The highly anticipated Road To Le Mans week-end officially began on Wednesday, with the team and drivers having waited a long time to push their limits on the iconic 13.6 km track. For the first time ever, Team Virage entered four cars. While the #44 and #59 are regulars of the series, they were joined by the #8, driven by Bernardo Pinheiro and Georgios Kolovos, and the #76, driven by Raphaël Narac and Jacek Zielonka.
Wednesday’s first practice session was all about getting comfortable with the car and the circuit. The team made an impressive start, with Bernardo Penheiro, in the #8 car, setting the best time for the team in P4, while the sister car #44, with Jamie Falvey and Mihnea Stefan, secured P9 out of 58 cars. It was an excellent opportunity for the drivers to familiarise themselves with the legendary track and fine-tune their setups.
The second practice session brought new challenges as the sunset and lower visibility conditions came into play. Despite these hurdles, the #59 car, driven by Ricardo Gracia, showed great pace and finished in P9. The team was brimming with excitement about the possibilities that lay ahead for Qualifying and Race 1.
Thursday was an action-packed day at Le Mans. The qualifying session proved to be tricky, but Pinheiro in the #8 car managed to secure the 9th fastest time. Stefan in the #44 and Gracia in the #59 were close behind, placing P13 and P18, respectively, while Raphaël Narac in the #76 finished in P22. Unfortunately, Qualifying 2 was spoiled by multiple red flags, preventing any driver on the grid from setting a laptime.
Race 1 turned out to be a hectic affair, with multiple safety cars and a session-ending red flag making it difficult for our cars to make significant advances. The best-placed car was the #44, finishing in P10. The #8 car ended in P12, the #59 in P27, and the #76 in P20.
Saturday brought its own intensity as the team geared up for Race 2. Unfortunately, the race did not go as planned, with our best-placed car finishing P14. However, the team achieved a significant accomplishment by competing with four cars during the Road to Le Mans while also performing at a high competitive level throughout the week-end. The team’s effort and determination were evident, even though the results didn’t fully reflect their hard work.
As we reflect on this challenging yet rewarding week-end, we take the positives with us. Our focus now shifts to the legendary Spa-Francorchamps track at the end of August, where we aim to build on this experience and strive for greater success.
