What Did We Learn From The 4 Hours Of Aragon?

The quality of racing up front continues to impress

We already knew before the season got underway that the LMP2 and LMP2 Pro/Am cast list was likely to produce spectacular racing. The mix of current factory Hypercar and GTP talent, emerging talent and non-pro drivers of a very high standard promised so much. Yet remarkably, in just three races, the action has exceeded even the most lofty expectations.

This is in part due to the trademark four-hour format, which lends itself to late drama due to the mix of driver, tyre and fuel strategies it allows for.

At Barcelona, a rollercoaster four hours with incidents aplenty, allowed the Pro/Am-entered Racing Team Turkey ORECA to take a shock win. At Paul Ricard the lead battle raged until the final seconds, with Algarve Pro Racing emerging victorious. Then last weekend in Spain, the thrills continued as night fell over the circuit when clever fuel strategy allowed United Autosports to convert pole position into a win at the final set of stops, Oliver Jarvis rising from fifth to first after a final splash, amid a lengthy spell of dicing between four front-running cars.

For the most part, the on-track action in LMP2 has been hard but fair, with no real controversy to speak of. Instead, it has been the drama in the lower classes that has had the most impact on the number of FCYs and safety cars during each race, which is quite remarkable when the number of ORECAs racing (18) is considered.

The action has exceeded even the most lofty expectations

Heading into the second half of the season, which features a single race at Spa and a double-header at Portimao, both the LMP2 and LMP2 Pro/Am title races are extremely tight. Disappointment for Duqueine in Spain and a stunning run to the podium from dead last for Algarve Pro has left Nico Pino, Neel Jani and Rene Binder with a slim lead of just one point over Kyffin Simpson, Alex Lynn and James Allen. In fact, just 15 points separate the top six crews in the table.

LMP2 Pro/Am meanwhile, has been turned on its head after Racing Team Turkey’s late-race mechanical issue which cost it a sure-fire podium at the final pit stop. AF Corse’s #83 full-season duo of Francois Perrodo and Matthieu Vaxiviere have taken the lead in the standings by three points, an outcome that no betting man would have liked the odds for after such a dominant run for the TF-run team at Barcelona, Paul Ricard and during Qualifying at Motorland.

The prospect of both titles being up for grabs heading into the final race in Portugal is real and simply mouth-watering…

LMP2 Pro/Am makes sense

We’re now halfway through the first ELMS season featuring a true class split in LMP2, with a separate Pro/Am class for driver line-ups featuring a Bronze-rated driver, and it’s safe to say that it’s been a success thus far.

Anecdotally in the paddock, the Bronze drivers at play are buoyed by the opportunity to compete in an LMP2 car, in an environment that allows them to realistically fight for victories and a Le Mans invite.

The format of the races has in turn provided additional motivation to the likes of Salih Yoluc. The Bronze-rated Turk has been actively pushing to win each race overall, using the split as extra motivation for him and his Racing Team Turkey teammates Louis Deletraz and Charlie Eastwood.

The only area in which this new class structure may need a second look is in its qualifying format. By keeping both LMP2 and LMP2 Pro/Am separate, qualifying features five 15-minute bursts of track time, with gaps in between the sessions. It has felt like a long, drawn-out process at times this year, especially when red flags have intervened and increased the overall run time.

For an area of sportscar racing that all too often is inconsequential (Algarve Pro Racing’s ORECA started 42nd and came achingly close to winning in Spain), streamlining it is something that DSC feels would make the weekend broadcasts both more digestible for viewers and less arduous for competitors.

Aragon visit sparks debate

The decision to run an into-the-night race in Spain during August was fascinating from a journalistic point of view because almost everyone was keen to express an opinion on the choice of venue, slot in the calendar and unusual timetable.

Let’s start with the circuit itself. Motorland Aragon is a circuit that many have driven, but few have raced on. Due to the nature of its layout (which has multiple configurations), its climate and its surface, it’s been a popular test venue for many years.

