Eastwood to return after Formula E track action
Racing Team Turkey’s Charlie Eastwood is set to return to the ELMS paddock in time for tomorrow’s track sessions after taking part in today’s FIA Formula E Rookie Free Practice Session in Rome.
Eastwood was present for ELMS testing yesterday before travelling to Italy, where he turned laps in a GEN3 Formula E car with NEOM McLaren.
This weekend Eastwood, along with his teammates Louis Deletraz and Salih Yoluc are looking to repeat their success at the opening round of the season, where they emerged victorious in the overall classification and in LMP2 Pro/Am.
Will Powell joins Murphy Prototypes
In the Le Mans Cup paddock, there’s a late driver change for Murphy Prototypes in LMP3.
BTCC regular Will Powell will stand in for Dan Skocdopole, and race alongside Adrian Watt in the Irish-flagged team’s #48 Duqueine M30 – D08.
Panis on top in ELMS testing
French outfit Panis Racing’s ORECA set the fastest time in the ELMS test sessions at Paul Ricard yesterday.
Job Van Uitert set the team’s best time, a 1:43.609, in the afternoon session, 0.068 up on Alex Lynn’s best time in the #25 APR ORECA.
Earlier in the day, Algarve Pro Racing’s #20 ORECA set the pace in the morning, after a 1:44.188 from Tristan Vautier.
In the LMP3 tanks, Oscar Tunjo reeled off a 1:51.585 in the #12 WTM by Rinaldi Duqueine to go fastest in the morning, before Kai Askey set the best time of the day in the afternoon, a 1:50.523 in the #13 Inter Europol Ligier.
In GTE the #77 Proton Competition Porsche ended the day atop the timing screens with a 1:54.607 during the afternoon from Julien Andlauer.
MORNING TESTING TIMES >>>
AFTERNOON TESTING TIMES >>>
Yoluc fastest in ELMS Bronze Test
Following today’s Free Practice 1 session, Salih Yoluc topped the Bronze test this afternoon in the Racing Team Turkey ORECA. His best time was a 1:45.011, half a second up on Francois Perrodo in the #83 AF Corse 07 Gibson.
A 1:51.102 from WTM by Rinaldi’s Torsten Kratz was good enough to go fastest in LMP3, while Christian Ried in the #77 Proton Porsche topped GTE with a 1:55.858.
Nielsen and Iron Lynx quickest in Le Mans Cup testing
In Le Mans Cup testing yesterday, Nielsen Racing’s #4 Duqueine ran fastest. Matt Bell was the pacesetter, with the only sub-1:50 lap of the day in the morning session. His best time was a 1:49.793.
The GT3 ranks saw the #63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan lap quickest courtesy of a 1:55.728 from Vincent Abril. His best time was also in set in the morning session.
During the afternoon, it was a United 1-2 in LMP3, with Scott Andrews topping the times with a 1:50.448, half a tenth up on Wayne Boyd in the #23.
GT3 car the Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin lap the circuit fastest, Valentin Hasse Clot reeling off a 1:56.061.
Le Mans Cup points recap
Unlike the European Le Mans Series runners, the Le Mans Cups teams have been in action since the opening round of the season at Barcelona way back in April.
The two Road To Le Mans races, in support of the Le Mans 24 Hours last month, have shaken up the points table in both classes.
In LMP3, reigning Ligier European Series Champion Gillian Henrion heads into tomorrow’s race as the championship leader alongside his Team Virage teammate Julien Gerbi thanks to the victory to pairing secured in Round 1 in Barcelona.
However, their lead margin is slender, just four points, after a less-than-ideal run at Le Mans which saw them score just four points over the two races.
Second in the title race are Fabien Michal and Kirill Smal from CD Sport. Just 11 points separate the top seven cars in the table, with David Droux and Luis Sanjua third after a third-place finish in RTLM Race 1 and a win in Race too in their #97 COOL Racing Ligier.
GT3 meanwhile, sees Tim Creswick and Anders Fjordbach hold a six-point lead in the standings after scoring maximum points in both Road to Le Mans races in their #86 HCR CaffeineSix Porsche. The Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Arnold Robin and Valentin Hasse Clot is second after a win at the season opener in Spain.
Nick Jones and Scott Malvern in the #18 Team Parker Racing Porsche are third with 27 points, 15 behind the leaders.
Notable names in the Midjets
This weekend the ELMS is being supported by the Midjet North Europe championship, which features a grid of 18 miniature silhouette GT cars.
Among the names competing are two that will be familiar with DSC readers. The first is Jean-Marc Gounon, in the #7 Mitjet Internationnal car.
The other is Arthur van Uitert (father of Panis Racing driver Job van Uitert), who is back racing for the first time in seven years aboard the #78 VPS example.
Duqueine onboard
The ELMS YouTube channel has released an onboard video from the bumper of the #30 Duqueine ORECA lapping the Paul Ricard circuit.
Two ‘ELMS Raw’ videos have also been posted from set up and testing.
