G-Drive Racing debuts its Morgan-Nissan LM P2
The Russian team is hoping to crown its first outing with the car with a victory.
#26 G-Drive Racing Oreca 03 - Nissan: Roman Rusinov, John Martin, Mike Conway
Eric Gilbert
On Sunday 20th April G-‐Drive Racing will have its first race with its Morgan-Nissan LM P2, which it has entered in the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship. The Russian team is hoping to crown its first outing with the car with a victory.
After the official test session at the end of March on the Paul Ricard circuit, all the teams entered in the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship will meet up at Silverstone between 17-‐20 April for the opening round.
Thirty-one cars are expected on the grid and the battle for victory in LM P2 will be fought between seven prototypes. G-‐Drive Racing, which has entered the only Morgan-Nissan LM P2 in the championship , is one of the favourites for the title . A large part of the outcome will depend on the team adopting the right strategy , especially in the area of tyre management.
Julien Canal, Olivier Pla and Roman Rusinov , who will share the wheel of the no. 26 Morgan-Nissan LM P2, will be up against tough opposition. The fact that the drivers are all equally matched and very quick will be big asset in the Onroak Automotive chassis’ quest for another victory.
Julien Canal: “I’m really looking forward to the first race. I’m starting my third season in the WEC and my first in the LM P2 category. We’re well prepared, the car’s reliable and the team is on the ball. I’m feeling a bit apprehensive and also very excited for what will be my first race in this category. I can’t wait to take part in it!”
Olivier Pla: “I think our aim is clear. We’re determined to clinch the title! Of course, we can’t ignore our rivals and we can’t leave anything to chance; we all worked very hard this winter and we’ve ironed out a number of small glitches. Thus, we can kick off the season in a confident frame of mind. I’m champing at the bit to get out there and race at Silverstone; it’s a quick technical circuit, which I like very much; it’s one of my favorites in fact.”
Roman Rusinov: “ I’m feeling very confident for the coming season even if, as is always the case, there are a few unknown factors , in particular the weather at Silverstone. It’s G-Drive Racing’s third season and its first with the Morgan LM P2. We’ve got all the right ingredients for victory as the car is quick and reliable, the driver line up’s pretty good and the technical and sporting teams are very competitive . Our objective is clear, namely : to win the title with G-Drive Racing starting with a victory in the opening round.”
Philippe Dumas, Team Principal: “Our aim this season is to go to each race and show top-‐class professionalism both for our partner G-‐Drive and for our constructor , Onroak Automotive . We’re hoping to win with the G-Drive Racing Morgan-‐Nissan LM P2, but we must never underestimate our rivals . To clinch this championship we’ll need consistency, reliability, endurance and also a touch of speed and a little bit of craziness ! Tyre management will be crucial this year, and we’ve got every confidence in our partner Dunlop to supply us with the best possible rubber !”
Onroak Automotive
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