Algarve Pro Racing Team is gunning for the LMP2 victory in the Asian Le Mans Series 4 Hours of Sepang (20-22 January) as it welcomes Australian teenager Aidan Read to its ranks.
By winning in Malaysia, the Extreme Energy Drink-supported squad would improve on an already exceptional string of podium finishes and maximise its chances of overturning an assailable 19-point deficit to the championship-leading Jackie Chan DC Racing team.
Algarve Pro’s charge to victory in Thailand earlier this month was frustrated by a bewildering performance deficit that become more prevalent as ambient temperatures rose.
The team’s search for a solution will continue upon its arrival at the Sepang International Circuit, where drivers and machinery are tested to the extreme in the sapping heat and humidity.
However, Algarve Pro’s hopes have been raised by the arrival of 17-year old Australian, Aidan Read, who earned a place in the outfit’s 4 Hours of Sepang line-up during a super-impressive maiden LMP2 test at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand.
Read’s career is gathering momentum, as victorious single-seater campaigns in the Formula Masters Series preceded a stellar Asian Le Mans debut in LMP3 machinery, inspiring confidence for his first competitive LMP2 outing as teammate to Andrea Roda and Andrea Pizzitola in the #25 Ligier JS P2.
Algarve Pro Racing Team Principal, Stewart Cox, said: “We’ve had really good driver line-ups for the duration of the 2016-17 Asian Le Mans Series, but Aidan Read is an exciting addition, having performed so strongly during his maiden LMP2 test with us in Thailand. I’m looking forward to seeing how he gets on, because he knows the car and the Sepang International Circuit and he’s physically fit to cope with the extreme heat and humidity.
“We haven’t had any luck identifying the cause of the Nissan-powered #25 machine’s lack of power in Thailand, so we will continue our investigation during the build-up to the weekend. Both Andrea Roda and Andrea Pizzitola are looking forward to the weekend, and the gentleman drivers in the #24 are also enthusiastic after a strong performance last time out. If each driver brings what they had in Buriram, we have a good shot.”