DragonSpeed travels to the picturesque Red Bull Ring this weekend, for the third round of the 2017 European Le Mans Series season, aiming to extend its championship lead with its G-Drive Racing by DragonSpeed ORECA, and close the gap with the 10Star DragonSpeed, entry racing in the highly competitive 13-car LMP2 class.
As it stands, the G-Drive-branded number 22 ORECA 07 Gibson sits first in the title race with 43 points, 10 points clear of the competition, after finishing second at the Silverstone opener and on the top step of the podium at Monza. For the weekend in Spielberg, full-season drivers Memo Rojas and Léo Roussel will be joined by DragonSpeed sporting director and reserve driver Nic Minassian, who is standing in for Super GT-bound Ryo Hirakawa for the four-hour race.
Meanwhile, DragonSpeed’s 10Star LMP2 entry – piloted by Ben Hanley, Henrik Hedman and Nicolas Lapierre – is fourth in the title race, after finishing second in the team’s 1-2 finish at Monza. The trio have scored 20 points, and will be looking to climb the standings with a successful outing at Red Bull Ring. If not for a failed gear actuator at Silverstone, the number 21 car would already be in the thick of the points battle.
The Red Bull Ring is a 4.3-km undulating circuit, famous for its stunning mountainous backdrop, tight sections and high average speed. Opened in 1969 and originally called the Österreichring, it has hosted multiple world-class motorsport events and has featured on the European Le Mans Series calendar annually in recent years.
“This weekend’s race will be a real challenge for us,” Minassian, driver of the number 22 this weekend, said. “I can’t wait to get back in a prototype and race this weekend, helping Leo and Memo in their title challenge. The Red Bull Ring is a surprisingly tough circuit for drivers, as it’s so narrow and short that passing cars in the other classes will require a lot of patience and skill.”
“We’re really looking forward to this weekend, after our 1-2 finish at Monza, the entire team is raring to go, hoping to find further success on our second ELMS visit to Austria,” added team principal Elton Julian. “Both our ORECAs are capable of winning this weekend. The character of the circuit should suit the 07 well due to its high and medium-speed corners, as well as the narrow sections which favour nimbler cars.”
Sunday’s 4 Hours of Red Bull Ring is set to begin at 13:00 local time in Austria.
