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Contents Le Mans 2013
12 56 16 58
28 38 Armchair to Arnage
Why do the Japanese love Le Mans?
WEC So Far
Map
Car by Car
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What is special about La Sarthe?
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Editor in chief: Graham Goodwin @dsceditor graham@dailysportscar.com Editor: Jake Yorath @lendurancelive editor@lendurance.co.uk Deputy Editor: Dan Bathie Art direction: Jake Yorath Dan Bathie Contributing writers: Graham Goodwin Jake Yorath Contributing photographers: Dan Bathie John Brooks David Lord David Downes Peter May Jake Yorath Adam Pigott Drew Gibson Cover art: Jake Yorath Andy Blackmore With thanks to: Darren Cox, Sylvia Mink and Lindsay Morle of Nissan Motorsport Jeff Carter at FIA WEC Andy Blackmore at spotterguides.com This is a lendurance.co.uk production in association with DailySportsCar.com
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Graham
Goodwin
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years ago history saw fit to create the world’s greatest motor race in a perfectly nice, but in many ways unremarkable, city in central France. Since then reputations have been forged that have carried motoring giants to levels of sporting credibility they could only previously have dreamed of – Bentley, Jaguar, Ford, Porsche and latterly Audi have much to thank the great race for. On the other side of the fence those that follow the twists, turns and oh so fast straights of the race have plenty of reasons too to thank those that have chosen to take up the challenge. Together the competitors and fans have created something quite unique, something that draws fans in their tens of thousands from countries across the globe. Speed, spectacle, endurance
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and danger, a race twice around the clock on closed public roads seems in many ways anachronistic in our homogenised, corporate and safety conscious world but year after year the fans and the teams come back to celebrate a week of sporting indulgence, noise and fury. “It always rains at Le Mans” goes the now famous opening line to Audi’s Truth in 24 documentary. That’s not quite true but the race certainly throws up surprise after surprise, year upon year and one thing is certainly true: for those that decide to find out what the fuss is all about, who trek across France and camp in sometimes noisy fields, alongside like minded souls with barbecues and coolers full of beer, the vast majority will find that they want to do the same thing again next year, and the year after. Very few indeed go to Le Mans just once!
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the vast majority will find that they want to do the same thing again next year, and the year after – Very few indeed go to Le Mans just once!
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Darren
Cox
A
nyone reading this needs little reminder of just how special the Le Mans 24 Hours is. But why is it so special? The history, the nature of the track and its surroundings, the cars, the technology and the skills on display, the speed, the atmosphere? All of the above. I think though there is a single ingredient that makes it all work in becoming, for a fabulous week every year, the best motorsport event on the planet - the fans. And in my experience most people that are here are fans. The mechanics, the drivers, the sponsors, the marshals, the press, the commentators, the organisers. And each year there are 250,000 different experiences. Some come just to be here and never see a race car. Some will not move from their chosen spectating spot unless ‘refuelling’. Everything adds to the atmosphere; yes, the sights and sounds of the race itself, but also the show off-track. The stickered cars (did I really see a Gulf liveried, gullwing Allegro one year?), the beer bottle mountains or the intricately organised campsites complete
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with sound systems. This makes the atmosphere on the campsites, at trackside and in the bars and cafes around the circuit totally unique and very, very special. Don Panoz calls it a habit. And it’s a tough one to kick. No patch can get rid of this addiction. After each race many of us say ‘never again’ after a harrowing race on track, zero sleep or a beer bottle mountain that was just a bit too big. But we always seem to come back. I can remember my dad making that trip, his relationship with the race went way back, I still have his programme from 1969 and I can clearly recall feeling very annoyed I couldn’t go with him in my pre-teen years when he and his mates departed our street in an overloaded Peugeot 504. Eventually my time came. I’ve experienced most parts of the race. Sneaking into areas I shouldn’t to watch the race, my one-off time washing wheels as part of a team will live with me forever as a fantastic experience, and a fantastic lesson too in just what the teams go through in running this incredible race. I can remember too chatting
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I’ve experienced most parts of the race. Sneaking into areas I shouldn’t to watch the race...
to some of the old hands on that team and them having a big laugh at my expense when I told them I would put a car on the grid at Le Mans some day. I’m delighted to say that one of them rang me to remind me of that conversation after we ran the Nissan DeltaWing last year. That may not have been ‘my’ car but Nissan played a huge part in putting it there and everyone involved in it took a very personal pride in what was achieved, and it drove us all on at Nissan to take the next step. Are we in this to sell cars? Of course we are, but our job is to show what Nissan is really about.
People buy from companies if they believe in what they do, not just what they sell. Nissan really is an innovative engineering company that makes mass market supercars and electric vehicles. Our job is to challenge people’s old perceptions of us as a company. Motorsport is a great way to do that. Le Mans is the biggest gathering of petrol heads imaginable, so it’s a key audience we need to show what is Nissan’s real DNA. A risk-taking, dynamic company that is challenging the industry’s normal way of doing things. On the road, in the dealerships and on the track. I said earlier that the fans were
the most important element of this event and I meant it. That’s why we are supporting our friends at Dailysportscar, Radio Le Mans and setting up our ‘Nismo Live Lounge’ to provide non stop coverage from behind the scenes – all to try and make the event even more accessible. It’s the reason why we have created the ‘Nismo FanZone’ in the karting area, and that too is the reason why it is the fans who will see our 2014 Garage 56 challenger first. We’ll be revealing the new car in the Le Mans Village at 10:30am on Friday 21 June to the people who want to see it the most – You!
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感情 I
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愛
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WHY DO the Japanese love le mans?
graham goodwin investigates
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A
ny sportscar racing enthusiast knows of the allure of Le Mans and very many of us have been drawn towards the annual pilgrimage over the years. How many though are keen enough to spend the entire week standing, with a large group of like minded souls, opposite the pits and cheering every single time ‘their’ team’s cars passed? That was one of my introductions to the passion shown by the Japanese for Le Mans. The group in question were fans of the Nissan efforts and they were there from my very first trip to the race in 1995, for the appearance of a pair of Nissan R33 Skylines, through to the 1999 race where the Nissan campaign was split between the new and very quick R391 and Nissan V8 engined Courages in the top class. Their cheering, chanting, flag waving fervour was something I hadn’t seen since the heady days of Jaguar’s Group C glory days, and seemed somehow altogether more fanatical even than that. Fast forward to 2012 and the first season of the FIA World Endurance Championship where the new product was looking for their own new formula to unlock a new racegoing audience. People came, but not in massive numbers. Fast forward though to the penultimate round at Fuji though and there was a surprise in store. Tens of thousands turned out, many queued in their cars OVERNIGHT to get in! Gerard Neveu looked like the cat that had got the cream, and in a sea of questions about the promotional
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performances of a number of Championship venues there was never any question that Fuji had shown the way forward. Back to Le Mans though and with the move by the Japanese factories away from endurance racing at the turn of the century the stands seems a little quieter and more composed. Sure Toyota went F1 racing but somehow that never really gelled with the fan base. It took a decade, a global financial crisis, and a new approach to unlock the passion again - but why is a race on the other side of the world just such a big deal to the Japanese? Toyota’s Kazuki Nakajima had some of the answers: “I think it goes back to the Group C days, they were really cool cars, very beautiful, and really fast and we had Japanese cars in the races. But we were being beaten all of the time by the cars from Europe, and particularly by Porsche. “The big Japanese factory teams though decided to take them on and the cars got faster and faster, and we started winning races against a team. And against cars that we had seen as being better than the best we could do. The Japanese public really responded and when the Japanese teams went to follow the Porsches and the rest abroad, the crowds took notice. Despite the best efforts of Nissan and Toyota it was Mazda that took the win that mattered, at Le Mans in 1991, but the great race still figures very prominently on the todo list for the two biggest
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Fast forward though to the penultimate round at Fuji though and there was a surprise in store. Tens of thousands turned out, many queued in their cars OVERNIGHT to get in!
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Japanese marques. “There’s a very strong theme of national pride involved,” said Nissan factory driver, and fluent Japanese speaker Michael Krumm. “There was always the tendency for brand loyalty with the major Japanese makes too. “Lots of people know about the Ford/ Chevy scene in the USA and Ford/ Holden in Australia but the rivalry between Nissan, Toyota, Honda and Mazda in Japan is every bit as fierce. That carries over to the fanbase and the Nissan fan club that travelled for year after year to Le Mans was a great example of that. “I saw it, and really enjoyed it, from my first time here with Nissan in 1998 in the Nissan R390 and a lot of those goys still come and see me at Super GT races 15 years later.” Fast forward to the current scene and whilst the brand rivalry is still a driver for the continued enthusiasm, the advancing pace of technology is now another area where the followers of the big factories are getting excited. With Nissan getting involved first with DeltaWing and now with their Garage 56 car for 2014 there’s nowhere else in the sport where the technology is so advanced. There’s definitely a sense that the Japanese technology is taking on the world again, and for Nissan fans there’s a mouth watering prospect, that Garage 56 might turn into a full challenge to the established LM P1 order. Audi, Porsche and Toyota are in their sights and in endurance racing terms the sun is rising again!
