Following the unveiling of the official entry list for the 83rd edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours, KC Motorgroup Ltd.’s (KCMG) second LMP2 has been listed as the first reserve should any invitees withdraw from the French endurance classic. In line with this announcement, Austrian ace and Le Mans returnee Christian Klien will represent the Hong Kong-based squad alongside Tomonobu Fujii and Satoshi Hoshino.
Klien’s extensive background in sports car endurance racing highlights his previous Le Mans LMP1 experience with Peugeot and Aston Martin. Last year, the former Formula 1 driver competed for Newblood by Morand Racing in the Morgan – Judd LMP2 at La Sarthe and ultimately finished sixth place in class.
On the occasion that KCMG’s D’Station-backed #49 ORECA 03 – Judd lands a spot in the highly celebrated 24-hour challenge, the Austrian driver will bring valuable Le Mans experience to the team as he shares driving duties with his Japanese team mates. While KCMG’s second car awaits to be called up to replace one of the 56 confirmed entries, the #49 LMP2 will be in attendance at the official Le Mans Test Day on May 31 at Circuit de la Sarthe.
Christian Klien: “I’m very happy to be part of KCMG for the Le Mans 24 Hours this year. It’s going to be my fifth time to compete in this prestigious race. Obviously, we are the first team on the reserve list, which still means we have to wait and see if we get the starting slot for the race.Nevertheless, we will prepare as best as possible and will also take part of the official test. My teammates Fujii and Hoshino will compete for the first time in Le Mans, I will try to support and help them as much as possible with my experience on the test day to be ready for the big race. I think we will have a competitive car with the ORECA 03 – JUDD as it has shown that its fast and more importantly reliable for such a long race.”
Eric Kolb, KCMG WEC Team Manager: “The team has been continuously working hard as we prepare to launch our Le Mans 24 Hours campaign this year. Granted that the #49 LMP2 lands a spot in Le Mans, it will be KCMG’s most aggressive campaign at La Sarthe. Preparations are well underway and as we anticipate the possibility of securing a second entry, Christian, Fujii and Hoshino will take part in the official Le Mans test at the end of the month.”
To find out more about the Le Mans 24 Hours, visit www.24h-lemans.com
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.
