Shaitar – Nato – Newey will make LMP2 line-up for SMP Racing at Le Mans

17 May 2018/ smp

Third SMP Racing car in upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans (16-17 June) will have a line-up of Russian Victor Shaitar, Frenchman Norman Nato and British Harrison Newey.

Drivers will race in the Dallara P217 with number 35.

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Victor Shaitar on 24H Le Mans drivers parade 2017

Victor Shaitar said: “It will be the fifth race at Le Mans for me and the third line-up with SMP Racing team. Together with Alexey Basov and Andrea Bertolini we won this race in LMGTE Am class in 2015. In 2016 Vitaly Petrov, Kirill Ladygin and myself were on the third step of the podium in LMP2 with our Russian BR01 car. And this year I would like to make results better. I’m pretty sure, our line-up can do it”.
25-years old French driver Norman Nato has successful racing career in karting and single-seater series, such as World Series by Renault 3.5 and GP2. In 2018 Norman made a debut in European Le Mans Series with Spanish team Racing Engineering.

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Norman Nato added: “I’m really happy to join the team for this exciting challenge. 24h of Le Mans is one of the famous races in the world. It will be my first participation, I’m getting ready for it as it will be a special moment for me to race in France as a French driver. I would like to thanks SMP for the opportunity. Looking forward to work with the team”.
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20-years old British driver Harrison Newey is a son of famed Formula One engineer Adrian Newey. Harrison followed the classic racing career from karting to Formula series. In 2017 he won MRF Challenge – Formula 2000 and Asian Le Mans Series. In 2018 Harrison Newey takes part in European Le Mans Series with the Portuguese team APR – Rebellion Racing.
Harrison Newey mentioned: “I cannot wait to get underway for my first ever Le Mans 24 and the first 24 hours’ race I’ve ever done. I’m massively excited to be a part of SMP Racing, it’s a team that has done a lot in motorsport in a short space of time”.

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Two other cars of SMP Racing will take part in the top class LMP1 of this legendary 24-hours’ marathon. Mikhail Aleshin, Vitaly Petrov and Jenson Button will drive the Russian BR1 prototype number 11, and Egor Orudzhev, Matevos Isaakyan and Stephane Sarrazin will be at the wheel of car number 17.
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