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Le Mans? What is so special about
Jake Yorath investigates
All images by dan bathie, taken from le mans in instagram facebook.com/lendurance
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The Challenge
Best experienced: sunday, 4pm
At four o’clock Sunday afternoon, tears will fall with the chequered flag. Tears of joy for the winners, relief for those fortunate enough to finish and often tears of frustration and misery for those who just miss out. The drivers will have barely slept, the fans will have grabbed what kip they can, the reporters and photographers will each claim they slept less than the other, but it is the mechanics who have gone the longest. Most will surpass 40 waking hours before finally shutting their eyes again and their hard work will go unnoticed by many. For the cars, their endeavour is finally over. Some will have survived and that’s enough for their team and drivers. Others will have finished second and that won’t be enough. It’s a funny old game.
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The track
Best experienced: Any night session, dawn
You’d be lying if you said you’d been to a track that was even similar to the Ciruit de la Sarthe. Firstly, it’s massive, on a scale like nothing you’ll see anywhere else except the Nordschleife. The walk from the paddock to Tertre Rouge is short by Le Mans standards, but is longer than the walk round most UK tracks. The fact the track is split between road and track sections also makes for a unique viewing experience, from trackside grandstands to viewing areas by public roads. Oh, and in a lot of the campsites, you wake up pretty much looking at the track. There are so many famous sections for the driver to take on, too, with Tertre Rouge leading to the Mulsanne Straight and onto Mulsanne Corner via the Kink, before heading to Indianapolis, Arnage and then the Porsche Curves. Come worship at the Temple of Speed. Or something. facebook.com/lendurance
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The atmosphere Best experienced: all week
You arrive at Le Mans and you know you’ve... well, arrived. It’s the race, the big one, the greatest show on earth. That might be partly down to the fact that everywhere you go, you’re inundated with branded merchandise, or the hundreds of thousands of spectators between you and your destination (all determined to do their utmost to slow you down). Or it could be that every team here is world class; the best sportscar racing teams the globe has to offer, in one place, on one track, at one time. Take a deep breath when you arrive and savour it.
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The access
Best experienced: ‘mad’ friday
People whinge about how top-level motorsport is shrouded in mystery, how fans are shut out while swanky VIPs are ushered into areas the Average Joe can never dream of having access to. Mad Friday puts paid to that at Le Mans, as the pitlane walkabout opens the teams up to inspection from the paying public, who flock to take the briefest of glimpses into the garages of their favourites. Then, that afternoon, they all pack the trams into town (and boy, do they pack them), where the drivers parade through and throw all kinds of gubbins at innocent bystanders in the imaginatively named drivers’ parade. It’s very rare that people can say they were hit in the face by something thrown by the winner of the race they’re attending, isn’t it?
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SOFA TO LA SARTHE Graham Goodwin speaks to Lucas Ordoñez & Jann Mardenborough about turning the Le Mans dream to reality.
L
ucas Ordoñez was the first of the Nissan GT Academy winners to find his way from an armchair to the wheel of an LM P2 car at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Just over two years after winning a contest that gave the ex computer gamer the opportunity to drive a race modified Nissan 370Z at the Dubai 24 Hours, the man from Spain found himself in a full blown, Nissan backed attack on the biggest endurance race, and for some the biggest race full stop, on the planet. “I was terrified, says the now older, wiser, more experienced and even faster Ordoñez. I’d watched the race on TV with my father but never, ever dreamed that I would be able to race here, and certainly not as a professional.” The whole event was a series of surprises and challenges and, looking back I was so amazed to actually be here that I almost let the experience get the better of me. “On my very first lap it was just a sensory overload, a place I knew from Gran Turismo so well but here I was in reality, in a real race car, and now it was all down to me.
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On my very first lap it was just a sensory overload, a place I knew from Gran Turismo so well but here I was in reality, in a real race car, and now it was all down to me.
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Every Le Mans rookie needs to complete 10 laps on the prerace Test Day to earn the right to compete. It helps them to prepare for some pretty unique aspects of the track and the race, the challenge of traffic, both slower, and much faster, for a race track that is, for the most part, usually a public road with odd cambers, bumps and grooves worn into the surface by heavy traffic. “I knew there was only one thing that mattered, to get the car around the track as safely as possible, ten times. Then, not even half way around on my very first lap, at the second chicane, it started to rain, and to rain heavily. That means a treacherously slippy surface with corners ranging from the ultra high speed, to the painfully slow and technical, and the young Spanish rookie was on treadless slicks! “I almost panicked but started to remember the training we had had, tried to calm myself down, talk to the team and adjusted my driving to take account of what was going on – It was OK in the end but I don’t think I have ever worked harder mentally than those laps. Alongside Lucas is Jann Mardenborough, 2011 winner of the Nissan GT Academy, a veteran of a season of hard fought British GT season and now contesting the FIA European Formula Three Championship. Not a racing rookie then, but 2013 will be his first year racing at Le Mans - and the difference visually in the demeanour of the pair is immediately obvious, Ordoñez relaxed, Mardenborough clearly with his synapses firing constant volleys. “The place is amazing, and to be here as a spectator (with the GT Academy competitors but
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before winning the competition) back in 2011 for the first time was a massive eye opener. “Hearing Lucas describe how tough it was mentally is amazing, because to me, to all of us, we just saw him as being here on merit, as a professional driver. “It absolutely whetted the appetite for what just might be possible and just seeing the number of fans here, the number of cars, the massive names and the sheer scale of this event was pretty amazing.” Despite the challenges of nerves and weather, Lucas safely completed his rookie test, and he went on to come an amazing second place in the LM P2 class together with his Signatech Oreca Nissan team mates. “Amazing, beyond belief, a huge result for all of us, but particularly I think for the GT Academy. “That showed what was possible and it encouraged Nissan to take even further steps with the competition. From my start with GT Academy things have moved on hugely. The training, preparation and the scale and standard of the competition have grown enormously – but so has the pressure on the winners. The fact that Ordoñez didn’t get the full range of preparation that the later contestants enjoyed simply underlines the scale of his own achievements, and makes the fact that he is seen by his fellow professionals as ‘one of us’ as all the more remarkable. Mardenborough was the first of a different generation of Nismo Athletes. He showed that the formula worked, and encouraged Nissan to push the envelope. The young Welshman has already competed in top line GT and single seater racing, and
now will expand his cv with the Nissan powered Zytek Prototype alongside Ordoñez and top Nissan pro driver Michael Krumm. They’ll start as one of an astonishing 22 car LM P2 field, competing for class honours and for top ten overall finishes, and yet another marker to the achievements of the GT Academy, they’ll start tipped amongst the favourites to win! “I’m really up for the whole thing,” said Jann. The race, of course is the reason we are here but here it’s about so much more than that the event is massive, I drove in the drivers parade in 2011 and couldn’t believe how many people turned out. “Wait until you see the start finish straight on race morning,” said a smiling Lucas. “It will blow your mind.” The youngster though has already had a flavour of just how different this event is. “I came along on the Friday before the Test Day to sign on (as a driver) and there were about 30 people waiting outside race control. Every single one of them had photos and posters for me to sign. It’s amazing, the race here doesn’t start for two weeks!” When it does it will feature three men with very different levels of experience, pooling what they have to try to win one of the biggest prizes in motorsport – If they do then there’s an important question to ask – just exactly what can a GT Academy winning Nismo Athlete achieve next?
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The race, of course is the reason we are here but here it’s about so much more than that the event is massive,
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graham goodwin looks back on the 2013 world endurance championship so far
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Round One / Silverstone
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The opening round of the 2013 FIA WEC saw the cars converge on Silverstone Circuit and a race weekend that saw the whole range of weather that a British Spring can muster. In LM P1 it was 2013 spec Audis vs 2012 spec Toyotas, and the boot was very much on the foot wearing four rings!
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Rebellion Racing took the LM P1 Privateer laurels after the Strakka HPD was eliminated early in the race.
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Despite encouraging speed from the Toyotas, the Audis dominated. Wolfgang Ullrich allowed his drivers to race to the finish, with Allan McNish fighting back from a laterace off track excursion to take a thrilling win for the #2 car over the 2012 World Championship winning #1 squad.
