With the 84th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans only weeks away, a total of 60 LMP1, LMP2, GTE Pro, and GTE Am took to the 13.6 km Circuit de 24 Heures track last 5th of June for the very first test day. This included debutants LeSports by Eurasia Motorsport with their No. 33 ORECA 05 Nissan.
The Philippine-based team, which is proudly flying the Philippine flag for Asian motorsport, is represented by Chinese driver Kevin Pu Jun Jin, Frenchman Tristan Gommendy, and Dutchman Nick de Bruijn.
With 23 entries in the LMP2 category, the weekend’s official test was Eurasia’s first opportunity to gauge their outright speed against the competition. Pu Jun Jin and de Bruijn quickly adapted to the circuit on their maiden outing and set respectable times. But it was Gommendy, who clocked in a 3:36.690 best lap, that put Eurasia on the top of the LMP2 timesheet and 10th overall.
Eurasia managed to log 74 valuable laps in total during the 8-hour practice session. But if they want a shot at the podium, they need to last 4x longer and go up to 5x farther.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place later this month on 18th to 19th of June.
Mark Goddard, LeSports by Eurasia Motorsport Team Principal: “To debut at Circuit de la Sarthe and achieve P1 in the official 24 Hours of Le Mans test is extremely satisfying and I am immensely proud of the team’s achievement. It’s a very professional outfit and everybody did an incredible job. Tristan Gommendy’s lap was excellent, but we appreciate that this is only a test.”
[Photo courtesy of ORECA by V-Images.com]
