On Saturday December 7, during the annual Gala Awards of winners and champions held by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) in Paris, SMP Racing team was recognised for outstanding achievements as “Team of the Year 2013” and honoured with a special FIA prize. Also SMP Racing team and its pilots Kirill Ladygin, Victor Shaitar, Fabio Babini received highest awards for the victory in individual and team GTC class in the European Le Mans Series.
The cups were handed to the team by FIA President Jean Todt and Jacky Ickx, a famous Belgian racing driver, six-time “24 hours of Le Mans” winner.
SMP Racing made a triumphant first appearance in the European Le Mans Series 2013 in the second race of the season held in Imola, Italy instantly taking the first place there. Next came three more victories in Austria, Hungary and France. The team managed to score the pole position in GTC class twice (Austria, France) and also it had a “double” two times by taking the first two podium positions during the races in Hungary and France. According to the number of points scored by SMP Racing team and its pilots Kirill Ladygin, Victor Shaitar and Fabio Babini became the winners of the European Le Mans Series in GTC class.
Boris Rotenberg, the Head of SMP Racing: “First of all, on behalf of the entire team I would like to thank the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and the promoters of the European Le Mans Series for expressing appreciation of our performance. The prizes we have received mean a lot not only to SMP Racing team but to the entire Russian motor sport. I would also like to thank all team participants for a good season: our pilots, engineers, mechanics, managers and all people related to the victory of SMP Racing team — we were able to achieve high results only due to their excellence. Our young team made its first appearance in the European Le Mans Series this season but was able to score victory in all four races it had taken part in straight away. I would like to mention that we really enjoyed competing with other great pilots and teams and we will definitely meet our rivals next season — not only in the European Le Mans Series, but in the FIA World Endurance Championship as well”.
Victor Shaitar, SMP Racing pilot: “First of all I would like to say that I’m glad for our team which put faith in us — it was really encouraging. I’m very happy for my teammates, Kirill and Fabio — it would have been impossible to win without them. Last year became the first season when I started racing on the foreign tracks and I’m glad I was able to “wheel in”, to start driving fast right away, find mutual understanding with my teammates. I would like to share this award with all members of SMP Racing team as we managed to reach high results only due to our cooperation”.
Kirill Ladygin, SMP Racing pilot: “After winning our last race in France, I hardly believed we were able to win the European Le Mans series in our first season. I realised we secured victory in four races and scored the biggest number of points, that we really had a strong and solid team but only today I acquired the real acknowledgment of our success. Believe me, it’s a special feeling beyond words! It includes happiness, pride for our teammates, for the entire team and SPM Racing programme. We had achieved great results and we are ready to go further and bring more joy to our supporters next year”.
A week ago SMP Racing and its pilots Kirill Ladygin and Victor Shaitar were also awarded in one more series — they became “bronze” and “silver” medallists in team and driver placing of the Blancpain Endurance Series.
About the European Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series. It was established in 2004 as a European analogue for the American Le Mans Series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. This series is closely related to the FIA World Endurance Championship and is actually preparing the drivers for it: the pilots compete on the same cars as the ones on the WEC line-up. Four classes of cars take part in the European Le Mans Series: LMP2 (Le MansPrototype2), LMPC (Le Mans Prototype Challenge), LMGTE (Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance) and GTC (Grand Touring Challenge). By the end of the year each class has its own winners: the teams have team standings and the pilots have driver standings.
About SMP Racing programme
SMP Racing support programme of Russian pilots was launched in 2012. It was founded by Boris Rotenberg in cooperation with the Russian Automobile Federation (RAF) headed by Victor Kiryanov. Its major task is to offer an opportunity for the most talented pilots to work their way up from kart racing to the highest motor sport categories.
Right now more than 30 pilots are engaged in the support programme. SMP Racing is already providing assistance in professional growth of the young racing drivers in “formula” categories. They follow the classic European racing school scheme: first comes kart racing, then the “younger” series like Formula 4, Formula Abarth, Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, and Formula Renault 3.5. Experienced drivers showing highest results also take part in the competitions under the SMP Racing flag. In 2013 SMP Racing team and its pilots became silver medallists in Blancpain Endurance Series (in Pro-Am category) and winners of European Le Mans Series (GTC category).
