Final preparations for Signatech-Nissan

Signatech-Nissan has enterd two cars in the LMP2 class at Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time. The Oreca-Nissan #23, (lucky number of Nissan) was joined by the sister car #26 from the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The French team aims to shine on home soil, especially as double points will be awarded at Le Mans. To verify that everything is in order, the team of Philippe Sinault and Didier Calmels conducted tests on the Magny-Cours track earlier this week before taking the road of Le Mans. Five of the six drivers took turns at the wheel: Franck Mailleux, who set the pole time in the LMP2 class last year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, was missing. A pole that the French driver also converted into second place in the class at the end of the 24 Hours race with team-mates Lucas Ordenez and Soheil Ayari.

Franck Mailleux is joined by Jordan Tresson, winner of the Nissan GT Academy (as was Lucas Ordenez) and Olivier Lombard, who impressed last year in La Sarthe despite his young age with victory in the LMP2 class with Greaves Motorsports. Pierre Ragues is in the #26, who was part of the Signatech Nissan effort last year, Nelson Panciatici, who is new to endurance racing, and Roman Rusinov, the French speaking Russian. 

The entry of both cars has somewhat increased the stress for Philippe Sinault, Director of Signatech-Nissan: "With three times… make that four times… as much stress. It’s true that it is different than when you are racing just one car. For the test day, and the whole of the Le Mans week, we will have the option to test more things, and to work in a different way. Some options we had to discard in previous years can perhaps be tried. There is a lot of work and a very tight schedule… We need to validate the aerodynamic options but also need to work on the endurance and the tyres. If the weather allows, and if all goes well, at the end of the session we may aim for a time, but that is not our priority."

The team intends to make this a test day test session size to settle before the big Le Mans week starting Sunday, June 10 with the technical and administrative.

Dave Davies (quote from the press the team)

Photo: FRANCORCHAMPS (LIEGE, BELGIUM), CIRCUIT, SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS 6 HOURS OF SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS,