FIA WEC: TDS Racing returns to the "super season" with Loïc Duval

French Team TDS Racing will return to the FIA WEC in the upcoming super season with a full French line-up, lead by Loïc Duval who returns to the FIA WEC paddock since Audi's departure at the end of 2016.  The LMP2 class for next season is starting to take shape now with confirmation of the first two teams and more expected in the upcoming weeks. 

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In their second season in the FIA World Endurance Championship, Xavier Combet and Jacques Morello's team will be joined by Loïc Duval.  The Frenchman replaces Emmanuel Collard who has been racing with François Perrodo in the past years.  Duval shortly returned to the FIA WEC at Bahrain this year, where he raced alongside Roman Rusinov and Léo Roussel in the G-Drive Oreca.

After his first year in prototype racing, François Perrodo has shown improvement race after race and is very motivated to build on his 2017 LMP2 experience. Matthieu Vaxivière, who showed some quality racing last season, is now eager to carry on his experience of the WEC and hopes to score some strong results. The third member of TDS Racing will be French driver Loïc Duval. Winner of the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans and WEC Champion that same year, Loïc has a strong and valuable endurance racing experience (most notably on the Peugeot 908 HDi and the Audi R18), and will be team captain and an example to follow for François and Matthieu.

So far there is no word or confirmation about TDS Racing running a second car again for Roman Rusinov and G-Drive Racing as they did this season.

Xavier Combet, Team Manager: “During our 2017 WEC season, François and Matthieu have shown continuous improvements in LMP2 racing, they have consolidated their driving skills and race craft in what has proved to be an extremely competitive environment. Building on this experience, we have decided to go on and to take a new step by entering an LMP2 car in the 2018/2019 WEC Super Season. Teamed with Loïc Duval, who has a very strong experience in endurance, this second WEC season for us promises to be very exciting. We can’t wait to get back on the World Endurance Championship circuits, and challenge the other LMP2 teams and drivers.”

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François Perrodo: “The 2017 season was very exciting, but to be honest, it was also difficult. I not only discovered prototype driving but also a very strong competition, the challenge was huge and definitely up to my expectations. At the end of the season, I considered seriously ELMS or even a return to GT racing, but after the ACO decisions regarding the new WEC and considering the pleasure I’ve had driving these wonderful cars, I decided to stay in WEC for another season. And what a season we will have! To race twice the Le Mans 24 Hours and discover Sebring in just over a year’s time is the stuff of dream for a gentleman driver. In addition, I will have Matthieu and Loïc on my side. Not only Matthieu is a very fast driver, but he is also one of my best friends. Loïc has a solid endurance racing experience; he is a great race driver who shares our values: cohesion and team spirit which to us, are the keys to pleasure and competitiveness. My objective is clear: Improve my LMP2 racing skills, have fun, and hopefully score a few podiums.”

Matthieu Vaxivière: “I have known François since we started motorsports and we experienced some great moments together, including two WEC seasons. It will be a pleasure and an honour to share this new project together as well as with Loïc and TDS Racing. The Super Season promises to be a milestone in the history of motorsports, and I will do all I can to achieve good results. I can’t wait to work and learn from Loïc’s experience, and I already feel that this human adventure will be very special.”

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Loïc Duval: “I am very happy to come back to the WEC and the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside my Audi program, and more over I am very excited about the environment in which I will compete. TDS Racing is a very professional race team, but with strong family values, not only is this season going to be great fun, I am looking forward to help Francois improve and be Matthieu’s wing man. I would like to thank both of them for this great opportunity. I can’t wait to race in the LMP2 category which has shown some classic fights last season.”

Kristof Vermeulen.

Pictures: JellyBaby.Media

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.