RML’s LMP2
sports prototype programme has been one of the most successful
of the last five years, with back-to-back victories in
the Le Mans 24 Hours, and the class title in the Le Mans
Series in 2007. Co-drivers Mike Newton and Thomas Erdos
have established an excellent reputation as the driving
line-up to beat in LMP2, especially at Le Mans, and for
seven years the team has championed the motorsport heritage
of iconic British marque MG.
From November 5th 2008 a fresh era
begins for RML AD Group with the signing of a new deal
with car manufacturer Mazda and race engine specialists
AER. The deal means the end of the link with MG, but the
start of an exciting new partnership for RML and the Mazda-Lola
Coupé. “Everything is signed and sorted and
we are very happy to have an agreement for two years,”
confirmed Phil Barker, Team Manager at RML. “We
shall be running the Mazda unit in 2009. It will be an
evolution of the current Mazda MZR-R engine raced this
year in the American Le Mans Series. It is a two-litre,
four-cylinder turbocharged engine developed exclusively
for Mazda by AER, and it represents not only an exciting
way forwards for us, but also the continuity of our excellent
working relationship with AER.”
The decision to follow this route
was based upon the need to meet a complex series of requirements
and parameters, based around the team’s decision
to upgrade to the closed-cockpit Lola Coupé chassis.
This included engine management and gearchange systems,
as well as many other essential components. “There
were merits and shortcomings to all the various alternatives
we considered, but it was vital that we made a decision
that was right for RML as a team,” said Barker.
“The MG engine was nearing the end of its evolutionary
prospects, but by contrast, the Mazda engine has the potential
for considerable further development. It offers tremendous
scope for enhancing performance over the coming years,
while simultaneously offering us the opportunity to establish
a relationship with a prestigious and forward-thinking
organisation like Mazda.”
Mike Newton, CEO of AD Group, will
co-drive the new Mazda-Lola with Thomas Erdos in 2009.
“We had six enormously successful years with MG
branding on the car, including two consecutive class victories
in the Le Mans 24 Hours and a class title in the 2007
Le Mans Series,” he admits. “We’re very
proud of those achievements, and also for having kept
the flag flying so prominently for MG throughout that
period. Ultimately, however, the funding from MG that
we’d been lead to expect for 2008 never materialised,
and I can’t deny that we were very disappointed
by that. I shall be very sad to sever our links with such
an historic British name, and I would like to take this
opportunity to say thankyou to the many MG enthusiasts
who have given us their support over the years. It has
been much appreciated.”
The switch to Mazda was prompted
by several factors. “The fact that the support we’d
hoped for from MG never arrived, combined with recurrent
engine problems that were significantly exacerbated by
the fuel this year, meant that we neared the end of the
season knowing that we’d have to look for a new
engine in 2009,” says Mike. “Introducing the
new Lola Coupé at Silverstone (for the final round
of the 2008 Le Mans Series) allowed us to review the upgrade
on the chassis in the light of back-to-back engine testing.
It was a close-run judgement call between the Mazda and
the Judd options, but based upon what we’ve learned,
we’re confident that the advances made with the
Mazda engine will allow us to move forward next season.
Ultimately, we’ve struck a good deal that offers
us an extremely competitive engine in conjunction with
maintaining the excellent relationship we’ve always
enjoyed with AER and Life Racing.”
Both drivers are keen to get their
hands on the new car. “For a number of reasons we
were well short of our full potential at Silverstone,
yet we still gave a strong performance,” says Mike.
“We’re ready to take delivery of the new Mazda
engine any day now, and combined with what we learned
at Silverstone, we’ve got plenty of data to carry
us forward towards a test early next year. Now I’m
just looking forward to showing what we can really do
with the coupé!”
Tommy, who will soon begin his seventh
season as co-driver with Mike, shares his enthusiasm.
“I’m very excited by this new partnership,”
he said. “Mazda is a major manufacturer with a strong
association with Le Mans, having been the first and only
Japanese manufacturer to win the 24 Hours (with the 787b
in 1991, driven by Johnny Herbert, Volker Weidler, and
Bertrand Gachot). It’s very encouraging to have
a partner of this magnitude, but I am also looking forward
to continuing the excellent relationship we have with
AER.”
RML AD Group has confirmed that
Tommy and Mike will contest the Le Mans Series again in
2009. “These are uncertain times, not just economically,
but also in our sector of motorsport,” said Erdos.
“There are many changes coming, and we don’t
really know who we will be racing against next year, but
the signs are that the series will remain strong. We’re
moving ahead with our own programme, and I think we’ve
made a very good decision.”
Tommy recognises that he’ll
have to be patient. “We won’t be running the
car again until we’ve adopted the full 2009 specifications,”
he says. “We’ve had a fantastic six years
of consistently competitive racing but I’m now really
looking forward to driving the car with the new engine.
It’s an exciting time for us.”
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