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LM P2 In LM P2 the new Lotus chassis debuted but they were clearly lacking track time. At the head of the race it was all about Nissan power with the top eight finishers at the flag all powered by the Nismo V8. Delta ADR’s #25 Oreca 03 Nissan took the win ahead of the #24 Oak Racing Morgan Nissan and the #49 Pecom Racing Oreca Nissan, the Pecom car promoted to the podium after the Greaves Zytek Nissan was penalised post race.
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GTE PRO GTE Pro saw the factory Aston Martins domionate on home ground, Darren Turner, Stefan Mücke and Bruno Senna took the win ahead of Senna’s fellow F1 refugee Kamui Kobayashi and Toni Vilander in the #71 AF Corse Ferrari. The second factory Aston completed the podium as the brand new factory entered Porsches fell just short on their first outing.
GTE AM
GTE Am saw fireworks at the end of the race for the the #50 Larbre Corvette and the #81 8Star Ferrari place. The win though went to another factory Aston Ma #95 car saw Silvers tone start Aston Martin’s centen
e minor placings with a clash between seeing the 458 nerfed out of second
artin Vantage, the all Danish crewed nary celebrations with a swing.
Round Two / Spa Francorchamps
Belgium saw the debut of the first of the 2013 Toyotas, the factory team running the 2012 car for the #8 crew and the new car for the #7 – Audi meanwhile sprung another surprise as their third car was revealed as a new ‘long-tail’ version of the R18 E-tron Quattro, this 5.4 inch extended tail section was being race tested back to back with the #1 and #2 cars ahead of Le Mans.
With an aero upgrade that suited Spa down to the ground Rebellion Racing had a storming weekend, the #12 Lola Toyota getting in amongst the factory cars in Free Practice, the car splitting the factory Toyotas in one session and bettering the time of both in the next! In the race the undelayed #8 car prevailed but the Rebellion attack was closer than ever.
The Audis dominated again, and a hybrid system fault for the new Toyota didn’t help the humour levels there much. Post race there was much discussion of the diesel/ petrol performance balance with Audi evidently having traded a power boost against a fuel economy hit. Â
LM P2 LM P2 saw the Jota Sport Zytek Nissan guesting and nearly taking a win in the process! Â The top 6 finishers were Nissan powered but the conditions favoured the Michelin rubber of Pecom Racing, and so too did a mid race Safety Car which saw the LM P2 leaders gain a huge advantage, their #49 Oreca Nissan taking the win ahead of the hard charging #24 Oak Racing Morgan Nissan with the Jota car completing the podium.
GTE PRO It was Ferrari’s day in GTE Pro with the #51 car of Giancarlo Fisichella and Gianmaria Bruni taking the win as the debuting #98 Aston Martin tried and failed to chase the red car down, Bruno Senna though left Belgium leading the GTE drivers standings as he transferred from the #97. The second AF Corse Ferrari completed the podium with the Porsches again well out of the fight.
GTE AM
GTE Am was another class that saw its leading car dealt a big advantage courtesy of the Safety Car – 8 Star Motorsports took their first WEC win from another hard charging Aston Martin – the Danish crewed #95 car took second ahead of the #50 Corvette.
terte ROuge
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forza chicane
interieu r musee houx annexe
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rouge
vert
houx Dunlop Curves
technopark
village
pincenardiere
expo expo campervan
expo ford chicane
rotonde
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maison blanche
Corvette karting
Bleu
pz54 Bleu nord
Bleu sud
travel desstinatio ns
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circuit de 56
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michelin chicane mulsanne
mulsanne
DAION
beausejour
indianapolis
Arnage
Arnage Porsche Curves
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Car by car guide Jake Yorath runs through the 56 entries in the 90th running of the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours, with some help from Andy Blackmore’s car art
Team Name (Nationality) @twitterhandle
Chassis - Engine
42 Driver Name (NAT) Driver Name (NAT) Driver Name (NAT) Tyres.
ACO driver category: Platinum - Drivers who have either competed in Formula 1, won overall at Le Mans, finished in the top-10 in a major open-wheel championship and/ or is a current or past factory driver. Gold - Drivers experienced in professional open-wheel championships, or sportscar racing, or are of Platinum-grade but aged between 55-59. Silver - Either extremely experienced and successful amateur, or young driver with little or no experience in top level motorsport. Bronze - Gentleman driver. Some young drivers starting out also awarded bronze category. Cannot race in LM P1. 58
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Le Mans Racing
The class structure
1 P1
LM P1 is the top class in Le Mans racing. Purpose built prototypes with engines up to 3.4 litres aspirated petrol, 2.0 litres turbo petrol & 3.7 litre turbo diesel. Red door card. HY denotes hybrid system installed. Live on @dscracelive
25 P2
LM P2 is the second class, featuring purpose built cars with a cost cap: cars must cost less than 400,000 Euro. Each car must feature at least one bronze or silver rated driver. Blue door card. Live on @dscracelive
51 PRO
GTE Pro is the top production based category in Le Mans racing. Cars share a basic resemblance and some components with their road car cousins. Pro caters purely for professional drivers. Green door card. Live on @dscracelive1
96 AM
GTE Am share the same technical regulations as GTE Pro, but the car must be at least one year old specification. Driving teams must feature at least two bronze or silver rated drivers. Orange door card. Live on @dscracelive1
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Audi Sport Team Joest (DEU) Audi R18 e-tron quattro
@audi_sport
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HY
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HY
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HY
Marcel Fässler (CHE) André Lotterer (DEU) Benoît Tréluyer (FRA)
Allan McNish (GBR) Tom Kristensen (DNK) Loïc Duval (FRA)
Marc Gené (ESP) Lucas Di Grassi (BRA) Oliver Jarvis (GBR) Toyota may have improved their effort from 2012, but Audi still head into the Le Mans 24 Hours as outright favourites, with 60 Le Mans starts between their nine drivers (51 between #1 and #2 alone). There are also 17 wins and 15 further podiums; dream team is pretty apt. The car is still the star. An updated R18 e-tron quattro obliterated non manufacturer opposition at Sebring, cruised to a one-two at Silverstone and repeated the feat at Spa. The 2013 model was actually second at Sebring but has since been improved and the ‘long tail’ version looks pretty solid for the race. They also dominated the test day, with Loïc Duval setting a time faster than last year’s pole and 0.002 seconds shy of being five seconds faster than the nearest Toyota, despite a heavy smash early in the day. Audi’s driver line-ups are predictably top notch with little to suggest any weak links in the four ring chain. 60
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In car #1, World Endurance Driver Champions Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer are lining up a hat trick of overall wins, after dominant performances the last two years. There’s nothing to say that can add to that record. Loïc Duval replaces Dindo Capello in the long-standing #2 crew alongside the hugely experienced, and still hugely fast Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen. McNish’s 2013 form has seen a boost in form as he, and eight time Le Mans winner Kristensen, work to turn the tables on the #1 crew. Marc Gené, Lucas Di Grassi and Oliver Jarvis crew #3. Ferrari F1 tester Gené impressed hugely last year, Di Grassi has real star potential and Jarvis has a habit of quietly getting his head down and doing a rather good job - he won Sebring this year, remember. It’s hard to rate this team as anything other than top dogs here - still.
Toyota Racing (JPN) @Toyota_Hybrid
Toyota TS 030 - Hybrid
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Alexander Wurz (AUT) Nicolas Lapierre (FRA) Kazuki Nakajima (JAP)
Anthony Davidson (GBR) Sébastien Buemi (CHE) Stéphane Sarrazin (FRA) Toyota had a rampant close to 2012, which saw them win in just their third race and dominate the close of the FIA WEC, winning three of the last four races. They also ran strongly at Le Mans and showed mega pace in the six hour races too. It’s very hard to judge where the Japanese manufacturer’s German (TMG) built, French (Oreca) run effort stands in 2013. Their current spec chassis has only raced once, a single car effort that showed glimpses of rapid pace at Spa before it retired. However, they’ve not really challenged the Audi steam roller at all yet. They were off the pace at test day, but that’s not an event that can really be taken as an indicator of who will or won’t win at Le Mans; different programmes, changeable weather and the dreaded term ‘sandbagging’ could all be at play. The car, though, is a pretty good proposition. A wholly new design for 2013, designed to race rather than test, more easily serviceable, better balanced and less compromised. They were the first, back in 2012, to outfox the rule makers slightly and add full width extensions (wheel covers, cough) to their rear
wing and they’re even more drastic this year. Bottom line, were the adage ‘if it looks fast, it is fast’ to hold water, they’d be in good shape. So what of the drivers? They might not have as many Le Mans victories between them, but they’ve got a winner, and plenty of others who have driven well enough to deserve a win in the past. #7 sees Alex Wurz joined by Nico Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima. Wurz is world class - a cracking test and development driver with a handy sideline in top racecraft. Lapierre, too, is top drawer. Nakajima showed a little too much enthusiasm in 2012, but he’s in a great environment to learn and he could prove to be useful. The #8 car has three absolute fliers onboard. Anthony Davidson never fails to show he is among the very best race drivers in the world, while Sébastien Buemi was unlucky to lose his Formula One race seat. He is a very good fit for sportscar racing, though. Stéphane Sarrazin is, over a single lap at least, the fastest driver in this field and a real ace in the pack. Can they win? Yes. But they’ll need a more reliable package and some luck...
