24h Le Mans
ACO official Herv
The third leg of the 2015-2016 Asian Le Mans Series is scheduled for this weekend at the brand new Buriram circuit in the heart of Thailand. Designed by specialist architect Hermann Tilke, the track has already been the scene of some magnificent races – on four wheels (WTCC, the FIA world touring car championship) and on two (Superbike). With Grade 1 status (i.e. officially able to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix), the ultra-modern complex’s main corporate sponsor is beverage firm Chang. The fully floodlit circuit runs clockwise.
Seventeen cars will take to the start of the three-hour race on Sunday afternoon. As free practice gets underway today, temperatures currently stand at 30° (it’s winter, after all) under a gloomy sky and stifling humidity. Nevertheless, after a 27-hour long journey with hordes of European tourists all headed for the beautiful beaches of Phuket, Automobile Club de l’Ouest staff are already at work. With four LM P2 prototypes and three LM P3s, this is the best line-up we have seen in three seasons.
Three championships could be decided by Sunday evening and, if that is the case, we will then know the names of at least two of the automatic entrants for this year's Le Mans 24 Hours (18-19 June). The LM P3s have not had much luck so far this season but everyone here hopes that they have made the most of the festive break to solve their transmission problems and are now ready to stir things up a bit. In the GT class, a “cautious” race could be enough for Clearwater Racing’s Ferrari 458 to take the title.
Hervé Guyomard / ACO | Translated from French by Clair Pickworth
Photo: KUALA LUMPUR (MALAYSIA), SEPANG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, 3 HOURS OF SEPANG, SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER 2015, RACE. Winner of the first two rounds of the 2015-2016 Asian Le Mans Series at Fuji (Japan) and Sepang (Malaysia), will Swiss team Race Performance and its Oreca-Judd be first past the post again at Buriram?
