Return to the home page Contact the team Privacy policy on this website RML Lola Mazda B08/86
RML AD Group racing with Lola and Mazda
Click here for the latest news from RML AD Group
Information about racing with RML AD Group
Information and galleries for the motorsport media
Sponsorship opportunities with RML AD Group
Shop, downloads and merchandising from team RML AD Group
Ideas and innovations from RML AD Group

Le Mans Series 2010 - Entry List

The full season entry list for the 2010 Le Mans Series has been published by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, and includes one or two surprises, as well as a handful of ill-kept "secrets".

LMP1

Starting from the top, we have a total of eleven official entrants in LMP1, but this includes one or two that are unlikely to complete a full season, and also omits several more that will certainly be participating in at least some of the year's five headline events.

The two works Audi R15s are listed, but will probably only appear at the pre-Le Mans events; the Paul Ricard eight-hour in April, and the Spa 1000 Kilometres in May. Both are seen as proving grounds ahead of the 24 Hours. Lola is even better represented than expected, with an unexpected LMP1 entry from Noel del Bello Racing. Significantly absent are the Aston Martin Lolas that won the title in 2009, although an announcement earlier this week confirmed one car for Paul Ricard, and the possibility of other singleton entries later in the year. Their emphasis, once again, is the 24 Hours in June.

No. Team Nationality Chassis/Engine Drivers
008 Signature Plus France Lola Aston Martin Pierre Ragues, Franck Mailleux
4 Team Oreca Matmut France Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Oliver Panis, Nicolas Lapierre
5 Beechdean Mansell Great Britain Ginetta Zytek 09S Nigel, Leo and Greg Mansell
6 Team Oreca Matmut France Oreca 01-AIM Soheil Ayari, TBA
7 Audi Sport Team Joest Germany Audi R15 TDI TBA
8 Audi Sport Team Joest Germany Audi R15 TDI TBA
12 Rebellion Racing Switzerland Lola B10/60 Coupé Nicolas Prost, Neel Jani
13 Rebellion Racing Switzerland Lola B10/60 Coupé Andrea Belicchi, J-C Boullion
14 Kolles Germany Audi R10 TDI TBA
15 Kolles Germany Audi R10 TDI TBA
20 Noël Del Bello Racing France Lola B10/60 Coupé-Judd Jean-Marc Gounon, TBA

In amongst these are several familiar teams from 2009, and one or two that might be more familiar if their names hadn't changed. Signature Plus moves up a notch with an ex-works Lola Aston Martin, while Oreca retains one of its AIM chassis, but replaces the second with one of the diesel-powered Peugeot 908s. Rebellion Racing is the new name for Speedy Sebah, who championed the Aston-powered Lola in 2008 and took the race to the factory Lolas in 2009 with their red and silver car. The Beechdean Mansell entry is last year's Strakka Racing Ginetta Zytek, now re-liveried in a patriotic Union Jack scheme and carrying the iconic "red five" number and three Mansells.

LMP2

Rule changes intended to make the class more affordable and to generate a more pro-am foundation to the category have rendered LMP2 by far the most competitive sector. Sixteen confirmed entrants at this stage in the season, and rumours mulling under of yet more cars likely to join as the year progresses.

The news-hounds have been quick to pick up on the change of powerplant for the RML Lola. There will be more news on that here in due course, of course, but for now we just acknowledge the designation of HPD as the engine supplier in 2010. Also present is the familiar Lola MG EX265 AER. This is the same car that Mike Newton and Thomas Erdos raced at Le Mans and in the Le Mans Series in 2008. This season it will be managed by Team RLR

No. Team Nationality Chassis/Engine Drivers
24 Oak Team Mazda France Pescarolo-Judd TBA
25 RML AD Group Great Britain Lola B08/80 HPD Coupé Tommy Erdos, Mike Newton
27 Race Performance Switzerland Radical SR9-Judd Michel Frey, Ralph Meichtry,
Fabien Thuner
28 Ibanez Racing France Lola B05/40-Judd Frederic Da Rocha, TBA
29 Racing Box Italy Lola B09 Coupé-Judd Piergiuseppe Perazzini, Marco Cioci
30 Racing Box Italy Lola B09 Coupé-Judd Luca Pirri , TBA
31 RLR Motorsport Great Britain MG Lola EX265-AER Barry Gates, TBA
33 Hache Team Spain Lucchini-Judd TBA
34 Hache Team Spain Ginetta Zytek 09S TBA
35 Oak Team Mazda France Pescarolo-Judd TBA
37 WR/Salini France WR-Zytek Philippe Salini
38 Pegasus Racing France Courage-Oreca LC75-AER Julien Schell
39 KSM Germany Lola B08/47-Judd Jean De Pourtales, Hideki Noda
40 Quifel-ASM Team Portugal Ginetta Zytek 09S Miguel Amaral, Olivier Pla
41 Team Bruichladdich Great Britain Ginetta Zytek 09S Karim Ojjeh, Tim Greaves,
Thor-Christian
Ebbesvik
42 Strakka Racing Great Britain HPD ARX-01 Nick Leventis, Danny Watts, Jonny Kane

