IDEC Sport's #17 Oreca withdraws from the 24 Hours of Le Mans

The #17 car driven by Dwight Merriman, Ryan Dalziel and Thomas Laurent will ultimately not start the 24 Hours of Le Mans this Saturday. The several outings of the #17 IDEC Sport Oreca since the Test day finally got the better of the French team.

“It’s heartbreaking to withdraw from the 24 Hours of Le Mans, says Kyle Tilley, owner of Era Motorsport. We couldn't even start but it was the best thing to do. We had high expectations for this event but the succession of several incidents got the better of us. »

The #17 IDEC Sport crew in partnership with Era Motorsport has been unlucky for several days. It all started with a change in the line-up at the last moment. As a reminder, Kyle Tilley suffered a shoulder injury and the team had to call on Richard Bradley. Problem is, he tested positive for COVID-19, which led IDEC Sport to call French driver Thomas Laurent... after the Test day. The accident during free practice 3 finally put an end to the French team's hopes of participating in the double round of the clock. The damage to the chassis was too significant to continue the weekend.

“It’s an event where you have to be at your best and with everything that’s happened to us, that’s not the case, confesses Tilley. Unfortunately, this is also what makes Le Mans. I hope our fans respect this decision. I would like to thank our drivers, the team and everyone at IDEC Racing for the work they have done. We will be back. »

The big crash for @IDECSportRacing #17 at Dunlop..?
Driver OK. # LeMans24 #WEC pic.twitter.com/IdfXkxSCq1

- 24 Heures du Mans (@ 24heuresdumans) August 19