In addition to being a worthy location to run on behind closed doors, this event revealed that drivers also enjoy lapping Motorland in a competitive setting. From an entertainment point of view, it produced the goods too, serving up a thrilling four hours of action that went down to the wire in four of the five classes.

However, in the paddock there was much debate about the time of year the race was held and the viability of it as a circuit for the future, due to its location and the lack of easily accessible accommodation nearby.

Of those two subjects, the race being held in August was, by far, the biggest talking point. Throughout the week the temperatures regularly exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, making life extremely difficult for anyone in the garages, the support paddock, standing trackside and in the cockpit. Mercifully the pit building was well air conditioned and made for a safe haven for many members of the paddock and press pack during the meeting. Indeed, kudos to LMEM which opened up a pair of air-conditioned hospitality suites for use by crew members to get some respite from the baking hot conditions.

Add to that the timetable, which featured early mornings and late nights most days and long gaps during the afternoon and what we were left with was a paddock that was extremely fatigued. DSC, for instance, is aware of one team that had multiple members of its staff fall ill and require medical attention as a result of the heat. It really was that relentless.

Were the conditions unusual? Judging by the significant drop in temperature on the weekend, and anecdotes from the locals, yes. But the question should be asked whether or not the arranged date was entirely sensible or worth the risk in the first place. August is not only a prime holiday slot for families (and for that matter the gentlemen drivers who have business commitments away from the ELMS sphere), it is also one of Spain’s two hottest months, the other being July.

The question should be asked as to whether or not the arranged date was entirely sensible or worth the risk in the first place

The suggestion was made by many during DSC’s tours of the paddock that a straight swap with Spa on the calendar would have made a huge difference. DSC is in agreement.

The 2024 calendar is due to be released in the coming days. If Aragon is to return for a mid-season race then it will be interesting to see if the experience of the organisers last weekend has prompted a change shift in date…

There’s a case for an annual night race

While the temperature was a point of contention throughout race week at Motorland, few would argue that the addition of a night race to this season’s calendar was anything other than a positive.

Look elsewhere and the IMSA, FIA WEC, World Challenge Europe and IGTC calendars feature a mixture of race lengths and formats, something the ELMS has been reluctant to experiment with for a long time. The four-hour format is extremely popular amongst teams and drivers, so steering away from that hasn’t been high on the agenda.

Running into the night in Aragon though, added a different challenge for the competitors and a visual treat for spectators. The sunset in the second half of the race was golden, truly spectacular and was captured masterfully by the broadcast team and the photographers on site.

Leaving aside the novelty factor, the benefit for aspirational teams and drivers looking to compete at Le Mans is clear too. The only downside was that the action became increasingly difficult to follow as the light faded. Circuit lighting is almost non-existent at Aragon, which made some cars extremely difficult to make out!

Is there space for an into-the-night race each year on the calendar though? Saturday night proved to be a good advert for it.

Fassbender can’t catch a break

It was a case of another weekend, another stroke of bad luck for Proton Competition’s Michael Fassbender in Spain. The German/Irish movie star, who is edging closer to the end of his planned commitments in racing with Porsche, has been making significant strides at every race meeting, but that first-class win still eludes him.

This year has been particularly punishing for Fassbender, who along with teammates Martin Rump and Richard Lietz have suffered misfortune in each of the three races so far this season in the ELMS.

At Barcelona, Rump was tagged by an LMP3 car, at Paul Ricard Fassbender was hit multiple times and last weekend the Duqeueine ORECA swiped him on the exit of the final corner, sending him sliding into the pit wall, costing him precious time. Add to that Fassbender’s error in the closing hours at Le Mans that forced his car into retirement and what you’re left with is a string of results in 2023 that doesn’t reflect the progress, effort or talent.

Michael has been notably more at ease this season, the experience gained in his programme thus far has translated nicely into allowing him to have the mental capacity to take in the journey, and not just the tasks at hand. His pace has been very good, and his consistency, if anything, even better.

The podium salvaged in Spain was a well-earned reward, but you can’t help but wonder what would have been in terms of a title challenge if the opening races had gone to plan…

That though, is racing!

Images courtesy of ELMS

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