Toyota aero configuration

The pair of Toyota TS050s are running different aero configurations throughout the test. The #7 will run low downforce, the #8 high downforce.

For the season to come both Toyotas are set to race at Spa in low downforce configuration in preparation for Le Mans. There is no decision yet on Silverstone but Fuji and Shanghai are set to see both cars in high downforce trim.

Porsche safety car deal

Porsche have replaced Audi as the supplier of official course cars including the official Safety Car(s) for the FIA WEC.

The two new Porsche 911 Turbo Safety Cars were unveiled just before the start of track action for the WEC Prologue at Circuit Paul Ricard earlier today. The specs include 540 bhp from a 3.8-litre, 6-cylinder turbo engine, 750 Nm of torque and a top speed of 320 k/ph.

The specially-prepared Porsche 911 Turbo Safety Cars will be joined in the fleet by a Leading Car, Medical Car and other high-performance vehicles which might be deployed by officials during a race weekend.

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest commented: “To have a Porsche 911 as the Safety Car and for our official cars at Le Mans is more than symbolic. It’s perfectly in line with the very long and successful history that Porsche has with the Circuit des 24 Heures.”

Gérard Neveu, CEO of the FIA World Endurance Championship said: “The Safety Car is part of the ‘show’ and, at this moment we couldn’t have a better sportscar than the Porsche 911 as the fast intervention vehicle on track. This is also a perfect illustration of the very close relationship between the WEC and Porsche.”

Menezes on Rebellion’s expectations

Rebellion Racing driver Gustavo Menezes has been in an extremely upbeat move so far this week, making his full LMP1 debut today in the team’s R-13 (he previosuly tested an LMP1 in the Bahrain Rookie Test two years ago).

And while he’s optimistic about the programme, and indeed the new car’s potential, he stressed to DSC that the team is not expecting blistering pace at this point, the Prologue marking the car’s first true run.

“Obviously we want to see where the performance is, but we need to focus on seeing where we’re at,” he said. “The engineering team has a big plan. We’ll be able to see where the car is a little after the first day. But we can’t be too surprised if we don’t see pace.”

“I’m really happy to see the way this has come together, there’s so many faces here I know well or haven’t seen in a few years. It’s going to be a big season, with a lot of gaps, but I’m fortunate to be busy. And with Alonso it’ll be awesome, it’ll keep the fanbase strong throughout the season.”

Brundle ready to push with CEFC TRSM

DSC spoke to CEFC TRSM newcomer Alex Brundle, who along with his new teammates Oliver Rowland and Leo Roussel are making their LMP1 debuts at Ricard this weekend in the still very new Ginetta G60-LT-P1s.

Brundle explained a little more how this deal came about, explaining that he’d been on Manor’s radar for a while.

“The program has known about me and I’ve known about them,” he said to DSC. “A British LMP1 program for a British driver is very exciting, especially for a driver that spends time in the WEC paddock.

“It came together late, but here I am, ready for the Prologue. Tomorrow will be the first time I drive the car; let’s see how it goes. I’m really excited to move up to LMP1, as it’s what you dream about when you start in junior prototype formula. I’m ready for it, and I’m happy.”

He went on to express how impressed he is with the way the team functions.

“Aside from the car, which is impressive, the way this team operates is too. They think of the little things and get them right, like labelling the radios so you don’t have to ask around.”

There’s a lot of work ahead for him and the whole team, as they look to take on the other privateers and Toyota. But he’s up for the challenge.

“It’s really exciting. This isn’t a case of slamming an ORECA or Ligier chassis on the floor and knowing you’ll be there or thereabouts. You’ve got to make the car better, and we’ll be working hard on that.

“Being the fastest driver in a losing sports car team is very much like being the lead singer in a bad boy band. Nobody cares.”

Thiim’s latest video blog

Aston Martin Racing’s Nicki Thiim has posted a video blog, capturing some behind-the-scenes action from earlier today. Check it out below:

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Media round table

Much, much more to come in the coming days from a lively round table session yesterday evening with ACO President Pierre Fillon, LMEM MD Gerard Neveu, newly installed President of the FIA Endurance Commission Richard Mille and ACO ‘Permanent Consultant’ Wolfgang Ullrich.

For now though some of the highlights were:

– Long-time vision and commitment for continued WEC presence at the Sebring meeting in March.

– Progress continues towards announcement at Le Mans this year of next (2020/21) LMP1 regulations.

– Will include single low-power hybrid, major cost reduction and OEM styling cues.

– Definitely will NOT include or encompass racing versions of roadgoing hypercars (on cost grounds).

High and low downforce BR1 aero kits on show

The SMP Racing BR1s are both here with their low downforce aero kit, already tested at one of their Aragon endurance tests earlier in the year.

By contrast DragonSpeed are running with the high downforce kit on their Gibson engined BR1 as the team work through the inevitable new car niggles with the #10.

By the end of the third hour the #10 had split the two SMP cars, the fastest of the pair, the #17 posting a 1:39.3 by that point, Ben Hanley in the #10 with a 1:39.8.

Booth’s new focus

Manor’s John Booth has told DSC that he’s fully focused on the FIA WEC now, and isn’t a part of the Torro Rosso F1 effort this year in the background. He explained that his role changed when the Italian team switched to Honda, resulting in the CEFC TRSM Racing Ginetta programme taking up his full attention for 2018.

“There’s a few guys here who worked for Manor in the F1 days, and we’ll have a couple of Torro Rosso guys to help us out, we have an engineer joining us for Le Mans for example,” he added.

Meeting about the present, and the future, of LMP1

As always at this meeting the powers that be take the opportunity to meet with team and manufacturer representatives to discuss ‘matters of mutual interest’. Here that has included meetings to try to close the gaps between the current progression the next set of LMP1s becoming a reality by the deadline set for an announcement at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours.

There’s also discussion underway on the 2018/19 Equivalence of Technology between the rule makers, Toyota and the LMP1 Privateer entrants.

On that front there is some spirited debate underway – much more to come later in the weekend.

Group shot

The traditional group shot took place on Thursday evening around the final turns of the Paul Ricard track though not without a couple of wrinkles. An initial proposal to place some of the cars off track, indeed in the gravel traps, fell foul of understandable objection from the teams, and with the inevitable delays in getting together a complex group shot there were a number of images that saw the shadow of the official photographer’s cherrypicker in the foreground of the pictures.

That aside the 2018/19 ‘pack’ makes for a colourful bunch.

#WEC – Want to see the cars of the @FIAWEC Prologue at @PaulRicardTrack? Here is a short clip for you! Beginning today 😄 pic.twitter.com/xuSyN8B0LH — FIA (@fia) April 6, 2018

Gunn embedded with AMR

Aston Martin Racing’s Ross Gunn is here this weekend with the British team. While he won’t be driving, he has been named the team’s reserve driver, and will do some work with the team in the background.

Last year, Gunn drove in GTE, but with Beechdean AMR in the ELMS, as well as assisted the brand in the early stages of the new Vantage’s development.

ByKolles updates

ByKolles seems to have had quite enough of being the LMP1 whipping boys, the progress for the squad over the close season has been extensive with a significant number of changes to their aero package and major upgrades too for the NISMO badged, Cosworth-designed V6 turbo engine, just about very major internal component is new with significant detail changes too to the block and cylinder heads.

The engine is now believed to produce c.700bhp with a major programme around reliability also now complete.