KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) successfully rounded off FIA World Endurance Championship’s official pre season test at Circuit Paul Ricard over the weekend. The Chinese LMP2 team completed 146 laps over the course of two days with Richard Bradley, Matt Howson and Tsugio Matsuda sharing the Nissan-powered Oreca 03.
The first day of The Prologue saw the team conclude the morning and afternoon sessions in 4th position. Bradley was first to drive the LMP2 and was setting quick lap times before handing the car over to Matsuda. The Japanese driver went on to put 12 laps under his belt before Howson took over the car. The team completed the morning test with 34 laps.
The team was set to log more mileage during the afternoon session but a technical issue required the car to retire back to the pit after 27 laps. Due to this glitch, the team decided not to participate in the two-hour test session that evening.
True to form, the team made a strong comeback the following day. KCMG’s #47 Oreca 03 – Nissan set the pace prior the first hour mark in Day 2’s morning session, and finished in 4th position after covering 48 laps.
The final session of The Prologue saw Howson top the timesheets, with the team clocking up 37 laps at the end of the last four-hour run at Paul Ricard. Bradley and Matsuda also delivered quick lap times, with the three drivers within just a tenth of a second of each other.
Richard Bradley, KCMG WEC Driver: “It was a very productive test for us and we achieved all our primary objectives going into the test while showing good performance. Tsugio, Matt and I worked very well as a unit and I think we are as well prepared as we could be to fight for the win at Silverstone.”
Matt Howson, KCMG WEC Driver: “The Prologue was a shakedown for the team and car as both are brand new for 2014, and it was the perfect test. The team performed flawlessly and we were able to gather some excellent data on both the car and tyres while being consistently on the pace. There is still much to do before Round1 at Silverstone, but we are already well prepared so if other teams aren’t worried, they should be!”
Tsugio Matsuda, KCMG WEC Driver: “The Prologue was a very refreshing experience since it was my first time to drive the Oreca LMP2 on an unfamiliar circuit. The KCMG WEC crew was very professional and they did a good job in providing us with a competitive car. Also, I’m happy to be working with Richard and Matt, who are both very skilled drivers. The two-day test has allowed us to set expectations and gave me a lot confidence ahead of the first WEC event at Silverstone.”
Paul Ip, KCMG Managing Director: “Overall, the team is happy with how the weekend went and I would like to thank our crew for the great effort and hard work they’ve put in the past months preparing for this new campaign. I also would like to express my sincere thanks to Oreca for the support that they’ve given. There is still a lot of work to be done in the coming weeks to prepare for Silverstone and we are determined to be competitive for WEC’s first event next month.”
The FIA World Endurance Championship’s season opener will be held at the Silverstone Circuit on April 20.
For more information about KCMG, visit www.kcmg.com.hk. To keep track of latest updates, please like KCMG’s Facebook page or follow @KCMotorgroup on Twitter and Instagram.
Photo Credit: 59photo
