European Le Mans
Portimao: Team ORECA Matmut preview
Bruno Senna with Tiago Monteiro alongside the regular pairing of Panis-Lapierre, Bruno Senna and Tiago Monteiro, who already teamed up for the Le Mans 24 Hours, will drive for the Team ORECA-Matmut-AIM in the Algarve 1000kms. The Le Mans Series is ...
Published: Oct 2, 2009, 4:41 PM
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Bruno Senna with Tiago Monteiro alongside the regular pairing of Panis-Lapierre, Bruno Senna and Tiago Monteiro, who already teamed up for the Le Mans 24 Hours, will drive for the Team ORECA-Matmut-AIM in the Algarve 1000kms.
The Le Mans Series is heading for Portugal for the first time in its history, as the third round will be held on the Portimao circuit at the end of July. For this race the Team ORECA-Matmut-AIM will have a 100% Portuguese-speaking duo in one of their ORECA 01s. Bruno Senna has been in no.10 since the start of the season and has decided to continue racing in endurance. He will share the car with Tiago Monteiro who drove an LM P1 car for the first time at the Le Mans 24 Hours. The two men will back up regulars Olivier Panis and Nicolas Lapierre who finished in an excellent fifth place in the Sarthe in no.11 with Soheil Ayari.
"The Senna-Monteiro duo that we'll be running in the Algarve is the result of a review we carried out after Le Mans," points out Hugues de Chaunac. "When Tiago joined us for Le Mans we already raised the subject of Portimao, and Bruno let us know very quickly that he wanted to continue racing the ORECA 01. We won't have Stephane Ortelli for organisational reasons, as the practice is too short to enter a team of three drivers. It's not down to chance that we'll have a couple of Portuguese-speaking drivers in Portugal. Renown is a part of our selection criteria as well as speed, consistency and team spirit. We'll have a lot of supporters behind us thanks to Bruno and Tiago!".
Bruno Senna, runner-up in the 2008 GP2 Championship, has made F1 his priority. This year he has discovered another form of motor racing endurance. On his first appearance in Barcelona he finished on the rostrum with Stephane Ortelli and ORECA. So after Spa and Le Mans he is getting ready to continue his prototype career with Tiago Monteiro who will be racing in front of his home crowd. Tiago took part in 37 F1 Grands Prix, and has been competing in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) since 2007 for Seat Sport.
"In addition, to Olivier and Nicolas, who are now well used to the battles in the Le Mans Series, we're counting on this pairing who have what it takes to shine," de Chaunac underlines. "Bruno's shown his talent. He's an intelligent driver who analyses his performances with absolute objectivity. He's an honest guy, a value dear to ORECA. He gets on well with Tiago who drove a great 24 Hours. I know him and I wasn't all that surprised! In addition, he already knows this circuit on which a lot of our rivals will be racing for the first time. It'll be a big advantage! ".
After their fifth place in the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Team ORECA-Matmut-AIM is entering two ORECA 01s: no.10 for Bruno Senna and Tiago Monteiro and no.11 for Olivier Panis and Nicolas Lapierre.
Rendez-vous 31st July/1st August for a nighttime race!
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