R03 Monza – European Le Mans Series Race Preview
Coming from its first experience at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, PREMA will be back competing with its endurance programme this weekend at Monza, as the legendary Italian track is home to round 3 of the European Le Mans Series.
The team experienced an overwhelmingly positive first part of the season, with Lorenzo Colombo, Louis Delétraz and Ferdinand Habsburg taking two wins between Paul Ricard and Imola. The goal for the driving trio and for the whole team will be to carry the same form over to the 4-hour event at the Italian temple of speed.
Continuing his sub duties for Juan Manuel Correa while the Ecuadorian-American is running in FIA F3 at Silverstone, Colombo will have the chance to drive at his closest track to home, just a half-hour drive away. An incredibly short distance compared to what Delétraz has been experiencing lately. Coming back to Europe a few days after a positive showing in the USA last weekend, the 25-year-old Swissman is back to PREMA to continue his outstanding 2022 season start. Having had good results at Monza in the past with plenty of podium finishes to his name, 25-year-old Austrian Habsburg will also be back for more action and hopefully results.
The ELMS event at Monza will kick off a busy back-to-back stint with the WEC running at the same venue one week later. There will be remarkable challenges, as the ELMS car will be running with the higher-downforce sprint aerokit, compared to the low-downforce Le Mans kit which is mandatory for the World Endurance Championship. In addition, weather conditions are expected to be tricky with high temperatures and humidity. The weekend didn’t have the easiest start in collective testing, as a high-speed crash sidelined the #9 Oreca 07. Delétraz, who was rear-ended by a competitor into a vicious spin, was uninjured, while the car is undergoing repairs.
Rene Rosin – Team Principal
“On one hand, the way the season started is the confirmation that we have the potential in terms of team effort and drivers. On the other hand, there is obviously pressure there to perform in front of our home crowd like we did in Imola, and to carry on the same momentum. We know Monza well, and our drivers know it as well, but it’s the first time for us with the LMP2 car here so there will be carryovers but also transitions. We didn’t have an easy start, but we will stay focused and committed to see what the weekend will bring.”
Weekend Timetable
Friday, July 1st, 2022
11:40 – Free Practice 1
Saturday, July 2nd, 2022
09:00 – Free Practice 2
14:20 – Qualifying
Sunday, July 3rd, 2022
11:30 – Race (4 Hours)
Source | Photo: PREMA Racing