[27-04-2015]
PIERRE RAGUES SET FOR 2015 WEC DEBUT AS TEAM SARD MORAND CONFIRMS 6H SPA PRESENCE
 Pierre Ragues will finally make his debut in the 2015 World Endurance Championship as TEAM SARD MORAND has confirmed it will contest this weeks’ 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
Pierre was forced to skip the season opener at Silverstone earlier this month as a result of last minute issues for the newly formed team but he is hoping to put that firmly behind him at one of the world’s most famous race tracks.
The 20-turn, 7.004km long Spa-Francorchamps circuit has hosted endurance races since 1966 and is one of the most popular venues for drivers and fans alike. The high speed challenges posed by classic sections of the track like Eau Rouge remain to this day a highlight for the world’s elite drivers.
Pierre will put his previous experience of the legendary track to good use alongside his team-mates Oliver Webb and Zoel Amberg, as the team looks to repeat the form shown in the pre-season Prologue test.
The team was among the quickest LMP2 runners with the number 43 Morgan Evo SARD, equipped with Dunlop tyres, as they built a strong baseline setting for the car. Spa will represent the car’s first competitive outing of the season and the team will be aiming to use the event as a strong foundation for the Le Mans 24 Hours, which is the next – and biggest – event on the 2015 WEC calendar.
By joining TEAM SARD MORAND for this season’s WEC, Pierre will have the chance to compete in an impressive ninth Le Mans, so he knows that the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will be important preparation for the nascent team.
Pierre Ragues commented: “After a few challenging weeks, it is great to know that we are going racing at Spa! I am delighted that TEAM SARD MORAND has confirmed its participation in this event, at a circuit where it is always so special and challenging to drive. I am looking forward to getting started. We showed strong pace at the Prologue and I am hopeful that our competitiveness will translate to Spa. This event is also important in the build up to the Le Mans 24 Hours. We have to use the practice sessions and the race itself to learn more about the #43 Morgan Evo SARD against our rivals and to find a good starting point for Le Mans – the undisputed highlight of the year. For that reason, I am fully focused on a good result in the 6 Hours of Spa and can’t wait to join my team-mates Oliver and Zoel – and indeed the rest of TEAM SARD MORAND - for our first race of 2015!”
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