WEC tests positive for Oak Racing

Oak Racing went to the tests of WEC contested this week on the Castellet circuit with its three Morgan-Nissans registered for the first three events of the season (at Silverstone on April 14, at Spa-Francorchamps on May 4 and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans June 22 and 23). At the end of the first day, the No. 24 driven by Olivier Pla and Alex Brundle finished second in the LMP2 category, three tenths behind Delta ADR's Oreca 03-Nissan. The Frenchman was the fastest in the session held at night before interrupting the run due to the fog present on the circuit. Bertrand Baguette finally set the benchmark time for the category by completing a lap in 1'47"398 at the wheel of the No. 35 while the No. 24 finished second, two tenths behind. The French team has the satisfaction of not having encountered any major mechanical problems on its three cars.

“We had two good days of testing”, commented Martin Plowman, teammate of Bertrand Baguette and Ricardo Gonzalez. “The driving conditions were far from perfect because of the weather but it's a good experience for Silverstone because there is a good chance that we will have the same weather. We haven't focused on lap performance here and each team tests different things. Also these were not pure speed tests. Overall we have a very good feeling in the car at the end of this second day, which is the most important thing, and we also have the feeling that we are a united team. Silverstone will be an opportunity to see where we really stand compared to our competitors! » Alex Brundle, who shared the wheel of the No. 24 with Olivier Pla this week, leaves Paul Ricard with the same impressions. “The tests are very positive for the team. Obviously every time we've been on the track for any significant length of time we've been some of the fastest, if not the fastest, which is fantastic. I feel very comfortable in the car now, after the testing sessions. The sister car the 35 also proved to be very competitive, which is excellent for the data, balance analysis and driving of both cars. »

The last Morgan, the No. 45 of Jacques Nicolet who was driving with Jean-Marc Merlin and Philippe Mondolot, finished further back with the last time in the category, three seconds behind the first Oak Racing LMP2. But the crew focused its efforts on gaining experience for the pilots. “ For the 45, I am pleasantly surprised. Jean-Marc Merlin had a little experience but he adapted very quickly to the circuit, just like Philippe Mondolot, who comes from VdeV and who quickly took charge of the car even though it was his first real drive. The times were very correct and consistent. All this suggests a good race at Silverstone! », said Team Principal Sébastien Philippe. “These two days have been very productive. Undoubtedly more for the drivers than for the team which was not able to validate as many technical options as expected, due to the weather conditions. However, on the No. 24 Alex and Olivier were able to test different technical choices and they rode well. On the 35, the crew continued to get to know each other. There is a good atmosphere between the three drivers who talk a lot together. »

Discover the video on-board camera of a lap with Bertrand Baguette at the wheel of the #35 Morgan-Nissan on the Castellet circuit.