The Oreca #28 IDEC SPORT passed the chequered flag in third place in the Silverstone 4-Hour Race. With this second podium place of the season, Paul Lafargue, Memo Rojas and Paul-Loup Chatin move to third place overall.
The event before the penultimate date on the 2018 calendar for the European Le Mans Series was a good one for IDEC SPORT, who made it to the podium of the Silverstone 4-Hour Race after a very lively competition.
With a weekend of racing cut to two days, everything went quickly and each session was important. After a first session that was tricky, the team quickly responded in preparing the car, but lost some time making adjustments and preparing the consumption for the race on the demanding Silverstone track. Averaging 201.5 km/h, the 5.891 km circuit in Britain was covered in 1’45’’43. This time meant they lined up in fourth place on the grid. Nicolas Minassian, racing director was pleased with all the work the team accomplished: “The team had a fantastic reaction. They overcame each problem one by one. Even if the qualifier offered us an additional test session, as we needed to test fuel consumption, tyre wear and various adjustments. We worked a lot on our tyre strategy for this race, as there are a lot of right-hand bends, so the left side of the tyres wears quickly and there are lots of bumps. With a limited number of tyres for everyone, we chose a very good strategy, which enabled us to remain consistent throughout the race.”
Paul Lafargue was given the task of starting. He managed to do well from the start of the race and keep out of danger, while others came off the track. After two solid stints, Paul Lafargue handed the wheel to Memo Rojas in seventh place. The 2017 ELMS champion also had a good stint with some excellent times. Paul-loup Chatin took over the Oreca #28 in sixth position. The driver who got the two pole positions finished his two stints in second place and left Paul finish the race to pass the chequered flag in third place.
“Our 3 drivers drove like stars. They work well together and complement each other. I’m proud of everyone. When the race got going, we saw the team work their way up. We had a fast and consistent car and the pit stops went well, so we managed to grab third place thanks to a good all-round performance,” explained Nicolas Minassian. “The ELMS is a short championship and you need to finish all the races. You have to aim for the podium, or higher. We are up for it and are now one of the best, but we are still learning.”
While G-drive seems unbeatable in the championship, IDEC SPORT is now in third place overall with a total of 50 points. With two ELMS races left to go in 2018, the aim is to finish in second place in the championship.
The next ELMS race will take place in Spa-francorchamps in Belgium on 23rd September. Before that, IDEC SPORT will be competing in the Barcelona 24-Hour Race (8th and 9th September) in the framework of the 24H Series.
