For TEAM SARD MORAND, the Prologue of the 2015 World Endurance Championship was marked by a promising first performance on the track of the Circuit Paul Ricard in the South of France.
From Thursday March 26 to Saturday 28, TEAM SARD MORAND experienced a great weekend of emotions and satisfactions in the Prologue of the World Endurance Championship (WEC). Everything started on Thursday evening with the unveiling of the pair of Morgan EVO SARDs entered in the LMP2 class, in the presence of executives from Kairos Technologies and its President Michel Vieira, the team’s new owner, and of the full drivers’ line-up including Christian Klien, Koki Saga, Zoel Amberg (car #39), Pierre Ragues, Oliver Webb and Tristan Vautier (car #43).
On Friday and Saturday time had come for the six of them and the whole team to work together for the first time in the official setting of the WEC. Benoit Morand was up to his ethics and reputation, keeping a good working pace in the pits with his crew, and so did his drivers on the tack. As early as the second session on Friday afternoon, Christian Klien offered TEAM SARD MORAND its first great achievement by topping the time sheets of the LMP2 category.
Christian Klien (driver #39 Morgan EVO SARD): « I think this two days were very productive for us. We had the new aero kit on both cars and we learnt a lot from it, especially on the second day when the wind conditions were better and the car was more stable. We worked a lot to understand the car better, and the lap times showed it was competitive. In the end, I think we have a good package, a good combination of drivers on both cars. Now we are looking forward to go racing. »
Fabrice Roussel (chief engineer #39 Morgan EVO SARD): « These two days of testing were satisfactory for us since our car had no technical problem. The main goal was to keep on understanding how the Morgan EVO SARD reacted to set-up changes instead of being fast, although the car proved performant. We also wanted to understand the 2015 Dunlop tyres and their capability of covering double stints in race, and everything was fine. We also have a pair of very good driving line-ups who share a great deal of information between them. The global feeling is quite good. There’s still a lot to do for Silverstone, but we know the car will be in the right pace there. »
Tristan Vautier (driver #43 Morgan EVO SARD): « We could complete a better work on the second day since it was difficult on Friday because of the very changing wind. On Saturday, we could simulate qualifying runs in the morning and stints in the afternoon. I am very pleased with the balance of the car, which has better downforce with the changes in aerodynamics. I would like to pay tribute to Benoit Morand and all his crew who had a massive work ahead and they did great to get everything ready for this two-day Prologue. I am also very pleased with the involvement of Kairos Technologies, which is a good omen for the team’s future. »
Christophe Boitin (chief engineer #43 Morgan EVO SARD): « The main objective was to undertake aerodynamic testing, because the Morgan underwent some changes in this field. But because of the wind on Friday, we worked on the tyres that day in order to obtain a good balance for the car. The testing regarding aerodynamics were eventually completed during the second day. Everything went fine, but we do not know what our competitors did, so we will see what happens at the 6 Hours of Silverstone in qualifying and race. »
Benoit Morand, a final word by the Team Principal: « Kairos Technologies has just become the owner of the team, and also a precious partner for many years to come. During our first testing of the year at the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain, we realized that the car was different from the one we had in 2014. We scored the best time on Friday afternoon, and got P2 and P3 in the last session on Saturday. The team did well and I think we are competitive. I am very pleased of our combination of drivers’ line-ups, they can win races. »
Press release Team Sard Morand
]]>
