Highcroft: Le Mans with HPD in LMP1?

Double title holder in ALMS, the Highcroft Racing team was tasked by HPD (Honda Performance Development) with developing the new 6 liter twin turbo V2,8 intended for the LMP2 category. The American team is therefore currently on the Texan circuit of MSR Houston. simon pagenaud and Marino Franchitti were requisitioned for these tests intended to develop this new block.

“This is the third session we are doing, says boss Duncan Dayton. Our goal during these two days is to cover 1200 miles (more than 1900 km, Editor's note) for HPD without interruption. We are confident in our ability to achieve this without encountering any problems. »

Being entrusted with the development of this new unit does not mean that the Danbury-based team will necessarily enter LMP2 this season. An ARX-01e intended for the LMP1 category will indeed soon take to the track. A challenge that could prove most attractive for Duncan Dayton and his men.

“We are very interested in the new LMP1 that HPD has asked Wirth Research to develop, Dayton continues. We are in the process of finalizing our program but our wish is obviously to defend our title by fielding an LMP1 for David Brabham, Simon Pagenaud and Marino Franchitti. We also really want to come back to Le Mans. We earned invitations following our championship victory (ALMS) and our success at Petit Le Mans. HPD also really wants to take its new ARX-01e to France. The ACO is working very hard to improve the equivalences between cars powered by diesel engines and cars powered by gasoline engines like HPD. And this makes the opportunity to do Le Mans even more attractive. »

Duncan Dayton?s words don't lie, his heart leans towards the ARX-01e and a premier category that he already frequented in 2009, but only across the Atlantic. Seeing HPD's new weapon on the starting line of the next Le Mans classic would in any case not displease us?