Silverstone will deliver its verdict

For the last event of the Le Mans Series season, this weekend at Silverstone, Aston Martin and Pescarolo Sport will compete for the LMP1 title. If the British team will start as favorites with a seven-point lead, the French have no intention of giving up.

Published on 09/09/2009 à 15:04

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The LMS season will reach its epilogue this weekend at Silverstone. Leading the championship thanks to his victory at the 1000 km of the Nürburgring on August 23, Aston Martin is the favorite in England with seven points ahead of the runner-up team. In the lead during the first three rounds of the season thanks to an almost perfect course? two second places and a victory – Henri Pescarolo's team thus experienced a catastrophic German weekend. She was forced to abandon the race and cede the championship lead to the British.

At home, the latter will want to confirm their good performance to win the LMS title, fifty years after the victory of the Aston Martin DBR1 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. " We are in a favorable position but the Drivers' and Manufacturers' titles are not assured and we will have to compete in an extremely difficult six hours of racing against top-notch opposition. said team principal George Howard-Chappell. “ That said, the circuit should suit our car and our drivers know it well. » For this event, the crews will remain unchanged with the presence of the winners at the Nürburgring: Jan Charouz, Tomáš Enge and Stefan Mücke.

On the Pescarolo Sport side, Christophe Tinseau, who treated his fractured rib, and Jean-Christophe Boullion will be lined up in number 16. Finally, the Oreca team will make its return after skipping the German event with Olivier Panis And Nicolas lapierre.

The other attraction of the weekend will be the presence of the former world champion of F1, Nigel Mansell, who will race at the wheel of the Ginetta-Zytek LMP1 of the LNT team, alongside Lawrence Tomlinson and especially his son, Greg. His other son, Leo, will also be of the LMGT2 part in the seat of a Ferrari F430 from the Modena team. “This will be my first race behind the wheel of an LMP1,” said Nigel Mansell. “It’s a more than exciting opportunity that Lawrence Tomlinson has given us to race in a Ginetta-Zytek, particularly at Silverstone where I won three times. Leo doesn't compete in the same category, but I'm excited to share the wheel with Greg. »