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Rebellion Racing (CHE) Lola B10/60 - Toyota
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Nicolas Prost (FRA) Neel Jani (CHE) Nick Heidfeld (DEU)
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Andrea Belicchi (ITA) Matias Beche (SUI) Cong Fu Chen (CHN)
Rebellion Racing are the current state of the art in customer LMP1 racing, but the current rules mean that even when the factory boys have a bad day it likely won’t be enough to hand the Swiss team a good enough opportunity. Despite Lola’s commercial failure there have been some very worthwhile and effective upgrades for the cars with a brand new aero package, in particular, making a
huge difference The TMG engine is pretty strong, too and the car has had the edge on the HPD in the WEC. #12 has a very rapid driving squad. Jani is as good as it gets outside of works teams, Prost is solid and quick and Heidfeld super fast and metronome-consistent. The #13 car is unlikely to match the pace, but Belicchi in particular is speedy.
Strakka Racing (GBR) HPD ARX 03c - Honda
@StrakkaRacing
21 Danny Watts (GBR) Johnny Kane (GBR) Nick Leventis (GBR) Strakka’s HPD was heavily updated over the close season, w ith the front end in particular seeing heavy attention, including the now de rigeur wider front tyres, a trend set by HPD themselves with their US only -02a. The HPD ARX 03c isn’t a bad package and has beaten the Lola Stateside but it is unlikely to quite match it at La Sarthe. 62
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Danny Watts and Jonny Kane are both top, top professionals and ultra pacey. Either would fit straight into a works set up. The one gentleman driver in the class, Nick Leventis, is a whole world away from the error prone amateur from a few years ago. After a pitlane start set them back in ‘12, Strakka will want a strong, clean run this year.
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All the LMP action at the Le Mans 24 Hours, live, as it happens
Oak Racing (FRA) Morgan - Nissan
@OAKRacingLive
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Olivier Pla (FRA) Alex Brundle (GBR) David Heinemeier- Hansson (DNK)
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Bertrand Baguette (BEL) Ricardo Gonzalez (MEX) Martin Plowman (GBR
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Jacques Nicolet (FRA) Jean-Marc Merlin (FRA) Philippe Mondolot (FRA)
Oak Racing may have stepped away, for now at least, from their LM P1 programme but they remain deadly serious about LM P2. It’s an even more serious effort than in previous years - make no bones about it, this is a team that has done just about everything in their power to win this class at Le Mans. The chassis is designed with Le Mans in mind, back with its roots in Courage, via Pescarolo efforts of past years. The car’s now badged a Morgan, but built and developed by Onroak. In reality, it’s pretty close to a works team. The motive power comes from Nissan. The Japanese manufacturer’s 4.5 litre V8 built unit is strong and pretty reliable and is just about as good as it gets in this class. So what of the drivers? Well, in #24 and #35 at least, are two line ups that would worry factory drivers. It’s a mystery why Pla has never been offered a factory ride, and the Frenchman is still at the very peak of his game. Closing on his peak and
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improving all the time is rapid Brit Brundle. His dad won Le Mans and Alex is beginning to show that he, too, is an extremely capable young charger. The mandatory silver rated pilot is software developer David Heinermeier-Hansson. Loved by fans for his forthright views and very, very fast in the ALMS last season, he’s a great addition to the squad. #35 is no weaker. Baguette has Formula One pedigree and is a solid Le Mans driver in his own right while Plowman really raised eyebrows racing Stateside in ‘12. Their ‘silver’ is Ricardo Gonzalez. The Mexican is not lacking ability or desire and won’t be left behind by LM P2. The Art Car, #45, is a pure gentleman squad. Team owner Nicolet approaches this race with the right spirit and, as long as the car keeps running, expect these three to keep smiling all race long. If the cars are reliable, the class winner could well be a Morgan.
G-Drive / DELTA-ADR (RUS/GBR) @delta_adr
Oreca 03 - Nissan
25
Tor Graves (GBR) Shinji Nakano (JPN) Archie Hamilton (GBR)
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Roman Rusinov (RUS) John Martin (AUS) Mike Conway (GBR)
2012’s second placed team ADR - Delta becomes Delta - ADR for 2013 and expands the effort to two cars with the addition of the ex Signatech-run G-Drive sponsored programme. Both cars are Nissan V8 powered Oreca 03 chassis with the team seeing something of a reshuffle on the driver front too. The line ups have changed repeatedly in 2013 and are adjusted again for Le Mans. Silverstone winner Graves is now joined by Shinji Nakano and Archie Hamilton. Hamilton has some GT Open experience but this is in at the deep end for the youngster, while Nakano was a Formula One backmarker many years ago but is an experienced Le Mans pilot. The #26 car though is an altogether more pacey prospect - Roman Rusinov is a highly
experienced (and pretty quick) silver rated driver and is joined by a pair of real speed merchants, ex-single-seater stars Aussie John Martin and Brit Mike Conway. They could make this car a real contender. Conway seems to be enjoying the transition from Indycar to sportscars and Martin was a revelation throughout the WEC last season.
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gulf racing middle east (are) Lola B12/80 Coupe - Nissan
28
Fabien Giroix (FRA) Philippe Haezebrook (FRA) Keiko Ihara (JPN)
Gulf Racing Middle East return return with just a single Lola Nissan, but rather ironically without Gulf Oils branding. The team were beginning to crack the LMP racing code towards the end of a difficult debut season in 2012 but will start the week amongst the real outsiders. Giroix and Ihara are back again, and are
joined by Philippe Haezebrouck. Giroix has a fifth place Le Mans finish (in 1995) to his name, while Haezebrouck has a history of racing with underdog prototype teams including Extreme Limite’s Norma and Pierre Bruneau’s squad. Ihara has made an unusual transition from Race Queen to race driver but has struggled for real pace and shunted here last year.
Hvm STATUS GP (CAN) Lola B12/80 Coupe - Nissan
@StatusGrandPrix
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Johnny Mowlem (GBR) Tony Burgess (CAN) Jonathan Hirschi (CHE)
Despite cancelling their WEC effort at the last minute, the now Canadian flagged HVM Status team has clawed back a season plan and happily it sees the very pretty blue Lola Judd at Le Mans. The car showed excellent pace at the close of 2012 and could show flashes of
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speed here again. The highly experienced Johnny Mowlem anchors the line-up alongside his ex Lotus GTE team mate Jonathan Hirschi and Canadian gentleman driver Tony Burgess.
LOtus (CZE) Lotus T128
@lotusLM P2
31 Kevin Weeda (USA) Christophe Bouchut (FRA) James Rossiter (ITA)
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Thomas Holzer (DEU) Dominik Kraihamer (AUT) Jan Charouz (CZE)
A returning team but with brand new cars the Lotus LMP2 team are here with a pair of the new Lotus T128 chassis with Praga badged Judd-built, BMW-based V8 powerplants This is the very first 2014 compliant chassis and may well feature in LMP1 too next year, the team having bought the rights from the Lotus factory to design, build, market and race LMP cars under the Lotus brand name. For now though the team, owned and run by Romulus and Colin Kolles, has its sights set firmly on proving the concept. American historic racer Kevin Weeda is joined by a pair of quick drivers in the #31 car, vastly experienced Frenchman (and previous overall
Le Mans race winner) Christophe Bouchut and current Super GT star and ex F1 tester James Rossiter. If the cars proves to be reliable it will be this pair that keeps it in the hunt. The #32 car meanwhile sees the experienced Jan Charouz join original team member Thomas Holzer with another new signing for 2013, Dominik Kraihamer also looking foray opportunity to shine. The team’s preparations were interrupted by a heavy shunt for Kraihamer at the Test Day but both damaged car and bruised driver should be fine for race week. Reliability will be the key here, and for such a new car that’s far from a racing certainty.
