Silverstone : Double podium for the ORECA 03
Consistently in the lead at the 3 Hours of Silverstone and in prime position to take victory before a safety car period, the ORECA 03 took a double podium finish in a shortened first round of the ELMS. Race Performance (Frey/Niederhauser) finished second while Thiriet by TDS Racing (Thiriet/Hirschi) come home third. Behind the Alpine, built and developed by ORECA, Boutsen Ginion Racing (Briere/Dagoneau/Hartshorne) took fifth place in the LM P2 class. Authors of the fastest lap of the race, Murphy Prototypes (Hartley/Patterson) led during the first hour of the race before being held up by a off track incident.
Reactions.
Michel Frey (Race Performance, ORECA 03-Judd #34), 2nd LM P2 : « This result is a good reward for the entire team who worked very hard since the Official Test by rebuilding the car. It’s also a good performance from Patric (Niederhauser), our young driver who is discovering endurance racing. He had very good laptimes. He’s discovering the discipline’s philosophy and he played a big part in obtaining the podium. Our strategy was good for this race, which was very difficult. The rain was coming down hard and we had to stay concentrated. We are very happy with the ORECA 03, which we understand now even better than last year. We were competitive in qualifying, even though the competition is at a high level and the gaps are very small. We are happy and confident for the future. »
Xavier Combet (Team Manager Thiriet by TDS Racing, ORECA 03-Nissan #1), 3rd LM P2 : « This race was full of ups and downs. I’m very pleased with our drivers’ performances, notably that of Jonathan (Hirschi) who showed strength under these conditions. And I have no doubts that Pierre (Thiriet) would have shown his qualities at the end of the race. Because of the conditions, I understand the decision to show the red flag. Nonetheless I’m disappointed for the team who just misses out on a well deserved victory. We are competitors and we wanted to fight for the win. The ORECA 03 was again competitive, balanced and stable. The car reassured our drivers, which was so important with this weather. The end result is positive : the drivers and team did what needed to be done. It’s up to us to continue with this momentum to win the next races. »
Race action.
With cars on a wet track but slick tyres, the start of the race was animated. After the first lap, Murphy Prototypes, starting from the front row, and Boutsen Ginion Racing make the decision to change tyres, while Thiriet by TDS Racing and Race Performant stay out in third and fourth positions. The race is neutralised for 10 minutes after an incident and the running order is again shuffled when the green flag waves. With Brendon Hartley at the controls, the Murphy Prototypes ORECA 03 is the fastest car on track : the New Zealander catches the leader and takes the lead shortly before the half-hour mark. The No. 18 widens the gap but the driver makes an error a quarter of an hour later, spending three laps in a gravel pit. Meanwhile, Thiriet by TDS’s Jonathan Hirschi and Race Performance’s Patric Niederhauser fight for position.
Avoiding trouble these two ORECA 03 entries find themselves in first and second positions at the beginning of the second hour. The No. 1 continues while Michel Frey gets in the No. 34, rejoining the action in third place. The halfway point of the race is reached shortly after the safety car’s reappearance with conditions degrading and the off-track excursions multiplying. Thiriet by TDS Racing pits for the last time during this caution, but the defending champions would get the chance to fight for the win : the red flag is shown with 40 minutes remaining in the 3 Hours of Silverstone and the race would be stopped for good. Race Performance comes home a convincing 2nd position with duo Niederhauser/Frey, while Thiriet by TDS Racing finishes 3rd with Thiriet/Hirschi. Boutsen Ginion Racing also finish in the top 5 in class, and Murphy Prototypes ends the day 7th after being a big part of the early race action.