RD Limited Requests Le Mans Entry After Missing Auto-Invite

Photo: Asian Le Mans Series

Romain Dumas has disclosed that his RD Limited operation has filed a request for an entry in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans after missing out on the automatic invitation that comes with title success in the Asian Le Mans Series.

RD Limited made its endurance racing debut in the LMP2 class in the three-round series that wrapped up last weekend at Abu Dhabi, fielding the No. 30 Oreca 07 Gibson that was shared by James Allen, Tristan Vautier and Fred Poordad.

The trio won in the team’s very first race last December in Sepang, and remained part of the title fight until the end of the season, finishing second behind the No. 25 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca of Malthe Jakobsen, Valerio Rinicella and Michael Jensen.

However, RD’s realistic title chances ended in Saturday’s first race in Abu Dhabi when the No. 30 car suffered a puncture from debris and went a lap down, finally finishing eighth.

Missing out on the auto-invite for Le Mans leaves the Ales-based team facing an uncertain future in endurance racing, having also missed out on a spot on the European Le Mans Series entry list.

But two-time Le Mans winner Dumas is hopeful that the performance his team showed in Asia could result in a berth in what is expected to a contingent of at least 15 LMP2 machines in the FIA World Endurance Championship blue riband.

“The ELMS decision is not something we were hoping for, but the good point is that the team itself is not only about LMP2,” Dumas told Sportscar365. “My guys are busy at the workshop, so I don’t have any stress about that.

“I already decided to send a request for Le Mans, so we will see. I think with what we showed, to be already at the top guys at the front, you never know.

“Let’s see about that, and when we know the answer we will decide what to do.”

Dumas was philosophical about the circumstances in which RD lost its shot at LMP2 title glory, expressing his pride at the job his team, led by category veteran Brice Gaillardon, did against more experienced competition.

“We lost the chance of the title with the puncture on Saturday, this is clear,” said Dumas. “That is motorsport, you need a little bit of luck. It’s part of the game.

“But the positive side of this season is that we set up a team in three months and we brought these people to LMP2, which is a great category to start because you don’t have to deal with Balance of Performance; you just have to perform.

“I was not surprised about the competitiveness of the team, because it’s the same team I’ve worked with for a long time in other categories, even though most of them had never been involved in endurance racing before.

“We were fast, we were good on strategy, no mistakes in the pit stops, no penalties… we ticked nearly every box. It was just this bad Saturday that prevented us from doing even better. With one bad race, you can’t come back in only six races.

“We can’t have regrets about what we did; it was 99 percent perfect.”

Pending the outcome of its request for a grid slot at Le Mans, RD Limited’s focus will turn back to its regular programs in rallying and historic racing, including the Pikes Peak Rally.

But Dumas expressed confidence that the team’s involvement in endurance racing will go on, regardless of whether its efforts to race at La Sarthe this year succeed.

“For sure we have invested a lot, buying two cars, so we need to do something with these cars,” he said. “I would be a lot happier if we were certain of being at Le Mans, but let’s see what happens.

“Right now I can’t say for sure what we will do next. But the important thing was to show we can be strong, we can be fast, that we can be at the front. And the good thing about endurance racing is that there are a lot of opportunities.”

Source: Sports Car 365