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Le Mans / ALMS
LE MANS: Signatech, Lotus Double Up For Spa
LMP2 squads expand presence in FIA World Endurance Championship, ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans...
Lotus will expand to a two-car LMP2 effort for next month's Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. (Photo: John Dagys)
The LMP2 category has received a significant boost for next month's Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, with both Signatech Nissan and Lotus adding second entries ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The defending Intercontinental Le Mans Cup class champions will enter a second Oreca 03 Nissan for Pierre Ragues, Nelson Panciatici and Roman Rusinov, joining Signatech's season-long No. 23 entry of Olivier Lombard, Franck Mailleux and Nissan GT Academy winner Jordan Tresson, which suffered a race-ending crash in the FIA WEC season-opener at Sebring in March.
"We have [scheduled] two sets of tests next week, which will allow us to work on fuel consumption, aerodynamics and the tires," team principal Philippe Sinault explained. "We have nine less hours [of] running [time] than the cars that went to the end of the 12 Hours of Sebring, further to our retirement. We have to catch up on the lost time, and to adapt our setup to the very fast Belgian circuit, so that we can be at the front."
While both of Signatech's Oreca-Nissans have guaranteed entries to Le Mans, the Lotus Kodewa outfit heads to Spa with only one of its Lotus-badged Lola B12/80s confirmed for the twice-around-the-clock enduro.
Nonetheless, the Colin Kolles-run squad will also expand to a two-car effort, with James Rossiter and Kevin Weeda leading the lineup for Spa in the No. 32 entry. Lotus' season-long No. 31 car, meanwhile, retains its Sebring driver lineup of Thomas Holzer, Mirco Shultis and Luca Moro.
For Rossiter, who drove for the Lotus-backed Jetalliance squad in GTE-Pro last year, the Briton's new opportunity marks his return to the LMP2 ranks for the first time since 2008, when he scored overall victory in the American Le Mans Series race at Detroit for Andretti Green Racing.
"It is great for my career to be back racing in LMP2 class," Rossiter said. "Representing the legendary Lotus colors means a lot to me and I hope that we will have good results. I would especially like to thank Kevin Weeda for making this opportunity a reality.”
With Dyson Racing's withdrawal, the No. 32 Lotus Lola currently sits as the first, and only, remaining prototype reserve for Le Mans.
Sixteen LMP2 cars, including three season-long European Le Mans Series cars, are expected for the May 3-5 race, the final warmup prior to the 24-hour French classic.
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
The defending Intercontinental Le Mans Cup class champions will enter a second Oreca 03 Nissan for Pierre Ragues, Nelson Panciatici and Roman Rusinov, joining Signatech's season-long No. 23 entry of Olivier Lombard, Franck Mailleux and Nissan GT Academy winner Jordan Tresson, which suffered a race-ending crash in the FIA WEC season-opener at Sebring in March.
"We have [scheduled] two sets of tests next week, which will allow us to work on fuel consumption, aerodynamics and the tires," team principal Philippe Sinault explained. "We have nine less hours [of] running [time] than the cars that went to the end of the 12 Hours of Sebring, further to our retirement. We have to catch up on the lost time, and to adapt our setup to the very fast Belgian circuit, so that we can be at the front."
While both of Signatech's Oreca-Nissans have guaranteed entries to Le Mans, the Lotus Kodewa outfit heads to Spa with only one of its Lotus-badged Lola B12/80s confirmed for the twice-around-the-clock enduro.
Nonetheless, the Colin Kolles-run squad will also expand to a two-car effort, with James Rossiter and Kevin Weeda leading the lineup for Spa in the No. 32 entry. Lotus' season-long No. 31 car, meanwhile, retains its Sebring driver lineup of Thomas Holzer, Mirco Shultis and Luca Moro.
For Rossiter, who drove for the Lotus-backed Jetalliance squad in GTE-Pro last year, the Briton's new opportunity marks his return to the LMP2 ranks for the first time since 2008, when he scored overall victory in the American Le Mans Series race at Detroit for Andretti Green Racing.
"It is great for my career to be back racing in LMP2 class," Rossiter said. "Representing the legendary Lotus colors means a lot to me and I hope that we will have good results. I would especially like to thank Kevin Weeda for making this opportunity a reality.”
With Dyson Racing's withdrawal, the No. 32 Lotus Lola currently sits as the first, and only, remaining prototype reserve for Le Mans.
Sixteen LMP2 cars, including three season-long European Le Mans Series cars, are expected for the May 3-5 race, the final warmup prior to the 24-hour French classic.
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
FIA WEC Six Hours of Spa
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