James Thompson completes first Lada test at Magny-Cours
LADA Sport Lukoil have completed their first pre-season test of 2013, with driver James Thompson behind the wheel of the 2013 Lada Granta Sport which made two race appearances in the WTCC last season.
The team was testing at Magny-Cours in France, where the team has set-up its technical base. Thompson completed 50 laps on Monday with another 70 on Tuesday in the Granta, working on set-up and with a new development of the 1.6 litre turbocharged engine built by French engineering experts ORECA.
“I am very satisfied with the speed and performance of the car and the steps forward that have been taken since our long test in August,” said Thompson.
“I think we have worked very hard with our Lada Granta to maximize our strengths and minimize any of our weak points. In particular chassis balance and speed on the long straights, this is a step forward compared to the car we had a year ago, and is important as the championship visits many high speed international circuits.
“This updated variant of the car gives hope for better overall performance especially in the race. The team has made a big step forward. Now we should focus on further improvement. And, of course, I am eager to test further new evolutions of Granta at the end of February.”
The team will test again at the end of the month, with both Thompson and new team-mate Aleksei Dudukalo, moving across to join Lada from the SEAT equipped Lukoil Racing Team, testing a new evolution of the Lada Granta WTCC car.
