24h Le Mans
The 2015
The LM P2 class features a small but select field of two teams, both entering an Oreca 03 with familiar faces behind the wheel. After several seasons in the European Le Mans Series, Race Performance has moved to Asia taking Nicolas Leutwiler with them. The Swiss driver, who finished ninth in the LM P2 class at the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours with Pegasus Racing, will be supported by former Formula One driver Shinji Nakano, who has driven eight times at Le Mans. Ironically, in the 2012 edition, he lined up for the Boutsen Ginion Racing team whose Oreca 03 chassis will be used by the other team entered in the Asian Le Mans Series, Eurasia Motorsport for whom William Lok from Hong Kong and South Korean Tack Sung Kim will be taking turns at the wheel. For the Sepang round, they will be joined by Richard Bradley, LM P2 class winner at this year’s Le Mans with KCMG.
The two teams disputing the LM P3 class have been known for some weeks. Team AAI, who took up their two invitations to the 24 Hours of Le Mans (two Porsches entered in the LM GTE Am class) that they earned last year, will not only be back defending their GT title but will also making their prototype début (see article) with two examples of the ADESS-03 that has just completed its shakedown in Hockenheim. Rival outfit DC Racing has been set up by David Cheng who drove for Pegasus Racing at this year’s Le Mans. Cheng has recruited Ho-Pin Tung, the co-driver who helped him to ninth place there in the LM P2 class. The Ligier JS P3, the latest addition to the Onroak Automotive range, will be making its competition début in DC Racing colours.
The GT class sees the largest field with seven cars. Team AAI is back with two BMW Z4s, one of which will be driven by founder Jun-San Chen, Ollie Millroy and BMW factory driver Dirk Müller. Another German manufacturer, Audi – thirteen overall wins at the Le Mans 24 Hours – will be represented with two R8 GT3s: one for the Chinese Absolute Racing team who are still to announce their driver line-up, and the other for the Slovak outfit ARC Bratislava whose owner, Miro Konopka, will be sharing the wheel with Pierre Kaffer, seen at Le Mans racing for LM P1-class Team ByKolles.
Rui Águas also competed in the legendary 24-Hour race this year, but in the LM GTE Am class in a Ferrari 458. In the Asian championship, he will be driving the GT3 version of the car entered by Swiss team Spirit of Race. The second Ferrari will be flying the Malaysian flag with Nexus Infinity. The GT field will be completed by a McLaren with factory driver Rob Bell, who competed in the LM GTE Pro class for Aston Martin at Le Mans.
Last but not least, the only entrant for the moment in the GT Am class is KCMG, LM P2 class winners at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Team boss Paul Ip will be driving their Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
The field will be contesting the opening round of the Asian Le Mans Series at Fuji, Japan, on 10 October.
Cécile Bonardel / ACO
Translated from French by David Goward
