ELMS: G-Drive to race with the "Aurus 01" in 2019

G-Drive Racing announced a new cooperation with Russian car manufacturer Aurus for the upcoming season in ELMS, WEC and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  The team will field an Aurus 01 prototype as from the 4 Hours of Le Castellet at the first race of the 2019 European Le Mans Series. 

Aurus made its international debut at the last Geneva International Motorshow where it presented its Senat limousine. The Aurus Senat limousine is in fact the benchmark of Russian technology, and announces the arrival of new luxury car manufacturer on the international automotive markets.

As with the ‘Alpine’ chassis the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) has agreed the addition of a ‘new’ LMP2 chassis by adding an additional VIN plate to the G-Drive Oreca 07 chassis (in the same way Alpine has run Oreca/Alpine) so that Aurus will now also enter the European and worldwide endurance races. In the upcoming race season of the 2019 year, the Russian team G-Drive Racing will perform on the prototype Aurus 01. 

G‐Drive Racing was FIA WEC World Champion in 2015 and has collected all the European championship titles since 2016. In 2019, the team will defend its title running the LMP2 Aurus 01 in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the ELMS season as well as some WEC races. Roman Rusinov, Jean-Eric Vergne and Job van Uitert will on driving duties in 2019. 

Roman Rusinov, racer and sports manager of G-Drive Racing: "The start of the cooperation between G-Drive Racing and the new Russian automobile brand Aurus is a landmark event. After its premiere at the recent Geneva motor show,  Aurus now goes racing around the world. We are excited to represent this domestic brand in the international autosport world. The G-Drive Racing Team, having won four consecutive championship titles, has already entered history as the most successful team in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the European Le Mans series. I am sure that we will become even stronger with the Aurus 01 prototype. 

ELMS: Job Van Uitert joins G-Drive in the ELMS and at Le Mans

Job van Uitert has seized one of the most coveted seats in endurance racing for the coming season as the reigning European Le Mans Series LMP3 champion has signed for G-drive Racing. Van Uitert joins Jean-Eric Vergne and Roman Rusinov for both the European Le Mans Series and the 24 hours of Le Mans, meaning that a long-held dream will come true for the 20-year-old Dutchman.

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Van Uitert made his sportscar debut in 2018 and proved impressive as he powered his way to the European Le Mans Series LMP3 crown as well as the series’ Rookie of the Year award. Those  successes opened the door for a test with reigning LMP2 champions G-Drive Racing. That open audition was successful and had led to Van Uitert joining former Formula 1 driver Jean-Eric Vergne and team owner Roman Rusinov in the black-and-orange G-Drive Racing Oreca.

“This is a dream come true, that much is clear”, says Van Uitert after signing with the team. “G-Drive has won the European Le Mans Series three times now as well as taking the FIA WEC crown once. On top of that they are the benchmark at Le Mans so this is without doubt the best place for me to continue my career, a place where I will race for victories.” Van Uitert knows that, because of this, all eyes will be trained on the #26 Oreca 07. “With Jean-Eric and Roman, the team has a super-solid basis and I will do everything I can to add to that and be successful.”

Team owner and lead driver Roman Rusinov is delighted with the signing of his new teammate: “Job has already impressed us with his speed and approach to work during the tests. I am sure he will surprise many this year, and our line-up for 2019 will feature be an excellent combination of both experience and youth in our drivers..”

Van Uitert will race with G-Drive in all six races of the European Le Mans Series, the FIA WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. An event much bigger than just a race, knows Van Uitert. “Le Mans is the biggest race in the world and besides our hunt for a fourth ELMS-title for the team, Le Mans is firmly in our cross-hairs. That I can make my debut in this race, with this team, in a such a competitive car is, as said, a dream come true.”

G-Drive Racing enters FIA WEC with Oreca 07 and TDS Racing

Russian team G-Drive Racing will continue its efforts in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year. G-Drive will race a new Gibson powered Oreca07, with a new technical partner and a new driver line-up. 

After a succesful collaboration with Jota Sport in the FIA WEC and ELMS last season, G-Drive now teams up with French team TDS Racing.  In 2017, G-Drive Racing, with the support of Gazprom oil, will take part in all nine stages of theFIA WEC, including the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.  In the upcoming season, G-Drive Racing will race the all new Oreca 07 prototype with the Gibson V8 engine.

Behind the wheel of the car under the number 26, Roman Rusinov will be joined by Frenchman Pierre Thiriet, who steps up to the FIA WEC after a few very succesfull seasons in the European Le Mans Series with several wins and the overall title in 2012.  The name of the third driver will be announced later. The team is currently in negotiation with several drives with experience in Formula 1. 

2017 will be a jubilee season for G-Drive Racing, their fifth in the FIA World Endurance Championship. In the past 4 years, they won 15 races, a record in the LMP2 class. They took the LMP2 championship on 2015 and scored a winning streak of 3 races at the end of last season. 

Quotes: 

Roman Rusinov, G-Drive Racing driver: "We are ready for a great new season in the FIA WEC. Putting everything together for this season wasn't easy though, as the change of technical regulations required us to search for a new car and technical team. We have been working on this for the past six months, and have opted for the new Oreca model. We believe that this car will be the fastest on the grid and are looking forward to the start of the seaso. Our goal: only victory. "

Alexander Krylov, Gazprom oil Director of Regional Sales, Project Manager-Drive Racing: "The new technical regulations are intriguing. The new engines are more powerful, and the speed of LMP2's are getting closer to the LMP1's. And most importantly, the company can test the G-Drive fuel on the most advanced technology. We have already started testing in the off-season tests and will continue to do so during the races. We are constantly improving the motor characteristics of G-Drive fuel, and consumers know that this is the most powerful fuel both on the racetrack and on the streets of Russian cities. "

Kristof Vermeulen.