IRON LYNX EXPERIENCES PRODUCTIVE 2-DAY ELMS TEST
Iron Lynx had a busy couple of days as the European Le Mans Series got underway for the 2-day preseason test at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. With long hours of running and outstanding weather, the #9 Oreca LMP2 car and the #63 Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 successfully wrapped up their programmes. The main focus for all competitors was to understand the tyre wear over long runs, as the Barcelona track is particularly challenging in terms of degradation.
In the end, both cars had valuable runs. The #63 crew entered uncharted territory, driving the Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 for the first time in an official session. While the Qatar experience proved extremely valuable for the team, Martin Berry, Lorcan Hanafin, and Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver Fabian Schiller worked on further progress with a mainly flawless run. “Overall, it’s been quite a valuable test,” said Berry. “We were able to make a lot of simulations in terms of qualifying and race runs to better understand how the tyres and car perform over the track. We collected valuable information as we look towards Round 1 in a couple of days.”
With smooth work and great chemistry between the drivers straight away, Schiller provided his guidance and experience. “I think we had two productive days,” said the German racer. “We made good steps with the car and there’s still a bit to explore for us in FP1 and FP2. We have a great atmosphere in the team, and Martin and Lorcan are great teammates so we are really looking forward to the rest of the week.”
The #9 crew of Jonas Ried, Maceo Capietto and Matteo Cairoli also had a packed programme at the Spanish venue on which they are returning for a second season. “Definitely a productive test,” said Ried. “We completed the work we had scheduled and most importantly, we learned what we need from the car and with that info we think we can make a solid improvement ahead of the race.”
“The track is changing every session so it’s not easy to understand where you are,” said Cairoli. We struggled a bit on the second day as we tried some setup solutions that didn’t make us step in the right direction. Still, the baseline from day 1 is working quite well and we are looking good for long runs. Still have some work in terms of qualifying but we have more practice coming so we will work on that aspect too.”
Andrea Piccini – Team Principal & CEO: “It’s been a positive couple of days. We tried different setup options on both cars to better understand how the tyre performs on a demanding track for degradation. We continued working with Martin, Lorcan and Fabian on the Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 and we are positively moving forward. They established a great atmosphere within the team and I’m impressed with how well they work together. We collected a considerable amount of data and we’ll be working on it as we head into practice to make even more steps ahead of the race.”
