24h Le Mans
For the fourth year in a row, the European Le Mans Series will make a stop at the Red Bull Ring in Austria this coming weekend for the third race on the 2017 calendar, a little more than a month after the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Built in 1969 to replace the aging Zeltweg circuit, a track erected on a former military airfield located a few kilometers away, the Red Bull Ring (often confused with the old circuit) was previously called the Österreichring (circuit of Austria in German) then the A1-Ring, and was bought by Dieter Mateschitz, owner of the famous energy drink. After extensive and costly construction work, the circuit reopened its doors in 2011 and has hosted F1 races in the shadow of the magnificent Styria mountains since 2014, the year of the first visit of the European Le Mans Series.
Competitors in the European championship will be hard at work on Thursday, submitting to the administrative and technical checks throughout the day. On Friday, July 21st, the drivers will hit the track for the first time. Drivers categorized as Bronze by the FIA will kick things off at 11:20 a.m. local time for their first 30-minute free practice session.
After that, the rest of the field will take part in a first 90-minute free practice session starting at 3:20 p.m. After a night of rest, the competitors will hit the track again on Saturay at 9:25 a.m. for a final 90-minute free practice before three 10-minute qualifying sessions, one per class. The LMGTEs will begin at 1:45 p.m., the LMP3s will go at 2:05 p.m., then the LMP2s will close qualifying at 2:25 p.m. In the meantime, spectators will be able to walk about in pit lane during the pit walk from 12:50 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
If you miss the first one, another pit walk will take place on Sunday, July 23rd, the day of the race, from 9:50 a.m. to 11:05 a.m. which will include the driver autograph session between 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. This will allow time for the teams to prepare for the start of the 4 Hours of the Red Bull Ring to be given at 1:00 p.m. local time. Livestream the race on the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) website.
PHOTO: After competing in the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans, G-Drive Racing's #22 Oreca will take part in the 4 Hours of the Red Bull Ring in the lead of the championship in the LMP2 class.
