Racing Staff India gained its bid to change into the primary all-Indian squad to compete on the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a stable debut over the opening two rounds of the Asian Le Mans Collection in Dubai this weekend.
The JK Tyres-backed staff’s ORECA 07 LMP2 automobile, pushed by Narain Karthikeyan, Arjun Maini and Naveen Rao, with technical help from reigning ALMS champions Algarve Professional Racing, completed fifth and fourth within the two four-hour races held on the Dubai Autodrome on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
The staff’s automobile confirmed promising tempo all through the weekend. However its problem was hampered by racing incidents and a penalty.
The staff needed to make an additional precautionary pit-stop in Saturday’s opening race which dropped the automobile down the order.
A five-second time penalty for exceeding the velocity restrict additional set it again, forcing the drivers to claw their manner again as much as fifth, the place they’d certified.
The second race on Sunday acquired off to a promising begin with Maini, who has loads of endurance racing expertise from his European Le Mans outings, setting aggressive lap occasions and even main the race at one stage.
However any hopes of a maiden podium had been dashed after a collision with a slower GT automobile pressured the staff to pit the automobile and perform a nostril change that price useful time.
Two Racing Staff India vehicles in a apply run. (Twitter/@AutocarIndia)
Nonetheless, the 2 races in Dubai supplied an vital studying expertise for the staff, which, on its debut, grew to become the primary outfit with an all-Indian driver line-up to compete on the worldwide endurance stage.
It additionally confirmed the tempo of the general package deal.
With the drivers additionally extra snug within the automobile, the squad is trying to maximise its potential on the closing two races of the ALMS in Abu Dhabi on Friday and Saturday.
Racing Staff India has entered the Asian Le Mans sequence as a part of its bid to change into the primary Indian staff to race on the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The staff that wins the general Asian Le Mans championship will acquire an automated entry on this yr’s 24 Hours of Le Mans
