ByKolles abandons Monza WEC Prologue early
The ByKolles privateer LMP1, which ex-Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica will race in 2017, will take no further part in this weekend’s FIA World Endurance Championship Prologue test at Monza.
#4 ByKolles Racing CLM P1/01: Robert Kubica, Oliver Webb
Gary Watkins
The German-based team has opted against running on Sunday after encountering problems on the first laps for the revised ENSO CLM-Nissan P1/01 during Saturday's night session.
Oliver Webb, who is the only driver confirmed alongside Kubica so far, completed a total of six laps – and only one flying lap – in the rain after the car missed the first two sessions while it was being completed.
ByKolles team principal Boris Bermes told Motorsport.com: “We will not run today. We had some issues with the car, not a major failure, just some issues.”
The withdrawal means that Kubica, who has raced only three times since suffering the injuries that curtailed his F1 career in 2011, has yet to drive the revised version of the car he tried for the first time in testing in Bahrain last November.
Bermes explained that the plan was that the car would test again ahead of the WEC opener at Silverstone on April 16. “We are trying to find a solution,” he said.
The 2017 ByKolles was running a series of rear-end updates around the Nissan twin-turbo V6 that has replaced the AER engine that powered the car in 2014-16.
Further revisions to the front end could come on stream as early as Silverstone.
Dominik Kraihamer, who won last year’s privateer P1 title with Rebellion Racing, was scheduled to test the CLM machine on Sunday.
The Austrian is a candidate to fill the vacant seat alongside Kubica and Webb.
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