMR
United Autosports
SPS Automotive
Luzich Racing
Nielsen Racing
RLR Msport
Lanan Racing
Kessel Racing
Villorba Corse
Fjordbach still fastest after the second day of testing
Anders Fjordbach’s record-breaking time from Day 1 was not beaten during today’s action at Le Castellet.
Two drivers did get close to the Dane’s time though during the two sessions, the #37 Cool Racing Oreca of Nico Lapierre setting the fastest time of the day, a 1:40.432, just 0.028 seconds slower than Fjordbach’s time.
The #21 Dragonspeed ORECA of Ben Hanley also set a notable time, the Briton posting a 1:0.457, just 0.053 seconds off. The only other driver to set a lap in the 1:40s was Paul Loup Chatin in the #28 Idec Sport ORECA, the French driver setting his 1:40.747 on Monday.
In LMP3 meanwhile, the #10 Oregon Team Norma M30 once again proved to be the quickest of the pack, with Damiani Fioravanti setting the fastest lap of the day, a 1:49.887 in the morning. However, the fastest lap of the test overall was still the 1:49.500 that Fioravanti set in the third session on Day 1.
The #17 Ultimate Norma was the second fastest car of the two days, with Matthieu Lahaye reeling off a 1:50.240, nearly four tenths ahead of Jean-Baptiste Lahaye in the same car. The #7 Nielsen Racing Norma of Colin Noble was third fastest, the young BRDC Rising Star just 0.022s behind the second Lahaye.
The #60 Kessel Racing Ferrari ended the two-day test as the fastest of the GTE class, with the #51 Luzich Racing F488 just a tenth off.
Andrea Piccini set the best time of 1:53.288 on day one, with Nicklas Nielsen just 0.123s behind. On Day Two Claudio Schiavoni was quickest in the #60 Ferrari, with the third fastest time overall of 1:53.603.
Alessandro Pier Guidi finished the day as the fastest driver in the final session and fourth fastest overall in the #51 Ferrari with a 1m53.972.
Racing Engineering
Racing Engineering, the Spanish ex-F2 team which won on its ELMS debut at Paul Ricard last season, has revealed its 2019 programme. In a complete departure from sportscar racing, the team has announced a two-car effort in the NASCAR Whelen Euroseries.