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LEVEL 5 MOTORSPORTS (USA) @Level5Racing
HPD ARX 03b - Honda
33
Scott Tucker (USA) Marino Franchitti (GBR) Ryan Briscoe (AUS)
Level 5 must enter this race as one of the favourites for the race. They’ve been multiple LM P2 champions in the states, and despite limited competition they’ve usually defeated whatever competition they have. The chassis is very strong, the HPD having won Le Mans and the WEC with Starworks in 2012. Sharing driving duties with team owner Tucker are Marino Franchitti and Ryan Briscoe. Tucker’s
driving has vastly improved in recent years, and the two pros in the car bring massive pedigree. Franchitti is one of the most underrated sportscar drivers around, and Briscoe was part of the ultra successful Penkse Porsche LM P2 set up in the States as well as being a pucker Indycar star. Right up there with the favourites, watch out for Level 5.
Race performance (SUI) @RPerformance03
Oreca 03 - Judd
34
Michel Frey (CHE) Patric Niederhauser (CHE) Jeroen Bleekemolen (NLD)
Race Performance returns once again with the sole Judd-engined Oreca in the class. The team has showed well in the past, and there are some reasons for guarded optimism around their 2013 plans too. Massively experienced, and mighty quick, Dutchman Jeroen Bleekemolen is looking to win his third 24 Hour race this season (after conquering Dubai and the Nordschleife). he’s looking for a second LMP2 win at Le Mans too
Niederhauser is young and enthusiastic but the GP3 racer needs consistency to go hand in hand with his speed, the second quality proven, the first still looks to need work. Frey has been a part of the Race Performance set-up from the start and has the experience to know his, and the team’s limits. Their strength will be reliability, if they have it they’ll be right there waiting for others to stumble.
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Signatech Alpine (FRA) Alpine A450 - Nissan
@signaturerace
36
Nelson Pantiatici (FRA) Pierre Ragues (FRA) Tristan Gommendy (FRA)
Don’t be fooled - it’s an Oreca, though re-homologated as an Alpine without any changes. Whether or not the famous French marque build upon this toe in the water effort is yet to be confirmed but for now the car looks stunning in its French blue livery and looks set to be a front runner with three quick French drivers on French Michelin rubber.
Panciatici may be difficult to pronounce but he’s a very quick driver while Gommendy finally gets a decent prototype ride after years going remarkably quickly in under-funded WR efforts. Ragues too has plenty of experience at this level now and won’t be left behind. Don’t bet against them taking a podium or better in this class - they’re right up there.
JOTA SPORT (GBR) Zytek Z11SN - Nissan
@JotaSport
38
Simon Dolan (GBR) Oliver Turvey (GBR) Lucas Luhr (DEU)
Jota has become one of the top LMP2 teams in European racing and once again brings a Zytek-Nissan to Le Mans with a pretty solid shot at the victory. Team owner Dolan has gone from being a pure amateur to being a very rapid pilot with some years’ experience behind him and he could raise a few eyebrows. His new regular season partner Turvey has bags
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of pace and is also a McLaren F1 test driver. He is certainly one of the very fastest men in this field. The ELMS pair are joined by Lucas Luhr for Le Mans, World Champion in the last ‘proper’ year of GT1, and an ex Audi and Porsche factory driver. He knows the race and has speed and consistency in abundance.
DKR Engineering (LUX) Lola B11/40 - Judd
39
Olivier Porta (FRA) Roman Brandela (FRA) Stéphane Raffin (FRA)
The Luxembourg-based ELMS newcomers bring the ex Pecom Racing Lola Judd back to Le Mans with help from ex LMS LMP2 entrants Ibanez Racing Services. The chassis is likely amongst the oldest in this grid and will be looking to finish rather than
dominate on pace. Porta, Brandela and Raffin have various mixed prototype and GT experience between them but it would be a stretch to expect them to challenge.
BOUTSEN GINION RACING (BEL) Oreca 03 - Nissan
40
Matt Downs (USA) Thomas Dagoneau (FRA) Rodin Younessi (USA)
The Belgian team has consistently shown pace but has suffered reliability nightmares and some misfortune at the hands of previous drivers in recent seasons. This season’s Le Mans effort sees three relative unknowns at the wheel. Younessi has struggled this year in a Blancpain Endurance Series campaign while Downs has
some experience in IMSA Lites and the ALMS and will happily admit that he sees this race as a once in a lifetime experience. Dagoneau will need to acclimatise quickly, with limited LMPC and LMP2 experience behind him. They’ll rely on consistency to mount any sort of challenge.
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Greaves Motorsport (GBR) Zytek Z11SN - Nissan
@Greavesmsport
41
Tom Kimber Smith (GBR) Eric Lux (USA) Alexander Rossi (USA)
42
Jann Mardenborough (GBR) Lucas Ordoñez (ESP) Michael Krumm (DEU)
Massively accomplished British team Greaves are back to try and retake the Le Mans LMP2 crown they took in 2011. They’ve also signed a deal with Caterham, which sees the #41 car branded with Caterham livery and run under the ‘Caterham Motorsport’ banner (though the entry remains firmly a Greaves Motorsport one). Whatever the name on the car, it’s a solid effort with a pair of solid, Nissan engined Zytek chassis. Caterham’s green #41 sees triple Le Mans class winner (Greaves’ ‘11 success among them) Kimber Smith team up with Lux and Rossi. Lux has a big chunk of experience to call on in the class, despite his relatively young age. He might ‘only’ be a silver but he will likely show very good pace in ethe Zytek.
They’re joined by Caterham F1 tester Rossi. If he adjusts to the endurance racing mindset quickly enough, he could be very handy indeed. The #42 meanwhile is pretty much a Nissan super team. GT Academy stars Mardenborough and Ordonez are joined by Krumm - one of the most highly regarded racers in the sport. Mardenborough won the GT Academy in 2011 and has since been put on the single seater trail. Nissan have huge faith in him, but this is his Le Mans debut. Ordonez is a fully rounded professional driver and a real credit to the programme that spawned his success and Krumm is a GT1 World Champion and Super GT star. Both of these efforts could (and should) be on anyones list of solid prospects.
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All the LMP action at the Le Mans 24 Hours, live, as it happens
MoranD racing (SUI) @OAKRacingLive
Morgan - Nissan
43 Natacha Gachnang (SUI) Franck Mailleux (FRA) Olivier Lombard (FRA) The only Judd engined example of the Morgan chassis the new to ELMS effort has shown flashes of real form, in particular when pedalled by the very rapid Mailleux Ex FIA GT1 racer Gachnang returns to Le Mans and the regular pairing will be joined by the
Thiriet
by
still young but experienced and quick Lombard for the 24 Hours. All three have good experience and pace at this level and with the right circumstances they could prove to be a surprise package.
TDS Racing (FRA)
@TDSRacing_live
Oreca 03 - Nissan
46 Piere Thiriet (FRA) Ludovic Badey (FRA) Maxime Martin (BEL) Thiriet by TDS proved to be extremely useful in 2012, winning the ELMS and advancing their reputation in the process. Their Le Mans effort has strong potential. Thiriet is back, and his ever improving driving makes him one of the better amateurs in the class. French GT racer Badey brings limited LMP2 experience but has proved extremely handy in
Ferrari and BMW GT3 machinery in recent past. Taking a break from his commitments as a work BMW driver, fresh from a spectacular performance for Marc VDS at the N24, Maxime Martin joins the squad. Like Badey, his prototype experience is limited but he’s on a hot streak of form and tipped for a DTM drive in ‘14. Perhaps not the favourites, but could prove to be a good package
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KCMG (CHN) Morgan - Nissan
@KCMotorgroup
47
Alexandre Imperatore (CHE) Matthew Howson (GBR) Ho-Pin Tung (CHN)
KCMG could be one of the more interesting efforts in the field, with Chinese ownership and a lot of Asian interest. The team brings another Morgan chassis to the grid; a shrewd choice alongside the Nissan engine. The car is piloted by a largely Asian-based trio.
Imperatori has a fair bit of GT racing experience in Asia, and could show some good pace. British driver Howson has reams of F3 racing behind him in Japan, while Dutch-born Ho-Pin Tung has a long list of varied experience and tasted F1 with a Renault test some years ago.
Murphy Prototypes (IRE) Oreca 03 - Nissan
@MurphyPrototype
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Brendan Hartley (NZL) Mark Patterson (USA) Karun Chandhok (IND)
Team Principal Greg Murphy has created his own team in 2013 to run his very green Oreca 03 Nissan after a first season in 2012 that saw the car managed by former Team RLR. Mercedes F1 tester Hartley stays aboard and will again show his raw speed and developing strategic nous. He sits well alongside ex JRM LMP1 and F1 man Chandhok. The pair will be joined by experienced gentleman driver Mark
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Patterson. If things go well for ‘Murphy’s Men’ (and there is every reason to believe that they might) then this is likely to be the happiest and most fun team in the paddock – and even if they don’t, then they are still up for the craic! If the starter-motor issues that have stymied the car’s chances of late have been resolved, then this car could be one to watch in LM P2.
