“The competitors of the V de V Endurance Series will not wait until the back-to school period to get back on track! Some enjoyed a well-deserved summer break and others were warming up during training sessions in order to prepare themselves for one of the major events of the season – the return at the magnificent circuit of Jarama, from the 1st to the 3rd of September. The circuit completely disappeared from the schedule since 2010 and it is a pleasure and an honour for us to come back on this completely renovated circuit that offers an extraordinary sporting challenge for LMP3 and CN prototypes, as well as for the GTs and the single-seaters. The Spanish sun will make the celebration even greater and the whole V de V Sports Team awaits you to experience together this moment. The aficionados who cannot come will be able to follow the meeting on our new website, more beautiful, more modern and more attractive –just like the V de V Endurance Series! »
Eric Van de Vyver
4 Hours GT / Tourism / LMP / PFV Endurance
LMP / PFV: Graff is thirsty for victory
Regularity and reliability are the hallmarks of endurance, and the recipe has been perfectly applied so far by Graff team that is at the top of the LMP3 ranking with the Ligier JS P3 entrusted to the trio Trouillet / Gauvin / Deguffroy. The #39 prototype has not yet tasted the joys of victory but counts on the race in Madrid to make un impact. The competitors are numerous : in the Ligier clan there is Inter Europol Competition and their thirst for a new success with the #22 and #33 driven by Smiechowski / Still (respectively 2nd and 3rd in the ranking) and Scheuschner / Elkmann or the #93 that belongs to N’Race and is driven by Fontaine / Decultot / Perroy that got the pole in Dijon, in the end of June. For the occasion, the Francilian team will line up a second car under the banner Racing for Poland by N’Race for the Romecki / Blicharski duo. Three Normas M30 will be looking for their first victory, the #8 and #9 that belong to Duqueine Engineering and are driven by Borga / Enqvist and Legeret/Panciatici as well as the DB Autosport’s #20 driven by Foubert / Wolff / Maulini. Wintec, with the Ligier #7 driven by Neveu / Héry / Denis will try to remain undefeated in Prestige.
In the PFV category we will find the Ginettas G57 with a special focus on the #52 that belong to Simpson Motorsport and is driven by Sanders and Fielding ( two drivers who already won this year and are extremely important to the British manufacturer). The latter, just like in Barcelona and at the Paul Ricard Circuit, will find on its way the Renault R.S. 01 Trophy, a very powerful French prototype of DEMJ team, driven by Sarraich / Mugelli / Crapiz.
GT / Tourisme: Predictions are impossible
Like Graff in LMP3, CMR with Sport Garage, thanks to its permanent presence on the podium since the kick-off, dominates the GTV1 general classification and the Ferrari 458 GT3 # 44 driven by Mouez / Loger is ahead of the Visiom team’s Ferrari 488 GT3 #1 driven by defending champions Pagny / Perrier / Bouvet. Once again, the event will be pretty captivating, because these two models will be opposed to other GTs beautiful and very performing. These include the AB Sport Car’s Lamborghini Huracan GT3 #46, victorious in Portimao with Teneketzian / De Narda, the IMSA Performance’s Porsche 991 GT3 R #76 driven by Narac / Cornac that opened its track record 2017 in Barcelona, or the AB Sport Auto’s Renault RS 01 #11 driven by Van de Vyver / Thybaut, contenders for a place on the podium in the Prestige category. But they will have to be wary of the Solution F’s SF17 V8 Charriol #96, aligned in S1 for Charriol / Ollivier / Pourquie that had a thundering start in Dijon.
4 Hours Proto Endurance: Who is next?
If the beginning of the season turned clearly to the advantage of the TFT’s Norma M20 FC #2 trio, winner in Barcelona and then at Portimao, the trio Vilarino / Ferté / Illiano ended up by having a serious opposition. And it began in their own crew, with Bazaud / Thirion / Caillon, in the TFT’s #6. After being serious contenders for the victory, they won 2nd place in the classification and 1st in Prestige. The DB Autosport’s Norma #22 driven by Delafosse / Vaucher / Accary won in the Var and completed the top three. Will the TFT’s #8 driven by Capillary / Creed / Melnikov be able to win at the circuit of Jarama? Spain seem to agree, since they took pole position in Barcelona. In the Palmyr clan we will mention the ambition of Mondolot, Zollinger and Thuner. They have been in ambush since the kick-off. We should not forget the CD Sport’s #14 driven by Bole-Besançon / Scheier / Taittinger – unlucky and thirsty for revenge! In Prestige, we must also mention the TFT’s #5 (Cimadomo / Rihon / Phillips), the Graff’s #9 (Marroc / Trouillet / Fort), the CD Sport’s #31 (Cochet / Kirchdoerffer / Faure) the Palmyr’s #41 and #42 (Croullet / Rosati and Kubryk / Faggionato), the IF Motorsport’s #49 (Dunn / Wilson), the RC Formula’s #66 (Richard / Papin / Pedraza) an Lamo Racing Car’s #67 (G. and R. Striebig / Raffin). Place your bets !
Sprint CN: Cannard on his last leg?
Unbeaten since the meeting at the circuit Paul-Ricard, Nicolas Cannard (HMC Racing) leaves the classification and makes way for his rival Jean Quelet (AGR Blue Mercury). At the end of the season, after the point calculation, the situation will turn to Jean Quelet’s advantage. He showed, in Spain, during the opening round, how much he enjoys the country. Christophe Girardot and Cédric Gardin, both members of the AGR Bleu Mercure armada, remain nevertheless in ambush. Aurélien Robineau, who expects the victory, will join them for the occasion, as well as Frédéric Fauchère (Wintec) who shone at Portimao. In the F5 category, Renaud Malinconi (Total Cloud) remains, like Cannard, on an impressive winning streak, but Marc-Antoine Dannielou (Défi Auto Solidaires en Peloton) still holds control and spares no pains this summer in order to prepare for the meeting. Alexandre Barbiat (Fun’driver) should also be watched, just like Jennifer Michel (AGR Blue Mercury) who’s at the foot of the provisional overall podium and Israeli Dekel Naar (Lamo Racing Car) who complets the Top 5. With 36 Funyo prototypes on the grid, the show will be amazing !
Single Seater: In the Hériau family …
… I would first like the son, Gilles. Due to his good season start, Formula Motorsport’s spearhead dominates the ranking with a significant lead over Laurents Hörr (Dutt Motorsport). However, Moritz Müller-Crepon (Heuri Rennwagen), thanks to his first success in Bourgogne, is third at the expense of Erwin Creed (Formula Motorsport) and will try to add a new line to his track record. On the other hand, the goal of Diego Bertonelli (TS Corse) is to establish his own track record and Alexis Carmes (Lamo Racing Car) will try to get to the podium for the first time, just like Hugo Carini (Hervé David Racing ). In Gentleman, “Lebreton” (Formula Motorsport) wants to walk in the footsteps of his son Gilles Hériau, but, first, has to take the lead over Pietro Peccenini (TS Corse), very well-prepared for his first race in Jarama. Finally, among the free shooters, there are Thierry Aymard (Lamo Racing Car), Grégory Choukroun (Lamo Racing Car) or Karl Pedraza (RC Formula).
