Friday Paddock Notes From Portimao
Future LMEM Leadership and Sporting Regs On Team’s Minds
There is much debate in the Portimao paddock on two major subjects, the future leadership of the ACO Series in light of the announcement by Gerard Neveu that he will step down as CEO of LMEM (who manage and promote the FIA WEC and ELMS) and also on the content of the 2021 Sporting Regulations of the ELMS with several of the teams awaiting confirmation or otherwise of the results of their lobbying of LMEM to allow additional sets of tyres, in particular for LMP3, in the earlier part of race meetings.
This a key factor, DSC understands, in a number of drivers preparedness to return in 2021. The DSC Editor has been approached even today by several team representatives and (not for the first time on the issue) by more than one driver to explain their position.
The 2020 season has seen numerous sessions with several cars sitting out Free Practice sessions in order to preserve tyres for the race, the move to restrict the number of sets available was introduced as a cost-saving measure but teams are now clear that it is not a cost-saving that is welcomed by their customers, but is, instead a factor in retaining them!
DSC also understands that the matter of whether or not there will be an auto-entry for Le Mans earned by the new-for-2021 LMP2 Pro-Am class will be decided on the basis of whether sufficient numbers of entries are received.
Two Drivers For Inter-Europol LMP2
Matevos Isaakyan is not present here, the Russian racer is unwell (non-COVID-related) the #34 Inter-Europol Ligier JS P217 will race with just two drivers Schiemowski/ Binder.
Happy Birthday Malthe Jakobsen
The youngest driver in this season’s Series, Malthe Jakobsen celebrated a birthday yesterday reaching the ripe old age of 17! He’ll be back next season after signing to continue with RLR MSport.
Lecorte Father and Son In the Paddock
WEC driver and Cetilar Racing owner Roberto Lecorte was in the paddock earlier today, he’s in Portimao taking care of his son Nicola who is here at the adjacent kart track training with his KR Motorsport team, Nicola was taking an interested look at the ELMS paddock too along with karting team-mate Brando (son of ex F1 racer Luca) Badoer.
Cetilar Racing look set to move from LMP2 to GTE Am in next seasons FIA WEC.
#51 Back To All Gent Trio
A minor change to the entry here sees the restoration of the all-gentleman trio of Alexander West, Christoph Ulrich and Steffen Görig to the #51 Ferrari after Alexander took time out to contest the Nurburgring 24 Hours last time out.
A chat with Christoph Ulrich I the paddock earlier saw the Swiss driver very much enjoying the move to a GTE car “I enjoy the challenge, it’s a much purer race driving experience and all the better for it.”
Alpines on the Support Package
The support package at Portimao often produces pleasant surprises and, in addition to the regular flu-season package of the Michelin Le Mans Cup and Ligier European Series the ELMS is joined, for the first time, by the Alpine Elf Europa Cup here, a 15 car grid of very pretty Alpine A110 GT cars (all built by Signatech).
Le Mans Cup Entry Down to 21
The Michelin Le Mans Cup grid has taken a hit for the final round with three cars missing from the initially announced entry – The #11 Racing Experience Duqueine is a no show and Iron Lynx field only one of their full-season trio of Ferrari 488 GT3s with the #9 and #77 Ferraris not present.
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