Pecom Racing (ARG) @AFCorse
Oreca 03 - Nissan
49
Luis Perez Companc (ARG) Nicolas Minassian (FRA) Pierre Kaffer (DEU)
Another entry that mates the Nissan V8 with the Oreca 03 chassis, Pecom, is still run from within the AF Corse stable for Argentinean ice cream magnate Luis Perez Companc. The team saw a major turnaround in form mid-season last year when Soheil Ayari ceded his seat to Nicolas Minassian. The ex-Peugeot man instantly brought significantly enhanced performance to the squad, and the Pecom car was back in the hunt. Pierre Kaffer completes
the line-up and adds even further pace to the package. Pecom is the only full-season WEC LM P2 squad to have confirmed that the team will run the new Michelin rubber as the Clermont Ferrand based tyre maker makes a reappearance in the market. If the team’s occasional car troubles have been gripped, Pecom could be a real contender – the car won solidly at Spa.
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AF CORSE (ITA) Ferrari F458 Italia
@AFCorse
51 Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Gianmaria Bruni (ITA) Matteo Malucelli (ITA)
71 Toni Vilander (FIN) Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) Olivier Beretta (ITA) Ferrari’s factory-supported effort is again handled by the crack AF Corse outfit with a pair of revised F458 Italia GTEs. The driver squads are both star-studded, with the lead #51 car again featuring Gianmaria Bruni and Giancarlo Fisichella. The pairing was mighty impressive in 2012 and these two are likely to have lost little of their sparkle. The Italian flavour is completed by Matteo Mallucelli, who may not quite match his team-mates’ stellar reputations, but is a fast pilot. The #71 car never shone quite as brightly last year, but there’s a renewed attack for 2013.
Fast Finn Toni Vilander was the GT racing tutor for both Jean Alesi and Giancarlo Fisichella and he’ll be fulfilling that role again in 2013 as he is joined in the #71 car by ex-F1 star Kamui Kobayashi. It’s an intriguing mix - Vilander is a highly rated and well known quantity, while Kobayashi has something prove in his new arena, but the smart money is on him being a star for the year. They’re joined by Beretta, who was a long term Corvette man and multiple winner here. This is a remarkably strong team, and as reigning Le Mans winners the squad is unlikely to disappoint here.
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A live Twitter feed throughout the Le Mans 24 hours, purely for GTE.
SRT Motorsports (USA) @TeamSRT
Viper GTS-R
53 Ryan Dalziel (GBR) Dominik Farnbacher (DEU) Marc Goossens (BEL)
93 Jonathan Bomarito (USA) Tommy Kendall (USA) Kuno Wittmer (CAN) Vipers are back at Le Mans. The rumbling V10s earned multiple class wins for Chrysler (Dodge) in the late nineties and into 2000, but this time the Vipers are being run in-house rather than by the Oreca squad. With eight litres of V10 under the bonnet the team needed a special waiver from the ACO to be allowed to race, and the car’s general dimensions are simply colossal. Certainly, it’s not one to be missed on the track. The car has showed speed and a not unimpressive level of reliability Stateside, including a pole position at the Long Beach
Grand Prix and a podium at the same event. Can they repeat that here? The #53 car has three extremely well-known and highly-rated Europeans. Dalziel is the reigning Le Mans LMP2 winner; Farnbacher has a GTE podium here, and Goossens has multiple works drives behind him for good reason - he’s solid as a rock and fast. The #93 has names not so familiar to European ears but all three are top pilots. Bomarito’s pace in particular has been exceptional. It’s probably a push to expect a podium, but a clean run could reap rewards...
JMW Racing (GBR) Ferrari F458 Italia
@JMWMotorsport
66 Andrea Bertolini Abdulaziz Turki Alfaisal (SAU) Khaled Qubaisi (UAE) The only Dunlop-shod GT car in the field will again sport a bright yellow livery to acknowledge that fact, once more designed by a race fan. It’s a curious mix in the driving line-up, with factory linked Ferrari driver and multiple FIA GT champion Andrea Bertolini joined by two
Arabian drivers who are spearheading motor racing in their home arena. Al Faisal is genuinely fast and could well show solid pace in this class, while Qubaisi has also enjoyed the sweet taste of success in endurance racing, having been on the top step for the Dubai 24 Hours in 2012 and 2013.
CORVETTE RACING (USA) @CorvetteRacing
Chevrolet Corvette C6-ZR1
73 Jan Magnussen (DNK) Antonio Garcia (ESP) Jordan Taylor (USA)
74 Oliver Gavin (GBR) Tommy Milner (USA) Richard Westbrook (GBR) Very few efforts in this field have the pedigree that Pratt and Miller’s Corvette Racing can bring to the table. Seven class victories at Le Mans, multiple ALMS titles and sundry other achievements mark them out. They come into this race off the back of a pretty strong start to 2013, with their GTE Corvette looking solid once more. Their motivation couldn’t be stronger after a disappointing run here in 2012. The driving squads are stunning. Magnussen and Garcia are long-standing pillars of GT racing and both are rapid as well as solid. They’re
joined by youngster Taylor, who is renowned for his offbeat humour as well as for being a supremely talented driver. The second team features reigning ALMS GT champions Milner and Gavin alongside Westbrook. Gavin is at the very top of his game, while Milner has become an all rounder of supreme quality. Westbrook is not only fast but consistent with it too. It’s perhaps unwise to single out any team as stand-out favourites in an event like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but it’s hard to look past such a successful and wellprepared outfit.
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Porsche AG Team Manthey (DEU) Porsche 911 RSR (991)
@Porsche
91 Jörg Bergmeister (DEU) Patrick Pilet (FRA) Timo Bernhard (DEU)
92 Marc Lieb (DEU) Richard Lietz (AUT) Romain Dumas (FRA) The really big news in GTE is the return, for the first time in 15 years, of a Porsche factory team. They arrive, under the management of the legendary Olaf Manthey, with an all Porsche factory driver line-up and a brand new car. The 911 RSR is based on the new 991 version of the 911, the world’s longest-lived sportscar concept now in its 50th year. The #91 car sees Jörg Bergmeister teamed with Patrick Pilet and previous overall Le Mans winner Timo Berhard. The sister #92 machine sees Marc Lieb, now in his 11th season as a full Porsche factory driver,
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joined by his regular partner Richard Lietz and another former outright LM24 winner, Romain Dumas. The new 991 is at the very start of its development curve and will be raced only by the factory squad this year but you can be sure that there is every intention that this will not simply be a year of quiet development. Expect both crews to go about their business with real purpose, and no little aggression. They were on the pace right from the start, but are yet to score a podium. It might be a stretch to expect that duck to be broken at Le Mans, but this is Porsche after all...
Aston Martin Racing (GBR) @AMR_Official
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
97 Stefan Mücke (DEU) Darren Turner (GBR) Peter Dumbreck (GBR)
98 Paul Dalla Lana (CAN) Bill Auberlen (USA) Pedro Lamy (PRT)
99 Rob Bell (GBR) Frédéric Makowiecki (FRA) Bruno Senna (BRA) This could well be Aston Martin’s year in GTE. Having been the stars of GT1 some years ago, the team switched development to GTE, but it wasn’t until the close of 2012 and a win in Shanghai that all that effort was rewarded. The team has since added to that success with two more victories in the opening rounds of the 2013 WEC, demonstrating stunning pace along the way. The only downside is that this dominance has earned the cars a 10KG performance penalty. The line-ups are impressive. Mücke has a wild streak, but appears to have this under control this season and is a bona fide top drawer pro. His racing partners in the #97 are equally exceptional. Turner is one of the best in the business and Dumbreck has years of success in
GT racing to prove his credentials. #98 sees multiple GT race winner Lamy joined by two North Americans. Auberlen is a long-term BMW driver on loan to AMR for Le Mans, while Dalla Lana is adapting fast to the GTE arena. A fair few jaws must have dropped with the announcement that Bruno Senna would be co-driving the #99 with Bell and Makowiecki. Unsurprisingly, Senna has impressed with his performances in the Vantage, while Bell is as good as it gets in this business. Makowiecki has shone over and over in GT3 racing and finally has the works drive he deserves. Can they set the British flags waving furiously again? Yes they can - even if they don’t win! However, expect them to be there or thereabouts.
