A « technical » weekend awaits Team Endurance Challenge

#49 - Paul-Loup Chatin/Gary Hirsch

After winning at the Red Bull Ring driving the No.49 ORECA-FLM 09, finishing second at Silverstone and winning at Imola, Paul-Loup Chatin and Gary Hirsch padded their championship lead, taking their lead to 15 points. The two young drivers will be looking to confirm their successes as well as mathematically assure themselves of the title in LM PC. The pair will rely on Paul-Loup's experience, who has raced at the Hungaroring previously. « I know the circuit at Budapest, because I won there in Formula Renault 2.0 in 2011. » he explains « It's a track that suits me. Slow corners, heavy braking areas, it's technical and quite rhythmic. It will be a little more complicated in a prototype but the challenge should be interesting. With Gary, we have a slight advantage in the championship but we'll have to go in search of pure performance while taking the least amount of risks. We form a good duo but each race is different. »

#48 - Soheil Ayari/Anthony Pons

Currently second in the Drivers points, Soheil Ayari and Anthony Pons were unlucky during the previous round in Austria. In a position to take a third podium finish in a row, the drivers of the No.48 ORECA-FLM 09 fell victim to a tire puncture, costing them precious points. Coming from GT, where he was crowned ELMS champion in the LM GTE-Am class last year, Anthony Pons will continue his learning at Budapest alongside the experienced Soheil Ayari. « The Hungaroring is a tight circuit, certainly the slowest of the year » said Soheil, who drove on the track in F3000. « This track requires true technical skills and that's what makes it an interesting track, even though it's not the most exciting. The race will be complicated : there is a lot of dust off the racing line and passing isn't easy, especially because there are no long straights. In a way, this difficulty level adds to the competition. For Anthony, it will be an enriching weekend in a technical point of view. He's coming from a difference background than the rest of us and it's to his credit that he's battling so well against young upcoming talents. The primary objective will be to win in order to stay in the race for the championship all the way to the finale. It's an important step. »

Another ORECA-FLM 09 will be entered in LM PC, under the name Algarve Pro Racing Team for Nicky Catsburg and C.O Jones.