First images of low-drag Strakka Dome LMP2

Motorsport.com spoke with Dan Walmsley, the Team Principal for Strakka Racing as we get some of the first images of the low-drag Strakka Dome LMP2.

What’s different on the Le Mans spec car?

“For Le Mans, the first thing is the tyres. We’ve switched to Dunlops and will now stay with them for WEC. We’ve been behind some of the other P2 runners at Silverstone and Spa and tyres was one key variable we could change without affecting homologation. The Dunlop guys have been fantastic and provided good support at the Spa test; Our engineer, Dave Billingham, is actually the same one we worked with on the GT1 Aston so we’ve really hit the ground running. It’s already a really good relationship and we are confident that it’s a step forward performance wise too.”

Any other changes to the Strakka-Dome package?

“Yes, we’ve got some new aero parts on the car. We had hoped to have them for the whole WEC season but we can only use these at Le Mans. Most noticeable is the switch to an integrated dive plane on the front. We have some small ‘fins’ on the sides too. The simulation work we have done suggests that they will give us better aero performance. With the straights at Le Mans, that is another gain we hope to realise.”

Any other thoughts ahead of Le Mans and the Test Day?

“From what we’ve seen this season and from the testing last year, we’ve got a very reliable car and we know the NISMO engine is the class of the field in P2. Our driver line-up is very experienced. Between the three of them, Nick, Jonny and Danny, they have well over 20 starts so they know what is required. They have been training really hard and it’s clear they are as race ready as we’ve ever seen them. It’s been a couple of years since we were at La Sarthe but as a team we are in very good shape, the guys are keen to capitalise on the points we have from the first two rounds that have us fourth in the standings. A good result at Le Mans, with the extra points on offer, would see us again challenging for the championship lead – which is what it’s all about!”