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Larbre Competition (FRA) Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1
@corvettems
50 Patrick Bornhauser (FRA) Julien Canal (FRA) Ricky Taylor (USA)
70 Cooper MacNeil (USA) Manuel Rodrigues (FRA) Philippe Dumas (FRA) GTE Am class winners Larbre Competition are back to defend their title, again with a brace of the Pratt and Miller Corvette C6.Rs. The #50 car should have good pace courtesy of rapid Chevrolet Grand Am driver Ricky (brother of Jordan, son of Wayne) Taylor and Larbre’s lucky charm Julien Canal, a man with more titles than a social climbing minor Royal. Another loyal and experienced Larbre customer Patrick Bornhauser completes the trio.
The second car sees speedy young American Cooper MacNeil, a class-winner at Sebring in March, joined by long-term JMB racer Rodrigues and former Hexis Racing team boss Philippe Dumas. Dumas may be making his Le Mans debut, but has plenty of experience in FIA GT and French Formula Renault, so he won’t be left behind. Don’t count out one of the most experienced teams of the past decade at this level.
AF CORSE (ITA) @AFCorse
Ferrari F458 Italia
54 Yannick Mallegol (FRA) Jean-Marc Bachelier (FRA) Howard Blank (USA)
55 Piergiuseppe Perazzini (ZAF) Lorenzo Case (ITA) Darryl O’Young (CAN)
61 Jack Gerber (ZAF) Matt Griffin (IRL) Marco Cioci (ITA) Three of AF Corse’ five entries (yes, five) are in GTE Am. All will be prepared to the very best standards, and it will be down to a mixed pack of drivers to provide the winning edge. #54 sees three experienced GT drivers coming together. Mallegol has a massive back catalogue of GT racing and is an ex Ferrari Challenge champion, as is Bachelier. Bachelier has an even more extensive experience bank, while Blank has been a regular in Blancpain and International GT Open over recent, often as a competitor to his team mates. There’s no lack of past racing in the #55 either. Perazzini’s experience goes right back to
the Care Racing 550 GT1 Ferraris (and further), while Case has raced in almost every European GT championship there is. These days O’Young is better known as a touring car driver, but he drove in GT for many years prior to his WTCC appearances, including the LMES and FIA GT Championship, and was in the Endurance Asia Porsche line-up for the 24 Hours in 2009. #61 sees two Ferrari-connected drivers join Jack Gerber. The South African’s driving has been vastly improved in recent seasons and with rapid and consistent Griffin and Cioci alongside him, could show very well indeed if things go their way.
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Krohn Racing (USA) Ferrari F458 Italia
@KrohnRacing
57 Tracy Krohn (USA) Nic Jönsson (SWE) Maurizio Mediani (ITA) The bright green Ferrari is back - Tracy Krohn returns for another crack at Le Mans with two major changes to report. The first is the replacement of Jeff Hazell at the helm of the team over the winter – David Brown is now the Team Manager for the #57 car. The second is a new team-mate for Krohn
and his regular driving partner Nic Jönsson in the shape of Mauricio Mediani. The Italian has proven ability in Ferraris, with a background that features more than 10 years in GT and sportscar racing, including FIA GT, ALMS, Brazilian GT and many appearances in domestic GT championships.
IMSA Performance Matmut (FRA) Porsche 997 RSR
@IMSAMatmut
67 Pascal Gibon (FRA) Patrice Milesi (FRA) Wolf Henzler (DEU)
76 IMSA Matmut are veteran competitors at this game, and the team has a trophy cabinet creaking with the evidence. Their handicap could be the Porsche 997. They bring one 2012 car, which is notoriously hard to set up, and one 2011 car. Bourret, Narac and Vernay will be taking the 2012 car for a full WEC season. Vernay is the least familiar name 84
@lendurancelive
Christophe Bourret (FRA) Raymond Narac (FRA) Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA) here, but was Peugeot’s 908 test driver before the program went south. Milesi and Gibon probably have a way to go before they catch the pace of works driver team-mate Henzler, though it will be interesting to see how fast the 2011 car will be in the hands of the extremely capable German driver - it was close to Pro pace in 2012.
Prospeed Competition (BEL) @PROSPEEDCOMPET
Porsche 997 RSR
75 Francois Perrodo (FRA) Emmanuel Collard (FRA) Sébastien Crubilé (FRA) Belgian Porsche specialists Prospeed return with the #75 911 RSR. Rudi Penders’ outfit got the call extremely late with the withdrawal of the GreenGT, but their prep will have been nothing but top class. Emmanuel ‘Manu’ Collard is their hotshoe.
He’ll be joined by gentlemen drivers Francois Perrodo and Sébastien Crubilé. The team is running a 2011-spec Porsche, which was as fast on raw pace as the 2012 car at Le Mans last year. They could be a dark horse for a solid result.
DEMPSEY DEL PIERO-PROTON (USA) @DempseyDelPiero
Porsche 997 RSR
77 Patrick Dempsey (USA) Joe Foster (USA) Patrick Long (USA) The reappearance of American TV star Patrick Dempsey at Le Mans will bring with it the inevitable degree of excitement and fanatical fervour, especially among the ladies present. This year ‘McDreamy’ has placed his trust in Proton Competition to run his eponymous outfit. This is another of the Porsche teams that has picked the 2011 RSR over the 2012, and they’ll
be in pretty good shape if the make full use of the talent of their works driver Patrick Long. The trio is completed by Dempsey’s regular partner Joe Foster, but don’t rule out Dempsey himself for some respectable times. He insists he’s not here just to make up numbers, although it may well still be consistency, not pace, that rewards this effort.
facebook.com/lendurance
85
8star motorsports (USA) Ferrari F458 Italia
@8starmotor
81 Vincente Potollichio (VEN) Rui Aguas (PRT) Jason Bright (AUS) Ideally, Potolicchio wanted to defend his LMP2 crown this year, but circumstances conspired against him, and he returns instead in an AF Corse-run (extremely orange, although, apparently, not quite the shade of orange he asked for) Ferrari F458 Italia.
The Venezuelan is a very good amateur driver and should hold his own here. He brings with him rapid Portuguese AF Corse driver Aguas and V8 Supercar star Jason Bright. Bright finally realises a dream to race at Le Mans and could prove very fast indeed.
Proton Competition (DEU) Porsche 997 RSR
88 Christian Ried (DEU) Gianluca Roda (ITA) Paolo Ruberti (ITA) Proton struggled through last season with the 2012-spec 997 and revert to the 2011 Porsche for this season’s Le Mans. That said, they’re just about the strongest Porsche team around right now, and this is a team of quality that’s back at La Sarthe determined to make up for lost ground - albeit with a single ‘Am’ car.
There’s an unchanged driver line-up, carried over from the team’s Am effort last year, run out of the same garage as the Dempsey/Del Piero car. Team Principal Christian Ried will again be joined by double Porsche cup winner Gianluca Roda and the ever smiling Paulo Ruberti.
@dscracelive1
A live Twitter feed throughout the Le Mans 24 hours, purely for GTE.
Aston Martin Racing (GBR) @AMR_Official
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
95 Christoffer Nygaard (DNK) Kristian Poulsen (DNK) Allan Simonsen (DNK)
96 Roald Goethe (DEU) Stuart Hall (GBR) Jamie Campbell-Walter (GBR) Aston Martin’s works team fields a pair of newly built but 2012 spec Vantage GTEs in Am, adding to the three 2013-spec cars in Pro. This is the car, and in the same spec, that won the final GTE Pro race of 2012 at Shanghai and has proved to be a front-runner now in the Pro-Am standings. The #95 car features an all Danish driver roster with the same trio that campaigned last season’s iteration of GTE Am at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Allan Simonsen put that car on class pole and there’s likely to be similar feats to behold
during this season’s action. Christoffer Nygaard and Kristian Poulsen complete the line-up to form a trio with few obvious weaknesses – there is certainly potential here for class wins this season. The ultimate Gulf fan Roald Goethe has made the #96 car happen, and is joined by a pair of quick Brits. Stuart Hall returns to AMR and brings with him a man with more endurance racing experience than most, Jamie CampbellWalter. The Essex/Scottish combo will surely be a potent one at this level.
ENTRY LIST: 90th Le Mans 24 Hours
LM P1, LM P2 Car No.
