Le Mans 24 2022 about to kick off loud and proud again
Thursday, June 02, 2022
A welcomed return to ‘normality’ begins tomorrow as the preliminary events of the 90th Edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans get underway in the town of Le Mans with the pre-event scrutineering or Le Pesage taking place in front of an expected large crowd.
With COVID-19 forcing the running of the event behind closed doors in 2020 and then with a restricted crowd and access last year, this anniversary year for the prestigious event also sees the return of full public access to all the planned events in and around the circuit and local area.
We have known for some weeks now the provisional entry list for this event and third round of the World Endurance Championship with just the three full WEC season Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GTEs from the TF Sport, D’Station Racing and Northwest Racing teams.
All of the cars and many of the team’s personnel have already been at the circuit since last weekend, building up their garages and getting their cars ready for their allotted session in scrutineering which takes place this weekend over both Friday and Saturday – all in good time for Sunday’s Test Day.
Whilst not expecting any changes to the named drivers within each Aston Martin, we have had it suggested that there may be a slight livery change to one of them to mark the occasion – not confirmed so far by the team though!
The entry list for Sunday’s Test Day has just been released and that confirms that Ben Keating, Henrique Chaves and Marco Sorenson will be there aboard their #33 TF Sport prepared car; Satoshi Hoshino, Tomonobu Fujii and Charlie Fagg aboard the #777 D’Station Racing with TF Sport prepared car and Paul Dalla Lana, David Pittard and Nicki Thiim there in their #98 car as was the case last time out in the WEC at Spa Francorchamps.
Debut events of course for Fagg, Chaves and Pittard, so all will need to make the minimum requirement during the two test day sessions and night laps during next weeks practice sessions to qualify to race.
Again, with the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Series holding their 1000km of Paul Ricard this weekend, that makes for another late-night dash across France on Saturday night/Sunday morning for many of the AMR crew personnel as well as for Thiim and Sorenson, both of whom will miss their cars respective slot, phot sessions and interviews in the Place de La Republique. Although racing with Beechdean AMR in southern France, many of that crew is made up of staff who also double up for other AMR Partner team duties elsewhere.
The #98 Northwest AMR car is due in the town ready for their 15:45hrs slot of Friday whilst the two #33 and #777 TF Sport prepared cars will be there for their 09:30 slot on Saturday morning.
