SMP Racing to introduce its own LMP2 chassis

In no time at all SMP Racing has established itself as a top class team.  Crowned as GTC champions in the European LeMans Series last year, the team has just done it again and now added the GTE title to its CV…plus two invitations to the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans!  And, in the FIA WEC, in just over a week SMP Racing will be doing everything it can to keep the lead of the LMP2 category in which Sergey Zlobin has an 8 points advance over his nearest rivals.

Since its inception,SMP Racing has brought in the right people to lead its various programmes, combining youth and experience in the pits as well as on track.  On the experienced side, these included Minassian, Mediani, Salo and Bertolini and the competition sat up and took notice. The next step involves the arrival of a Russian LMP2 chassis for 2015; it’s not yet certain in which championship but the idea is to continue in the FIA WEC.

"The BR01, which will begincompeting next season, will be presented very soon," says SMP founder, Boris Rotenberg. "It has been designed by Paolo Catone [designer of the Peugeot 908], and will be built by BR Engineering.  From early on, we have wanted to produce our own car.  While the team has been based until now in Italy, we will now be based in thesouth of France, near Luc."

"The goalis to grow and move the team forward over time," says the team boss and SMP Racing ELMS driver. "The first stage is the LMP2, but that’s not to say we won’t step up to LMP1 in the longer term. For the moment, we are fully focused on the development of the BR01, and its first laps are scheduled for December.  There is still a lot of work to do with various partners. The car is designed to appeal to gentlemen drivers, bearing in the mind that the LMP2 category is the playground of such drivers who must feel comfortable in the cockpit."

Boris Rotenberg also confirmed that the GTE program won’t be set aside. "There is no question that SMP Racing will end its involvement in GT.  We are coming off a great season with two titles in the ELMS; again, the programmes [for 2015] will be announced shortly."

With thanks to Laurent Mercier, Endurance-Info

Translation by Fiona Miller