Epic GTE race in prospect in the ELMS tomorrow

With both Free Practice and Qualifying sessions now over, all eyes move swiftly over to tomorrows race and the start of the fours hours of Le Castellet from the Paul Ricard circuit in southern France.

Marking itself as the start of the second half of the 2017 European Le Mans Series season, Aston Martin Racing runners TF Sport and Beechdean AMR will both be looking to do better than what they achieved last time out at the Red Bull Ring, Austria and indeed it appears that tomorrows race will require an equally determined race from the crews of both the #90 and #99 V8 Vantage GTE's to have any chance of adding to their respective seasons points haul.


As we all know, positions within the Free Practice timing charts mean for nothing more than pride as points are only awarded for both class pole position and at the end of the four hours of racing. By the end of this afternoon's ten minute Qualifying period both AMR's were unfortunately left at the foot of the timing chart starting fifth and sixth respectively for the #90 and #99 with a deficit of nearly one second to the pole taking Spirit of Race Ferrari.

Presumably continuing with a BoP that doesn't allow the mighty V8 to shine to its maximum potential (like what happened in Austria), it will again be down to strategy and driving consistency to overcome the speed differential being shown up again between the AMR's and the prevalent Ferrari 488's in Qualifying.


As with any race and like TF Sport demonstrated at the Red Bull Ring, a race isn't over until its over as they sneaked a podium finish late on into that race so both AMR's will be hoping for more of the same for themselves.


On a balance of probability however, it will most likely be the #90 TF Sport car of Salih Yoluc, Euan Hankey and Nicki Thiim who prosper the most out of the two cars purely on the basis of track knowledge with Yoluc and Hankey each already having raced at the circuit this year in the Blancpain GT Series. For Ross Gunn in the Beechdean car, this is his first racing experience of the circuit as he continues up upon his learning curve in the GTE powerhouse alongside team boss Andrew Howard and AMR works driver Darren Turner.

The start of the race begins at 12.00hrs local Sunday.

Let the battle begin!!

Photo credits - Jacob Ebrey / TF Sport