Currently equal second in the overall rankings, the Oreca #28 IDEC SPORT will have to do well this weekend at the Portimao 4-Hour Race in Portugal at the ultimate ELMS meeting of the season.
Finishing second in the European Le Mans Series is the goal for IDEC SPORT before the sixth and final meeting of the 2018 calendar at the hilly track in Portimao. On 56 points, the Oreca #28 is in second place in the overall rankings, on equal points with Racing Engineering. As in Spa, Paul-Loup Chatin and Memo Rojas will be joined by Gabriel Aubry, replacing Paul Lafargue, who is still unavailable. The three IDEC SPORT members will have to find the right pace to race in the middle of the pack of 39 cars and try to beat the 14 other LMP2s.
Nicolas Minassian, head of racing, confirms that it could all be down to overtaking “We have reached a point when we can make the most of al the positive elements of the season and there are more and more of them. We’re trying to avoid making mistakes and ensuring everything comes naturally. The standard is very high in this championship. We’re ready for it, but it will all be down to the details. You have to keep at it learning things to remain at this level. Our drivers are well prepared, but on this track, dealing with the other cars isn’t easy. It is better to get away at the front and so the qualifier is very important. We want to be up there with the frontrunners. We’re setting off aiming for second place. We’re raring to go to get to the podium, and maybe even win this final race of the season. We’re going to have to get the drivers feeling at ease, so they can get the most out of the car. Gabriel (Aubry) drove a fortnight ago in the WEC and we’re fully confident in him. We know he will do a good job. As with Paul (Lafargue), it is an advantage to have a good silver driver in the team.”
The schedule for this meeting at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve includes 90 minutes of trials on Friday to allow everyone to settle in and get the car set up right. A second ninety minute session is scheduled for Saturday, before the challenging 10-minute qualifier. Paul-Loup Chatin will be hoping to get pole position for the fourth time this season on the 4.684 km track in Portugal.
The race starts on Sunday 28th October at 12.30. Gabriel Aubry, Paul-Loup Chatin and Memo Rojas will then have four hours to try to grab second place in the 2018 European Le Mans Series.
Don’t miss anything at this event by keeping an eye on the team’s social networks: Facebook: IDEC SPORT Racing, Twitter: @IDECSportRacing and Instagram: idecsport_racing_officiel17
