24h Le Mans
SMP Racing’s Mikhail Aleshin is sharing the wheel of the #11 BR Engineering BR1 – AER (LMP1) with two former Formula One drivers: Vitaly Petrov and 2009 world champion Jenson Button.
Mikhail Aleshin drove the #11 BR Engineering BR1 – AER on Test Day for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He gave us his thoughts of the new car as the race draws near. “Everything went well and we managed to get through most of our schedule. It all went to plan. The car reacted well to all the changes in the settings throughout the day. In any case, I think we have a solid base. I am amazed every time I get into the driver’s seat. I am getting to grips with this really fast car – it is certainly one of the fastest I have ever driven.”
The young team may well find the prospect of taking on Toyota and its hybrid prototypes in the same class somewhat daunting, but the former IndyCar driver is confident in the car’s capabilities. “When you line up in a race like this, the first objective is to finish. At SMP Racing, we have some talented, experienced people among our engineers and mechanics. We just have to get it all to add up on the day and show what we can do. We are not going to try and copy what others are doing or wait for them to make a mistake. We’ll simply run our own race. We’ll give it our best shot for sure and we’ll see what happens. I’m feeling positive about our chances. We need to avoid any mistakes and hope for a little luck.”
When asked about the gap that could, in theory, leave them trailing in Toyota’s wake, Aleshin replies: “It’s difficult to say. We don’t know too much at the moment because on Test Day, we were unaware of how much fuel they had on board and the type of tyres they were using. One thing’s for sure: Toyota will be quickest, but I’m unable to say by how much. It’ll be tough for us but it’s a long race. Qualifying is one thing, the race is quite another!”
The Russian driver is sharing his seat with Jenson Button. The British 2009 Formula One world champion brings a lot to the team. “I was delighted to learn that Jenson was going to team up with Vitaly (Petrov) and I in the #11 car. He brings plenty of experience with him as he hasn’t just driven in Formula One but many other cars. He has a great background and a fantastic track record. Anyway, getting Jenson on board was a great move!”
Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SCRUTINEERING, SUNDAY 10 JUNE. Mikhail Aleshin with teammates Vitaly Petrov and Jenson Button.
