ELMS Grand Finale: Wednesday Paddock Notes

Rinaldi returns

After being disqualified from the race meeting at Spa-Francorchamps last time out before the race because Torsten Kratz, the team’s Bronze driver, “did not participate in free practice or qualifying as required by the 2023 ELMS Sporting Regulations”, WTM By Rinaldi is back in action this weekend.

Kratz, Oscar Tunjo and Leonard Weiss are listed to drive the team’s LMP3 class Duqueine.

Radicals on site

This weekend at Portimao the support bill includes the Radical World finals in addition to the Le Mans Cup and Ligier European Series.

The week-long competition is considered the crescendo to the twelve Radical Cup series around the world, and features drivers and teams from five continents and twelve nations.

Road Atlanta drivers and teams

There are a number of drivers and teams that have arrived in Portugal fresh from competing at Road Atlanta last weekend in the IMSA season finale.

In the ELMS driver ranks, Neel Jani, Paul Loup Chatin, Francois Perrodo, Matthieu Vaxiviere, Julian Andlauer, Kyffin Simpson, Ryan Hardwick, Zach Robichon, Louis Deletraz, Jack Hawksworth, Ben Barnicoat, Daniel Serra, and Tijmen van der Helm all raced in the US.

Meanwhile, in the Le Mans Cup, Anders Fjordbach, Matt Bell and Wayne Boyd are all doing the back-to-back.

As for the teams, in the ELMS, Proton Competition, Algarve Pro Racing, AF Corse and Iron Lynx are all present, while High Class Racing is competing in the Le Mans Cup GT3 class.

Bruni out, Viscaal in

The has been a late driver change in LMP2, with Bent Viscaal replacing Gianmaria “Gimmi” Bruni in the #99 Proton Competition ORECA 07.

The team told DSC that Gimi felt a little unwell after the podium finish at Petit Le Mans and after a punishing schedule that has encompassed WEC, IMSA and ELMS, in both Hypercar and LMP2, the decision was taken for him to rest ahead of the WEC finale at Bahrain.

99 Racing ORECA on track

The Morning Collective test saw a 43rd car on track, albeit briefly, running as #96. The car is a fully-liveried ORECA 07 Gibson, with Louis Deletraz at the wheel. It is the 99 Racing car destined for the 2023/24 Asian Le Mans Series season.

A planned five-lap shakedown of the car was curtailed after a single lap by a problem with the car’s floor.

Nielsen Racing’s new ORECA

Another team with a new car on site this weekend is Nielsen Racing. The team, which is looking to expand its LMP2 effort in the ELMS to two cars in 2024, is believed to have acquired the chassis from GRAFF.