Meet the new names in LMP2
LMP2 is sure to offer up another enthralling season of wheel-to-wheel action in 2018 when several new cars and drivers take to the track.
While there are familiar faces and former WEC champions such as Nicolas Lapierre and Loïc Duval in the entry list, there is a fresh group of talented youngsters coming to the category.
At the Jackie Chan DC Racing squad, several top Asian drivers have been integrated into the team, with a trio of Malaysian talents racing the No.37 Oreca-Gibson.
Checking out from Paul Ricard. Loads of data gathered and improvements made. Just a few weeks to go for Round 1! pic.twitter.com/9A14yqqkKe
— Jazeman Jaafar (@jazemanjaafar) April 8, 2018
Jazeman Jaafar is a familiar name on the international racing scene after racing in Europe since 2009, when he started out in Formula BMW before graduating to Formula Three and then the World Series V8 3.5 series where he won races in both formulas. Jaafar will continue with countrymen Weiron Tan and Nabil Jeffri who all enjoy the support of their home country’s premier circuit, Sepang.
Tan has raced in both Europe and the United States where he has completed campaigns in F3 and the Pro Mazda Championship, scoring four victories during a successful 2015 season. Jeffri came up through the single-seater route in Formula Three and GP2 before switching to sportscars last season when he took part in an Asian Le Mans race at Sepang.
In the No.38 Jackie Chan DC Racing entry WEC debutant Gabriel Aubry joins Stephane Richelmi and Ho-Pin Tung. Aubry has been one to watch in French motorsport for several years having won races in the Formula Renault Eurocup series. He also caused a stir when he won during his first endurance racing programme last winter racing for the Jackie Chan DC Racing LMP3 squad in the Asian Le Mans Series.
Making their first appearances in LMP2 machinery at Larbre Competition will be Erwin Creed and Romano Ricci. Both drivers are renowned fashion and perfume innovators who raced together last season in the LMP3 division of the European Le Mans Series with the M.Racing/YMR team. Ricci took four podium positions on his way to runner-up in the standings, while Creed took a victory at Monza.
New to the WEC but not to the ELMS - and a little outside the 'young' group - is the Racing Team Nederland duo of Fritz Van Eerd and former Le Mans winner Jan Lammers. The Dutch legend is aiming to compete for the 24th time in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, this year alongside Van Eerd and Giedo Van Der Garde who is well known to the WEC.
Postcards of Paul Ricard day 2.
— Racing Team Nederland (@RacingTeamNL) April 7, 2018
In the end we did 235 laps without any issues, recorded the 4th fastest time in LMP2 and tried our Le Mans aero kit. All in all, a very productive 2 days.
Next stop: Total 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.#WEC #RacingTeamNL #weare29 #Prologue2018 pic.twitter.com/2ZfUy4HXqM
Perhaps the highest profile entry in the class comes from DragonSpeed who welcome former F1 driver Pastor Maldonado to the team alongside Mexican Roberto Gonzalez and French driver Nathanael Berthon.
The Venezuelan got his first taste of the WEC at the Prologue and – like all his team mates – can’t wait to get started on the Super Season.