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Silverstone 1000km & Round 1 Intercontinental Le Mans Challenge Preview

For only the third time this season we are expecting another LMP1 diesel battle between Peugeot and Audi. With Peaugeot out for revenge after their Le Mans loss. The Silverstone race will be two race in one, the final round of the Le Mans Series and the opening round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Challenge (ILMC), which will visit both the US and China later in the year. Audi will run two of their R15 TDI cars under the Audi Sport Team Joest banner – the lead car for record Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish, with a second car for Dindo Capello and Timo Bernhard, the German part of the line-up that won at Le Mans this year. Peugeot have only entered one Peugeot 908 HDI FAP to be driven by Anthony Davidson and Nicolas Minassian. However the Oreca 908 will also run. The ORECA Peugeot is currently leading the Le Mans Series with a two point lead over Signature Plus Lola and the Joest Audi squad only a three points further behind can easily claim the title at Silverstone. In the LMS manufacturers’ title Peugeot are two points behind the Lolas of Rebellion Racing, but with the works 908 added to the effort it seems likely they will turn deficit into advantage by the end of the race. Stephane Sarrazin, who will share the ORECA entry with Nicolas Lapierre is all by assured of the LMP1 drivers’ title. The LMP1 class will see its largest entry with the return of the works Lola-Aston Martins, two running alongside the privateer Signature Plus car. Another works effort will be the Team LNT Ginetta-Zytek, due to be shared between Johnny Mowlem, Tony Burgess and Chris McMurray – the latter two teammates at Autocon in America. Nigel Mansell is due back in the cockpit of the Beechdean-Mansell Ginetta for the first time since his Le Mans crash and one race on from Mansell sons Leo and Greg scoring the team’s first class win. Plus the beautiful Drayson Racing Lola-Judd which has been going from strength to strength, and is the only ALMS series regular to have made the trip over. Whilst LMGT2 is sure to once again sure to produce some great racing, regrettably none of the ALMS regular teams have made the trip over. The Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche of Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz all but assured of the class titles, holding 15 point lead in both the teams’ and drivers’ title. The field will see a total of 5 Ferrari F430 GTs from AF Corse and CRS Racing and thee Hankook tyres development car, drivers to include Alesi, Fischella and Bruni and Villander from ALMS. The rest of the field is made up of a host of mouth watering marques - BMW, Spyker, Aston Martin and a Lamborghini LP560 entered by UAE team Gulf Team First carrying the number 99 for the race with drivers Fabien Giroix and Roald Goethe. The LMGT1 class makes it curtain call with only two Saleen S7s– Larbre Competition Saleen S7 and a second Saleen of Austrian team Atlas eFX-Team FS. In LMP2 RML have a firm hold on the title, with a 13 point lead over Hungaroring overall winners Strakka Racing whose car will be well suited to Silverstone. Oak Racing have entered two Pescarlo Judd’s joined by Racing Box’s two Lola B09s and Race Performance will be back in their Radical however it is a great shame the Highcroft Racing Acura wont be present Formula Le Mans will be represented with 6 entries. Qualifying for the race starts at 1:10pm on Saturday 11 September, the race starting at noon on Sunday. Full live commentary will be available online and at the track by the Radio Le Mans team.