LeMans test set to go April 24th
Kick-off! The teams entered for the 79th Le Mans 24 Hours will invade the Le Mans circuit next week. There has been one withdrawal in the prototype category as the Signatech Nissan team will bring along just one car in LM P2 instead of two with Soheil Ayari, originally down to drive the Team Oreca Oreca 03, at the wheel. As a result the Extreme Limite AM Paris team, first on the reserve list, has been selected to take part in the Le Mans 24 Hours. It will enter a Norma M200P chassis powered by a Judd-BMW engine in LM P2 with Fabien Rosier, former ACO Volant, as the nominated driver. This game of musical chairs puts the Belgian team Kronos Racing at the head of the reserve list. In the case of another defection, the Lola-Aston Martin of Vanina Ickx will be on the grid in June. The powerful English prototype will be present at the Test Day on Sunday 24th April.
Fifty-six cars will be allowed to take to the Le Mans 24-Hours circuit between 09h00 and 18h00. As the introduction of new technical regulations has led to the construction of many new cars, it is of crucial importance to allow them and their drivers to familiarize themselves with the challenges of a layout unlike any other in the world. In addition, thanks to the advanced scheduling of the Test Day (7 weeks before the race on 11-12-June), the teams will have time to work on their cars should the need arise.
Note that the ACO is allowing all cars complying with the Le Mans 24-Hours regulations – and also the Formula Le Mans – to come and discover a track that is so rarely used. What’s more, this Test Day will be of historic importance as the future rivals will come to Test with new cars, which haven’t yet gone head-to-head on the same circuit. These include the Audi R18, the Aston Martin AMR-ONE, the Peugeot 908, the Lotus Evora, and several teams will take advantage of the session to set up their new mounts like the Ferrari F458 Italia, the Corvette C6-ZR1 etc.
While Peugeot has officially withdrawn its 908 Hybrid4, two hybrid cars will run on Sunday: the Oreca Swiss HY Tech-Hybrid entered for the Le Mans 24 Hours, and a Zytek 09H hybrid, which the Italian team Mik Corse will Test in real race conditions.
Even if the times set during the Test Day have no official value, the show on the Le Mans track on 24th April will be quite simply staggering! It is a not-to-be-missed at any price general rehearsal, all the more so as the cost of a ticket is only 10 euros! Access to the circuit is free for all spectators who already have their ticket for the race on 11-12 June. Anybody who buys a ticket for the Test Day will be given a 10-euro reduction on tickets for the general enclosures.