Following a very positive two days of testing at Paul Ricard where Racing Engineering were able to complete over two hundred laps, despite rain affecting most of the sessions, the Spanish team are now ready for this weekend’s four-hour race on the French circuit. Their fastest lap, set over the five sessions of 1:42.011, was the third fastest amongst the eighteen teams that attended the test. The three drivers, Norman Nato, Olivier Pla and Paul Petit, were all able to have a good opportunity to get used to both the car and the team although, in Norman’s case, he has competed with Racing Engineering before when he raced in the 2015 GP2 Series, winning two races.

This will be the first time that Racing Engineering have entered a European Le Mans Series event and they know this is a very competitive championship and the LMP2 class will be very hard fought this year. Despite this, the team is certain that their driver line-up is an excellent balance of speed and experience and their car, an Oreca 07-Gibson is the same chassis/engine combination that won the 2017 Championship, so they will be aiming to finish on the podium from the very start of the season.

Timetable:
Free Practice 1 - 13/04/2018 11:15 - Duration: 90 min.
Qualifying LMP2 - 14/04/2018 14:20 - Duration: 10 min.
Race - 15/04/2018 12:00 - Duration - 240 min.

ELMS FACTS

1. The European Le Mans Series (ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO).

2. The 2017 European Le Mans Series saw plenty of on track action at each of the six events held during the six month long season starting in France at Paul Ricard in April and concluding in Portugal at Portimão in October.

3. In ELMS 3 types of cars compete: LMP2, LMP3 and LMGTE. Racing Engineering competes in the first with an Oreca LMP2 car.

4. 17 LMP2, 18 LMP3 and 6 LMGTE cars will compete in ELMS this season.

5. ELMS started the 2018 season with the Official Test in Le Castellet where 5 test sessions over 2 days, the 9th and 10th of April, took place.

6. The weight of an LMP2 car is 930kg, length is 4.75m and width is 1.9m.

7. A maximum of two wheel guns will be allowed in the working area in 2018 and wheel change operations are permitted during refueling.

8. Racing Engineering races with three French drivers in 2018: the experienced Olivier Pla (platinum), the GP2 race winner and ELMS rookie Norman Nato (gold), and driver Paul Petit (silver) who finished 2nd in ELMS driving a LMP3 in 2016.

9. If the LMP2 crew comprises three drivers the minimum driving time for the bronze or silver driver has been reduced to 1h10 (from 1h30) and the maximum driving time for a gold or platinum driver has been increased from 1h30 to 1h40.

10. Two (1h30) free practices, one qualifying (10 minutes) and a 4 hour race take place during an ELMS race weekend.