As was the case in LMP1, most of the names will be familiar to anyone who followed the Le Mans Series in 2009, but some of the details have changed. Oak Racing returns with their Pescarolo chassis, but using Judd engines. However, the relationship with Mazda France survives, and there is an understanding that the 2010 units may still be badged as Mazda.

Another Swiss entry, adding to the Rebellion LMP1 cars, comes in the form of the Race Performance Radical Judd. This is understood to be Martin Short's ex-RollCentre car, which also saw service with Embassy in 2007. Another Radical SR9, to be campaigned by Pierre Bruneau, will be the ex-Bruichladdich AER engined car. Bruichladdich themselves return, but this year in partnership with Renate Ojjeh and the ex-GAC Ginetta Zytek chassis - one of three for 2010, including the title-holding Quifel-ASM entry from Portugal.

Hache Team did not impress in 2009 with their single Lucchini, and return with that car again in 2010, but this time bolster their campaign with a Ginetta Zytek 09S. Also returning is Ibanez Racing, but gone is last year's Courage, to be replaced by a Lola B05/40. This is the same open-topped chassis previously raced by BK Motorsport.

Despite an impressive debut in LMP1 last year, taking pole in Round 1, Strakka Racing has stepped across to LMP2 this year, and with a new chassis. Theirs is the first HPD ARX-01 (formerly Acura) to appear in Europe, and is the same car that recorded seven pole positions and eight wins from ten starts in the American Le Mans Series last year, finishing on the podium in every race.

GT1

No. Team Nationality Chassis/Engine Drivers
50 Larbre Competition France Saleen S7-R Gabriel Gardel, Roland Berville
66 Atlas FX-Team Full Speed Austria Saleen S7-R Adam Lacko, Carlos Van Damme

Only two entries for GT1, and no guarantee that both of these will see it through the year. Hugely disappointing, but with the rise of the other GT categories, not wholly surprising.

GT2

No. Team Nationality Chassis/Engine Drivers
76 IMSA Performance Matmut France Porsche 997 GT3 RSR Raymond Narac, Patrick Pilet
77 Team Felbermayr Proton Germany Porsche 997 GT3 RSR Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz
78 BMW Team Schnitzer Germany BMW M3 Jörg Müller, Dirk Werner
84 Modena Group Racing Great Britain Ferrari F430 GT Roman Rusinov, TBA
85 Spyker Squadron Holland Spyker C8 Laviolette Tom Coronel, TBA
88 Team Felbermayr Proton Germany Porsche 997 GT3 RSR Christian Ried, TBA
89 Hankook Team Farnbacher Germany Ferrari F430 GT Dominik Farnbacher,
Allan Simonsen
90 CRS Racing Great Britain Ferrari F430 GT Pierre Ehret, Phil Quaife
91 CRS Racing Great Britain Ferrari F430 GT Andrew Kirkaldy, Tim Mullen
92 JMW Motorsport Great Britain Aston Martin V8 Vantage Robert Bell, TBA
93 JWA Racing Great Britain Aston Martin V8 Vantage TBA
94 AF Corse Italy Ferrari F430 GT Giancarlo Fisichella, Toni Vilander
95 AF Corse Italy Ferrari F430 GT Luis Perez Companc, Matias Russo
96 AF Corse Italy Ferrari F430 GT Gianmaria Bruni, Jaime Melo,
Jean Alesi
99 JMB Racing Monaco Ferrari F430 GT TBA

A strong entry once again in GT2, and with many of the familiar protagonists returning for another crack at the title. The appearance of the Schnitzer BMW is an unexpected addition to the list, as is a three-car line-up for AF Corse, although it is currently uncertain as to how many of these will appear regularly. Notably, the squad includes Giancarlo Fisicella and Jean Alesi, hinting perhaps at the future intentions of Ferrari to become big-name players in sportscar racing again. JMW Motorsport returns, but this season replacing their title-winning Ferrari F430 with an Aston Martin V8 Vantage - one of two in the class.

Further information is available at the Le Mans Series website

Le Mans Series News
Full Season Entry List
Issued February 2nd 2010

Updated February 3rd 2010
to include drivers' names