Quifel ASM Team Launch 2011 LMP1 Campaign

Quifel ASM were one of the very first teams to announce that they were stepping up from LMP2 in 2010 to an LMP1 campaign for the coming season, the team banking on stability with the same driver line-up (Miguel Pais do Amaral and Olivier Pla), the same brand of chassis and engine (Zytek), the same tyre supplier (Dunlop) and the same technicians.

Their 2011 campaign was launched earlier today in Lisbon.

“It didn't make much sense to continue competing in LMP2, both for economic and sporting reasons”, said António Simões, Director of the Quifel ASM Team.

“It is financially more productive to modify the car to adhere to the new LMP1 regulations than to LMP2, mainly because we have already won in LMP2 and we’d like to take the opportunity to pursue a more ambitious project”, he added.

“We would like to get to the last race of the 2011 Le Mans Series at Estoril in September in a position to be compete for the Championship win – That would be a huge thing for the Portuguese public”, said Miguel Pais do Amaral.

After two successful tests with the Zytek modified to LMP1 specification – in October at Portimão, and at the beginning of February at Vallelunga – Quifel ASM are now preparing for next weekend’s official LMS tests at Paul Ricard.

“The results of the tests have been great - We have been competing at the same level with the other top privateer teams and our car still has plenty of scope for development.” stresses António Simões.

Zytek developments have seen the car running a second a lap faster than in LMP2 spec with Quifel ASM believing there is still more to come.

In 2011 LMP1 spec the car has increased in weight by 75 kg with the revised Zytek V8’s power up by 40-50 bhp, new tyres and bigger brakes.

The team and Zytek though are optimistic of further improvements in several areas including suspension, aerodynamics, the gear box, differential and electronics.

“We bet on the reliability of the car, the consistency of the drivers and in the competence of the technical team to rapidly develop the car and to challenge for race wins amongst the privateer teams - Because the other teams, like Peugeot and Audi, when they will come to compete, they will naturally be on a higher level", concluded António Simões.