24h Le Mans
Partnered last year with Paul-Loup Chatin in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), the Swiss Gary Hirsch threw himself into the adventure of the LM P2 class within the Swiss team NewBlood by Morand Racing of Beno
Photo : Marc LAFFEAS - ACO
For the 2013 winner in the LM PC class, who did not take part in the Test Day of the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year, this transition into LM P2 is very motivating. The presence of a driver of Christian Klien's caliber in the No. 43 Morgan-Judd line-up amounts to a performance gauge for the young Swiss, who well intends to improve at this new level. The Austrian driver will serve as a reference for his debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Are you already thinking about the 24 Hours of Le Mans ?
"Yes because the adventure begins with Silverstone. The car and the team are very efficient. The first races will allow me to make progress by pulling from the experience of my teammates. Having started with Formula Renault, my path in motorsport has been a dotted line because of my studies and my work, but the opportunity to do FLM (Formula Le Mans, cars entered in the LM PC class) last year really made things click. This year, the team's strategy in terms of tyres comes into play, we are really in endurance. I am looking forward to tackling my first races and finally set foot in Le Mans. The first tests were promising. Each driver has a clearly defined role in the race, so I concentrated on our race pace without looking for performance in my LM P2 class debut."
Romain Brandela, seen at the wheel of the DKR Engineering Lola - Judd at Le Mans last year, completes the No. 43 Morgan - Judd line-up in the ELMS and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Christian Klien showed his advantage in this car at the last two ELMS races in 2013. The NewBlood by Morand Racing line-up presents itself this year as a serious contender for victory within the pack of 17 LM P2 cars invited to La Sarthe in 2014. Meanwhile, the Swiss group started the year well by reaching the third step of the podium last Saturday at Silverstone.
Marc Lafféas / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO
PHOTO: TOWCESTER (NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM), SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT, 6 HOURS OF SILVERSTONE, APRIL 2014. Gary Hirsch made his debut with the NewBlood by Morand Racing team.
