LMS – Paul Ricard Test Days – Preview
Lots Of New Toys

It’s the largest collection of cars yet seen at a Le Mans Series test at Paul Ricard (37 expected, 31 present last year), and for various reasons, there’s a whole host of new machinery. No one ran through the night last year, but three are expected to do so this time – and a long haul through the dark hours has a certain appeal to those who love endurance racing. So does the prospect of 37 cars running around the extraordinary High Tech Test Track. With, in most cases, a surplus of drivers, there’s always someone with time on his hands to pass on the latest news, and an update on how testing is proceeding, and that ensures that we can bring you as much detail and comment as possible throughout the testing.

LMP1
Finally, it’s time to say farewell to the hybrid prototypes. Henri Pescarolo’s #17 finished off that era in style last season, with five out of five in the Le Mans Series, and now they’re all genuine LMP1 cars – in Europe anyway. Henri has been so busy looking after his customers that his new car at Ricard isn’t quite in 2007 spec. – but the chassis is.

Among the other, new, LMP1s, the Rollcentre Pescarolo makes its first public appearance on Sunday morning – along with the RfH Dome Judd and the Charouz Lola Judd (below). The Swiss Spirit Lola was never expected to be present, but it’s in the assembly phase at Lola Cars. So is Jan Lammers’ Dome (in the assembly phase – in Holland), so whether this one runs at Ricard remains to be seen.

Team Peugeot Total will be bringing one of the 908s. "What with the test programme, rebuilds, modifications and preparation work, we have a great deal to do in a short period of time,” explains Peugeot Sport Director Michel Barge. “This in turn makes calls on our logistics and human resources that occasionally need to be adjusted to enable us to pursue the current development phase in good conditions."

The French team is placing the accent on reliability rather than outright speed at the moment – but the single 908 will appear in its new livery.

Familiar LMP1s number three: the factory Courage, the Chamberlain-Synergy Lola and the Lavaggi. The Courage features wholesale changes for this season, with the Mugen normally aspirated engine replaced by the AER twin-turbo, and Yokohamas replaced by Michelins. The LC70 will be running through the night. It’s French rubber too for the Berridge / Evans / Owen Lola, plus the 2007 update kit. The Lavaggi? Presumably changes have been made since Jarama last season?

No Creation car, alas, the team having sold one of its hybrids to Intersport, while the other is currently on its way back from promotional work in Japan. The new chassis is still in-build.

So eight LMP1s in prospect.

LMP2
Seven of the less powerful prototypes will be a good turn-out. Three are brand-spanking new, three are familiar, while one features 2007 updates.

The Bruneau Pilbeam, the first LMP2 from the Bourne factory, is a very familiar car, and in Simon Pullan, it’s got a permanent quick man for the LMS. Also familiar are the Bruichladdich Radical and the RML MG Lola – with four regular drivers (from last year), plus Robin Liddell in the Radical.

The new cars are the Barazi-Epsilon Zytek, the Saulnier Racing Courage AER and the Embassy Pilbeam Judd. Embassy is already heavily into a development programme on its MP93, and is embarking on a 24 hour test at Ricard.

The Barazi-Epsilon Zytek will have its shake down run on Sunday morning. “We decided against a shake down at Silverstone this week,” reveals Michael Vergers, “because that wouldn’t have left time to have all the bodywork painted before Ricard. The bodywork is being painted now, and should arrive on Saturday afternoon.”

The three drivers (Juan Barazi, Michael Vergers and Karim Ojjeh) have each had a seat fitting, and Vergers has been at the factory for four days this week, following the completion and start-up of the Zytek with great interest: he describes it as “a piece of art, the attention to detail is incredible”. And it’s got that lovely Gulf colour scheme to show off too.

The Quifel – ASM Lola AER features the 2007 updates, but other than its new team name, it’s a known commodity. It’s not clear who will be driving it though, other than Miguel Amaral.

GT1
There’s a very French feel about this class, with pairs of cars from Aston Martin Racing Larbre, ORECA and Luc Alphand Aventures. One of the ORECA Saleens will be embarking on a 24 hour run, in preparation for Le Mans.

The seventh GT1 is the newcomer, the Racing Box Saleen.

Gregor Fisken is the latest driver to be confirmed at Jack Leconte's team, while a rather well known Corvette driver is expected at the track on Monday, to complete negotiations for him to race one of the Alphand cars...

GT2
This class features a wave of new cars, plus a smaller number of familiar ones (Ferraris and Panoz Esperantes).

Team LNT has been hard at work on its development programme for 2007, but the Esperantes themselves are very well known. GPC runs a Ferrari 430 again, as do Virgo and JMB. The French team isn’t always a front-runner, but GPC is, and Virgo steps up for its second year - into serious contention for a title. Simonsen and Bell are going to be a formidable pair.

So that leaves the fleet of new GT2 cars – and they’re not all Ferraris and Porsches.

Markland Racing’s Corvette is apparently a very impressive piece of kit, and the team’s third driver will step into the limelight on Sunday (joining Kurt Thim and Henrik Møller Sørensen). The Speedy Spyker may not be a new chassis, but the livery and entrant certainly are, while the brand new Chad Peninsula Panoz has been spotted testing in the UK, but this will be its public debut.

Ice Pol switches camps to Ferrari for 2007, with a brand new 430 – and the remainder of the entry comprises new Porsche 997s.

IMSA Performance MATMUT has two, Felbermayr-Proton has three (Lieb and Pompidou in the lead car) and Perspective has one.

Driver names for certain entries (this Sunday / Monday and for the season) are still unclear, as deals remain to be completed – but some of the questions will be answered at Paul Ricard.

dsc will be at the track from mid-morning on Sunday, with reports and images to be posted throughout the two days of testing.