Le Mans 24 Hours 2015: Why the LMP2 battle is not to be missed

With so much of the attention in the build-up to the Le Mans 24 Hours understandably focused on the four-way scrap for LMP1 honours, as Nissan join the fray alongside Audi, Toyota and Porsche, it would be easy to overlook the healthy grid of 19 LMP2 cars battling for their own slice of glory. As James Newbold explains, the junior prototype class has more than enough intrigue to merit close attention.

1. Can Jota defend their title?

Jota Sport’s victory in last year’s 24 Hours was a truly remarkable tale, as super-sub Oliver Turvey, Simon Dolan and now factory Nissan driver Harry Tincknell fought back from an early delay to take a memorable win. What could be the chances of them doing it again? Both Turvey and Dolan are back to defend their crown with the updated Gibson 015S, while in Tincknell’s absence, former GP3 champion and Mark Webber’s protégé Mitch Evans joins the team for his first appearance at La Sarthe. His presence proved something of a good luck charm last time out at Spa as Jota came through to win, showing that open-top machinery is still more than capable of mixing it with the newer coupes. 

Evans (left) joins defending winners Dolan and Turvey at Jota (Drew Gibson).

2. Lapierre determined to prove a point

Dropped by Toyota mid-way through last season, officially because of ‘personal reasons’ and seemingly no longer part of their long-term plans with Kamui Kobayashi preferred as reserve, few will have a greater point to prove than Nicolas Lapierre. An astonishing opening stint in the recent Blancpain Endurance Series meeting at Silverstone - up from 33rd to 15th - shows that Lapierre has lost none of his speed, but after crashing in wet conditions at the Porsche Curves in 2013 and again on the Mulsanne last year, he will be hoping that the rain stays away this time around. With Richard Bradley and Matthew Howson both capable partners, the KCMG Oreca 05 could be a decent contender.

Nicolas Lapierre has a point to prove in the LMP2 class (KCMG). 

3. Lancaster out to silence the critics

Rewind the clock back to the electrifying press conference which followed the ELMS 4 Hours of Silverstone. Following a clash with Tristan Gommendy – for the lead of the race no less – in the dying minutes, Jon Lancaster resembled the proverbial naughty schoolboy in the headmaster’s office as the irate Frenchman told him in no uncertain terms just what he thought of the move. Lancaster wisely kept out of his way and out of trouble in Imola, but will be aware that the 24 Hours represents a golden opportunity to silence his critics for good. The Yorkshireman has prior experience of La Sarthe after a mistake-free run to eighth with Race Performance last year and could prove to be one of this year’s dark horses with Greaves, alongside GT Academy winner Gaetan Paletou and fast silver Gary Hirsch.

GP2 convert Jon Lancaster has made a flying start to life in sportscars (John Brooks). 

4. SMP’s new BR01

After skipping the opening round at Silverstone, SMP Racing gave their their all-new BR01 coupes an understated debut at Imola last month. The Russian squad are under no illusions that this will be little more than a learning year, so getting either or both cars to the finish at this early stage in the project would be a considerable achievement. In the meantime, the experienced Nicolas Minassian in #27 and IndyCar convert Mikhail Aleshin in #37 can be relied upon to extract the maximum from Peugeot 908 designer Paolo Catone’s cars. One for the future, certainly.

The BR01 will be looking for a finish on only it's second race meeting (Jean Michel Le Meur).

5.       GT rivals work together

As Ron Dennis will attest, pairing two arch-rivals in the same team rarely pays off - all the more so if they are rookies - but Oak Racing boss Jacques Nicolet may just have pulled off a masterstroke in combining two of the brightest lights in GT racing – Belgian Laurens Vanthoor and Frenchman Kevin Estre – to pedal their proven Ligier JS P2. Works Audi driver Vanthoor, the reigning Blancpain Endurance Series champion, has his eye set on following stablemate Rene Rast into an LMP1 seat and belied his lack of prototype experience with the quickest LMP2 time of all during the Test Day, while works McLaren man Estre is equally adept, as his two wins in consecutive weekends in the BES and Pirelli World Challenge attest. With two Platinums more than capable of challenging the very best,  much will therefore depend on how the Bronze-rated Chris Cummins fares during his stints.

One of the world's top GT drivers, Laurens Vanthoor takes
on the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time (Clement Marin).

This article also featured in Speedchills View's guide to the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours. Check it out here.