New hotel in build
A prominent addition to the Silverstone scene since last year’s WEC visit is the looming presence of the new Hilton Garden Inn hotel that will open in Summer 2020 opposite the Wing.
The development is also set to feature one of the missing links in Silverstone’s development, the bridge linking the Wing to the outside of the track.
Another near future addition to Silverstone’s facilities is the ‘Silverstone Experience’ attraction. And WEC CEO Gerard Neveu was given the opportunity to see the almost complete facility and pronounced himself mightily impressed with what is to come.
Incredible new motorsport attraction coming soon: Silverstone Experience Centre. Privileged to have an early look today. Not to be missed! @SilverstoneUK #heritage #WEC pic.twitter.com/kqMcg0TzNl
— GerardNeveuWEC (@GerardNeveuWEC) August 29, 2019
The attraction, designed around a c.2.5 hour “immersive and interactive visitor experience”, which attracted an £11 million grant from the National Lottery’s Heritage fund, had been due to open last month but was delayed after the principal construction partner hit financial difficulties.
No new opening date has yet been announced but a debut is expected in the Autumn.
Dempsey #88 line-up confirmed
The #88 Dempsey Proton Porsche 911 RSR has a confirmed line-up with Thomas Preining, named some time ago in the car, joined by Italian, bronze-rated Gentleman driver Gianluca Giraudi and silver-rated Mexican ex-GT Academy winner Ricardo Sanchez.
DHH not present
Project 1 driver David Heinemeier Hansson is not here at Silverstone for the opening day of track action. The Dane’s wife is expected to give birth imminently, so he has been unable to make the trip.
He has been replaced at the team by David Kolkmann, a longtime Project 1 driver in Porsche Carrera Cup Germany. It is not yet clear whether DHH will be able to make the trip.
“I’m keeping my options open,” Heinemeier Hansson told DSC. “WEC is giving me dispensation so I can show up as late as qualifying. It seems extremely unlikely I will be unable to make it, there’s a 99% chance I will not make the race.”
DSC wishes DHH and family all the best.
New ORECA chassis
There are a host of new ORECA 07 chassis on parade here this weekend. The WEC cars for Cool Racing and High Class Racing are making their first appearances in the paddock after both teams ran their ELMS cars at the WEC Prologue.
United Autosport’s first ORECA 07 debuted at Barcelona, this their newly built car – that car continues in WEC service here with the team’s first ex-JDC Miller car making its first appearance in United Autosports hands as the #22 car in the ELMS with the second ex JDC car set to debut as the #32 ELMS car in Spa next month.
The final new car is the ORECA that has joined Panis Barthez as its #23 car, this believed to be yet another new chassis.
Goodyear brings two specs to Silverstone
DSC understands that Goodyear has brought its A and C-spec tyre selections to Silverstone for its first-ever FIA WEC weekend.
The American brand will debut its third, B-spec, rubber later in the season, potentially before the end of the calendar year, though currently no decision has been made. The ‘B’ is likely to be the hardest tyre of the three specs, designed to be more suitable for races held in hotter temperatures.
Ginetta team shot
Team LNT’s two Ginetta G60-LT-P1s were pictured yesterday in a pre-event photoshoot with five of the six drivers (Ben Hanley was unable to attend) and the crew on hand to run the cars this weekend.
Great to get @teamlntginetta together ready for the first round of the 2019/20 @FIAWEC series at @SilverstoneUK this weekend.
Keep posted for further updates!#GinettaLMP1ForTheFans #Ginetta #WEC #4HSILVERSTONE pic.twitter.com/oegmiHJrBo
— Ginetta (@GinettaCars) August 30, 2019
Double Duty drivers
16 drivers will be doing double duty between Saturday’s ELMS race and Sunday’s WEC season opener:
Cool Racing sees the full driver trio of Nico Lapierre, Antonin Borga and Alexandre Coigny doubly employed as are United Autosports LMP2 duo Phil Hanson and Filipe Albuquerque.
Anders Fjordbach races for High Class racing in both fields too.
Will Stevens, will race for Panis Barthez in their new #23 ORECA in ELMS, and for Jackie Chan DC Racing in the #37 ORECA in WEC
Job Van Uitert makes his debut with Racing Team Nederland in WEC alongside his G-Drive Racing Aurus 01 duties.
Pierre Ragues is another LMP2 double-dipper for Duqueine Engineering (ELMS) and Signatech Alpine ELF in WEC
Ben Hanley, drives for DragonSpeed in ELMS in LMP2 and joins the new for Season 8 Team LNT Ginetta effort in the FIA WEC at Silverstone
Alessandro Pier Guidi is the only ELMS driver who features in the WEC GTE Pro entry, the 2017 FIA World GTE Champion will be at the wheel of a pair of #51 Ferraris – for Luzich Racing in the ELMS, and AF Corse in the WEC.
Five LMGTE Am drivers will pull double stints with Matteo Cairoli (Dempsey Proton Racing/ Team Project 1), WEC ever-present Christian Ried and Riccardo Pera (All Dempsey Proton Racing), Nicklas Nielsen (Luzich Racing/ AF Corse) and Thomas Preining (Proton Competition/ Dempsey Proton Racing).
One late change saw a potential 17th driver substituted in the ELMS, Bruno Senna’s Rebellion Racing LMP1 commitments take precedence over his ELMS run with RLR MSport, Matthieu Vaxiviere subs in the #43 ORECA.
Project 1 picture courtesy of Team Project 1
