LMP2: 9 Cars
26 G-Drive Racing Roman Rusinov Julien Canal Sam Bird Ligier JS P2 Nissan
28 G-Drive Racing Gustavo Yacaman Luis Felipe Derani Ricardo Gonzalez Ligier JS P2 Nissan
30 Extreme Speed Motorsports Scott Sharp Ryan Dalziel David Heinemeier-Hansson Ligier JS P2 Honda
31 Extreme Speed Motorsports Ed Brown Jon Fogarty Johannes van Overbeek Ligier JS P2 Honda
36 Signatech Alpine Nelson Panciatici Paul Loup Chatin Tom Dillmann Alpine A450B Nissan
42 Strakka Racing Nick Leventis Danny Watts Jonny Kane Gibson 015S Nissan
43 SARD Morand Racing Oliver Webb Pierre Ragues Chris Cumming Morgan Evo Nissan
44 AF Racing Mikhail Aleshin Nicolas Minassian David Markozov BR01 – Nissan
47 KCMG Matthew Howson Richard Bradley Nick Tandy Oreca 05 Nissan
If you want drama then here and in GTE Pro are the most likely places to find it in Bahrain!
Firstly there’s a guest entry to welcome, the AF Racing BR01 makes its 6 hour WEC debut in the hands of Mikhail Aleshin, Nic Minassian and David Markozov. Make no mistake the #44 car is here with a tilt at the win.
The planned Jota entry here didn’t materialise though so the remainder of the field is a familiar bunch.
Signatech Alpine won last time out and seem to have tapped into a rich vein of form, the continued presence of Tom Dillmann will mean that the #36 can’t be counted out here either.
ESM’s #30 Ligier ran well in China, leading in the hands of Ryan Dalziel before a gearbox issue ruined their day.
The SARD Morand Morgan Judd too has seen great pace recently, could a podium be within reach to round off a season of highs, and lows!
Strakka Racing are looking for the solution to their WEC Gordian knot, the Gibson is fast, Danny Watts in the overall mix in the rain in China but of late Nick Leventis seems to have struggled. A confidence boosting run in the season finale is required!
The story of the latter part of the season though has been KCMG vs G-Drive and again there were plot twists aplenty in China.
An early off into the gravel for Nick Tandy put KCMG on the back foot but a fine fight back saw them battle back through the field to the podium.
That though wouldn’t have been possible without an extraordinary last minute mistake from Ricardo Gonzales, third place in his pocket and a last lap, last gasp off into the gravel saw the #28 G-Drive Ligier Nissan post a DNF and lose any chance of a championship win.
That fight now is a two horse race, the #26 G-Drive car in the pound seats with 153 points to KCMG’s 137.
The Chinese team will be gunning for what might be a very important Pole position, and then a win, and will be hoping to that several other teams hit form at the finale. G-Drive meanwhile simply need to finish in the top four to win (and remember the #44 AF Racing car doesn’t count as it neither scores, nor blocks WEC Championship points).
After the dramas in Japan and China what on earth do we have in store now?
