Hungarian Team Set To Bring Surprise LMP2 Package To ELMS Season Opener
A late addition to the 2023 European Le Mans Series grid for the opening round at Barcelona later this month is set to see an attempt at breaking the current LMP2 monopoly for Oreca in a most unexpected way.
Newly constituted ’14 Racing’ hail from Hungary with only regional GT experience prior to 2023 and will field their #14 car badged and homologated as a Dallara, but with the car featuring a reconfigured Ligier P217 bodykit, adapted to work with the Italian-built chassis, the change signed off by ACO rule makers. who have allowed the car to retain its Dallara homologation for a limited period.
The car, based around an ex High Class Racing chassis but with bodywork from an ex Inter-Europol Ligier has undergone extensive wind-tunnel and track testing over the winter under the team’s ‘Project Liara’ before being inspected by ACO scrutineers prior to the entry being accepted.
“We decided that if we were going to make the move into LMP2 we wanted to do something entirely different,” Team Principal and ex European Rallycross Vice Champion Lirpa Tsrif told DSC on Friday.
“We had observed that whilst the Ligier had good aero performance, its results were often compromised by its gearbox. The Dallara meanwhile was reliable but sometimes aerodynamically inefficient. After some significant CAD work and re-engineering of existing Ligier parts we have a car that really hangs together now.
“We are most grateful to LMEM and the ACO for allowing this project to move forward.”
At present the entry is testing at the ELMS Prologue and round one at Barcelona simply on a race-by-race basis but the team hopes to contest the majority of, if not all, 2023 rounds of the Series.
“We are under no illusions that this is a very steep hill to climb. The level of competition in this class is very strong but we hope to learn in year one before mounting a full-season campaign in 2024.
“The team has obtained two spare Dallara chassis and a significant Ligier spares stock. They are also prepared to build up a second car if customer demand is piqued by good on-track performances.
Drivers are set to be announced at the Prologue but ex Bentley Boy Vincent Abril and Hungarian gentleman driver Bolon Dja are known to have driven at a recent Monza test day in an unidentified Ligier prototype.
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