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Can the "Mad Russian," (Mikhail Aleshin)
Countryman Vitaly VO5' Petrov and Bloody Jense', nee Jenson Button pilot Thar' Shiny,
New #11 SMP Racing's BR Engineering LMP1 Prototype to the top step of the Podium
this weekend at Le Mans? (Image source: motorsport.com)
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As I'm ARSE-Suming that third time's the Charm for
Toyota, especially since their main competition Audi & Porsche have Quit
Sports Car racing's pre-eminent class...
While the FIA has "Supersized" the 2018
World Endurance Championship's (WEC) Sports Car Season, expanding it to now encompass
2018-2019, including both year's Le Mans outing. I really Don't understand the
rationalization for switching to a Winter-Summer season calendar...
As this year's field appears to have
increased to 60 entries, which are perfectly split 50-50 between the
Prototypes, with 10 LMP1 & 20 LMP2 entrants. While the Tintops'; Err Gran
Torismo ranks see 17 GTE Pro & 13 GTE Am entrants, with the bulk of the
field being comprised of the 36 WEC Season's contestants.
As this is my attempt
to briefly cover the ten 'lil P1 runners', who I'd expect to win the race
outright, barring reliability issues, which could be froth for this new class's
first 24 Hours event...
Rebellion Racing
Country: Switzerland
Chassis: Rebellion R13
Engine: Gibson 4.5-litre Normally Aspirated V-8
Drivers
#1. Andre Lotterer,
Neal Jani and Bruno Senna
#3. Mathias
Beche, Gustavo Menezes and Thomas Laurent
Obviously the
No. 1 cars loaded for "Bear" with two Le Mans winners and a driver
with the last name Senna.
The chassis is produced by the winning French
concern ORECA, who's simply evolved upon their past LMP2 chassis for this new
Non Hybrid B-I-G BOYZ' effort. While Gibson, who builds the mandatory P2
lumps', has also Super-sized their V-8 engine. As theoretically, I'd ARSE-sume
that these normally aspirated V-8's will be more reliable than the new-spec
turbo's.
As I'd have to
pick the No. 1 car as a Dark Horse Contendah', especially with its winning
driver's combination at its controls...
ByKolles Racing
Country: Austria
Chassis: Kolles CLM P1/01
Engine: Nissan 3.0-litre V-6 Turbo
Drivers
#4. Oliver Webb, Dominik
Kraihamer and Tom Dillman
The only driver I know of in this entry is
Tom Dillman who won the 2016 Formula V-8 3.5 series. As this chassis run by the
legendous' Dr. Colin Kolles of past Midland and Hispania Formula 1 fame, is the
only Privateer chassis that ran last year's World Endurance Championship in the
same guise. Therefore you'd hope that reliability's upon its side.
CEFC-TRSM Racing
Country: China
Chassis: Ginetta G60-LT1
Engine: Mecachrome 3.4-litre V-6 Turbo
Drivers
#5. Charlie Robertson, Mike Simpson and Leo Roussel
#6. Oliver Rowland, Alex Brundle and Oliver Turvey
Was surprised to discover that this is actually
the old, original Manor Motorsport F1 Team, now known as Manor Endurance
Racing, with backing from China's TRS concern. Albeit scuttlebutt suggests that
funding issues arose earlier this year, causing the team to miss the first
round of the season at Spa, since reportedly they ran the Le Mans test devoid
of any CEFC Deckles'
Also, at one point Dean Stoneman was slated
as one of the drivers, but has subsequently left, with either Alex Brundle or
more likely, Ginetta test driver Mike Simpson replacing him?
Therefore the cars will be making their WEC
debut at Le Mans, for which should be a most daunting task. Along with the new
Mecachrome turbo lump' not having raced in anger. So don't count on either car
to go the distance.
Toyota Racing
Country: Japan
Chassis: TS050 Hybrid
Engine: 2.4-litre V-6 Turbo
Drivers
#7. (Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and José Maria Lopez
#8. Sebastien
Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Fernando Alonso
As the only Factory Hybrid effort in the
field, Toyota should be miles 'N miles ahead of the competition. Although the
past two years have been especially cruel to the Japanese auto-maker.
but with first Audi, and then Porsche Quitting
Sports Car racing, you'd have to ARSE-Sume it'll be an intra-squad Scrum for
Overall Honours this year, Ci?
And whilst Fernando will be getting All of
the Attenzione, and I won't have a Problema with him winning. Nevertheless,
I'll be rootin' for the Seester' Toy-Yoter to win, since :K-Squared's: (Kobayashi)
suffered indignantly at Le Mans, whilst Mike "Ice-Ice, Baby!"
Conway's a past IndyCar Driver.
DragonSpeed
Country: USA
Chassis: BR Engineering BR-1
Engine: Gibson 4.5-litre Normally Aspirated V-8
Drivers
#10. Henrik Hedman, Ben Hanley and Renger van der Zande
This is the team for which Pietro Fittipaldi
suffered his major Shunt at the Mighty Spa Francorchamps aboard earlier this
May, which totally destroyed' the team's first chassis!
Thus, they've thrashed Madly to build-up a
new Dallara-based car, and I'd enjoy seeing Thar' IMSA "Ringer" Renger van der Zande &
Co. having a successful outing.
SMP Racing
Country: Russia
Chassis: BR Engineering BR-1
Engine: AER 2.4-litre V-6 Turbo
Drivers
#11. Mikhail Aleshin, Jenson Button and Vitaly Petrov
#17. Matevos
Isaakyan, Stephane Sarrazin and Egor Orudzhev
You'd have to say that the team's got a
fairly stout Driver line-up, albeit I've only ever heard of half of the
Rooskies' on the squad. Although I don't know how competitive the car will be,
or if the AER turbo unit can G-O the distance?
As the #11 has to
be my sentimental favourite in the field, since I'd enjoy Aleshin smiling
broadly atop thou podium, with Petrov deserving some glory too...