1 2 3 7 8 12 13 21 24 25 26 28 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 38 39 40 41 42 43 45 46 47 48
Class
LM P1 LM P1 LM P1 LM P1 LM P1 LM P1 LM P1 LM P1 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2 LM P2
Team
Car
AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST TOYOTA RACING TOYOTA RACING REBELLION RACING REBELLION RACING STRAKKA RACING OAK RACING DELTA-ADR G-DRIVE RACING GULF RACING MIDDLE EAST HVM STATUS GP LOTUS LOTUS LEVEL 5 MOTORSPORTS RACE PERFORMANCE OAK RACING SIGNATECH ALPINE JOTA SPORT DKR ENGINEERING BOUTSEN GINION RACING GREAVES MOTORSPORT GREAVES MOTORSPORT MORAND RACING OAK RACING THIRIET BY TDS RACING KCMG MURPHY PROTOTYPES
Audi R18 e-tron quattro Audi R18 e-tron quattro Audi R18 e-tron quattro Toyota TS030 - Hybrid Toyota TS030 - Hybrid Lola B12/60 Coupé - Toyota Lola B12/60 Coupé - Toyota HPD ARX 03c - Honda Morgan - Nissan Oreca 03 - Nissan Oreca 03 - Nissan Lola B12/80 Coupé - Nissan Lola B12/80 Coupé - Judd Lotus T128 Lotus T128 HPD ARX 03b - Honda Oreca 03 - Judd Morgan - Nissan Alpine - Nissan Zytek Z11SN - Nissan Lola B11/40 - Judd Oreca 03 - Nissan Zytek Z11SN - Nissan Zytek Z11SN - Nissan Morgan - Judd Morgan - Judd Oreca 03 - Nissan Morgan - Nissan Oreca 03 - Nissan
Driver 1
Driver 2
Driver 3
André Lotterer (DEU) Tom Kristensen (DNK) Marc Gene (ESP) Alexander Wurz (AUT) Anthony Davidson (GBR) Nicolas Prost (FRA) Andrea Belicchi (ITA) Nick Leventis (GBR) Olivier Pla (FRA) Tor Graves (GBR) Roman Rusinov (RUS) Fabien Giroix (FRA) Johnny Mowlem (GBR) Kevin Weeda (USA) Thomas Holzer (DEU) Scott Tucker (USA) Michel Frey (CHE) Bertrand Baguette (BEL) Nelson Panciatici (FRA) Simon Dolan (GBR) Olivier Porta (FRA) Matt Downs (USA) Tom Kimber-Smith (GBR) Jann Mardenborough (GBR) Natacha Gachnang (CHE) Jacques Nicolet (FRA) Pierre Thiriet (FRA) Alexandre Imperatori (CHE) Brendon Hartley (NZL)
Benoit Tréluyer (FRA) Loïc Duval (FRA) Lucas Di Grassi (BRA) Nicolas Lapierre (FRA) Sébastien Buemi (CHE) Neel Jani (CHE) Matias Beche (SUI) Danny Watts (GBR) David Heinemeier Hansson Shinji Nakano (AUS) John Martin (AUS) Philippe Haezebrook (FRA) Tony Burgess (CAN) James Rossiter (GBR) Dominik Kraihamer (AUT) Marino Franchitti (GBR) Patric Niederhauser (CHE) Ricardo Gonzalez (MEX) Pierre Ragues (FRA) Oliver Turvey (GBR) Stéphane Raffin (FRA) Thomas Dagoneau (FRA) Eric Lux (USA) Lucas Ordonez (ESP) Franck Mailleux (FRA) Jean-Marc Merlin (FRA) Ludovic Badey (FRA) Ho-Pin Tung (CHN) Mark Patterson (USA)
Marcel Fässler (CHE) Allan McNish (GBR) Oliver Jarvis (GBR) Kazuki Nakajima (JPN) Stéphane Sarrazin (FRA) Nick Heidfeld (DEU) Cong Fu Chen (CHN) Jonny Kane (GBR) Alex Brundle (GBR) Archie Hamilton (GBR) Mike Conway (GBR) Keiko Ihara (JPN) Jonathan Hirschi (CHE) Christophe Bouchut (GBR) Jan Charouz (CZE) Ryan Briscoe (AUS) Jeroen Bleekemolen (NLD) Martin Plowmann (GBR) Tristan Gommendy (FRA) Lucas Luhr (DEU) Romain Brandela (FRA) Rodin Younessi (USA) Alexander Rossi (USA) Michael Krumm (DEU) Olivier Lombard (FRA) Philippe Mondolot (FRA) Maxime Martin (BEL) Matthew Howson (GBR) Karun Chandhok (IND)
ENTRY LIST: 90th Le Mans 24 Hours
LM GTE Pro, LM GTE Am
Car No.
51 53 66 71 73 74 91 92 93 97 98 99 50 54 55 57 61 67 70 75 76 77 81 88 95 96
Class
Team
GTE - PRO AF CORSE GTE - PRO SRT MOTORSPORTS GTE - PRO JMW MOTORSPORT GTE - PRO AF CORSE GTE - PRO CORVETTE RACING GTE - PRO CORVETTE RACING GTE - PRO PORSCHE AG TEAM MANTHEY GTE - PRO PORSCHE AG TEAM MANTHEY GTE - PRO SRT MOTORSPORTS GTE - PRO ASTON MARTIN RACING GTE - PRO ASTON MARTIN RACING GTE - PRO ASTON MARTIN RACING
GTE - AM GTE - AM GTE - AM GTE - AM GTE - AM GTE - AM GTE - AM GTE - AM GTE - AM GTE - AM GTE - AM GTE - AM GTE - AM GTE - AM
LARBRE COMPETITION AF CORSE AF CORSE KROHN RACING AF CORSE IMSA PERFORMANCE MATMUT LARBRE COMPETITION PROSPEED COMPETITION IMSA PERFORMANCE MATMUT DEMPSEY DEL PIERO-PROTON 8 STAR MOTORSPORTS PROTON COMPETITION ASTON MARTIN RACING ASTON MARTIN RACING
Car
Ferrari F458 Italia Viper GTS-R Ferrari F458 Italia Ferrari F458 Italia Chevrolet Corvette C6-ZR1 Chevrolet Corvette C6-ZR1 Porsche 911 RSR Porsche 911 RSR Viper GTS-R Aston Martin Vantage V8 Aston Martin Vantage V8 Aston Martin Vantage V8 Chevrolet Corvette C6-ZR1 Ferrari F458 Italia Ferrari F458 Italia Ferrari F458 Italia Ferrari F458 Italia Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Chevrolet Corvette C6-ZR1 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Ferrari F458 Italia Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Aston Martin Vantage V8 Aston Martin Vantage V8
Driver 1
Driver 2
Driver 3
Gianmaria Bruni (ITA) Ryan Dalziel (GBR) Andrea Bertolini (ITA) Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) Jan Magnussen (DNK) Oliver Gavin (GBR) Jörg Bergmeister (DEU) Marc Lieb (DEU) Jonathan Bomarito (USA) Darren Turner (GBR) Bill Auberlen (USA) Rob Bell (GBR) Patrick Bornhauser (FRA) Yannick Mallegol (FRA) Piergiuseppe Perazzini (ITA) Tracy Krohn (USA) Jack Gerber (ZAF) Pascal Gibon (FRA) Cooper MacNeil (USA) Emmanuel Collard (FRA) Raymond Narac (FRA) Patrick Dempsey (USA) Vicente Potolicchio (VEN) Christian Ried (DEU) Christoffer Nygaard (DNK) Roald Goethe (DEU)
Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Dominik Farnbacher (DEU) Abdulaziz Turki Alfaisal (SAU) Toni Vilander (FIN) Antonio Garcia (ESP) Tommy Milner (USA) Patrick Pilet (FRA) Richard Lietz (AUT) Tommy Kendall (USA) Stefan Mücke (DEU) Paul Dalla Anna (CAN) Frédéric Makowiecki (FRA) Julien Canal (FRA) Jean-Marc Bachelier (FRA) Lorenzo Case (ITA) Niclas Jönsson (SWE) Matt Griffin (IRL) Patrice Milesi (FRA) Manuel Rodrigues (FRA) François Perrodo (FRA) Christophe Bourret (FRA) Joe Foster (USA) Rui Aguas (PRT) Gianluca Roda (ITA) Kristian Poulsen (DNK) Stuart Hall (GBR)
Matteo Malucelli (ITA) Marc Goossens (BEL) Khaled Qubaisi (UAE) Olivier Beretta (ITA) Jordan Taylor (USA) Richard Westbrook (GBR) Timo Bernhard (DEU) Romain Dumas (FRA) Kuno Wittmer (CAN) Peter Dumbreck (GBR) Pedro Lamy (PRT) Bruno Senna (BRA) Ricky Taylor (USA) Howard Blank (USA) Darryl O’Young (CAN) Maurizio Mediani (ITA) Marco Cioci (ITA) Wolf Henzler (DEU) Philippe Dumas (FRA) Sébastien Crubile (FRA) Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA) Patrick Long (USA) Philipp Peter (AUT) Paolo Ruberti (ITA) Allan Simonsen (DNK) Jamie Campbell-Walter (GBR)