SMP Racing unveils BR1 WEC LMP1 contender
SMP Racing's new Dallara-built LMP1 contender, dubbed the BR1, has been unveiled on the eve of the FIA World Endurance Championship season finale in Bahrain.
The Italian-designed, Russian-entered car was shown officially for the first time in the Bahrain paddock on Friday evening, with SMP boss Boris Rotenberg joined by drivers Vitaly Petrov and Mikhail Aleshin.
Two of the AER-powered cars will be run by ART Grand Prix in the 2018/19 WEC 'superseason'.
A third customer machine with a Gibson engine will be campaigned by graduating LMP2 squad DragonSpeed, which announced its intention to step up to LMP1 last month with an unspecified car.
SMP revealed the BR1 has covered more than 1,000km in testing at Aragon.
Renault Formula 1 test driver Sergey Sirotkin was among those taking on driving duties, alongside fellow Russians Petrov, Aleshin, Viktor Shaitar and Kirill Ladygin.
Rotenberg said that Petrov and Aleshin are the only two of the five test drivers who will definitely form part of the 2018/19 SMP driver roster.
He added that both cars are highly likely to run all-Russian driver line-ups.
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