The official test session for the Blancpain Endurance Series, taking place at the Paul Ricard circuit on March 11th and 12th, will see Jérôme Policand and Team AKKA-ASP return to the Blancpain Endurance Series. No fewer than three Ferrari 458 GT3 cars will be entered in the first round in Monza.
Jérôme Policand’s team has a long and successful history in the Blancpain Endurance Series. Having been one of the earliest competitors, this will be the fourth season for the Tarne-based team, having only missed the 2014 season. In 2011, the team claimed its first victory in the Total 24 Hours of Spa in the Pro-Am category, and was crowned vice-champion of the drivers’ classification in the same category. The next year saw another podium in the Ardennes and another vice-champion’s title, but this time in the team’s rankings. As for 2013, it brought victory in the Total 24 Hours of Spa and the championship title in the Gentlemen’s category, as well as another teams’ title.
This year sees three cars taking part, two in the AM Cup and one in Pro-Am. The crew for the Pro-Am car will be Philippe Giauque, Jean-Luc Beaubelique and Morgan Moullin-Traffort, who will form an experienced trio. Anthony Pons will line up with Fabien Barthez in one of the two Ferrari entered in the Am Cup, while the other car will be shared by Maurice Ricci and Gabriel Balthazard. The full line-up for the Total 24 Hours of Spa has not been totally finalised. The only crew that has been determined is that of Christophe Bourret, Pascal Gibon, Philippe Polette and Jean-Philippe Belloc, who will drive the Ricci-Balthazard car.
Jérôme Policand (Team principal): “Our return to the Blancpain Endurance Series is both coherent and logical considering the experience we have in the series. We changed our title sponsor this season, and we need to propose a high-level programme to a high-level international company like AKKA Technologies. As well as our national involvement (in the French GT Championship), the Blancpain Endurance Series is the best option on the market. It will also be a real pleasure to be back with the SRO team, even if we had not totally lost touch, since we took part in the 2014 Total 24 Hours of Spa. We will therefore be stepping into a world that we know well, and as far as the drivers are concerned, we also have continuity, as all the drivers that will be on the grid in Monza know the team and some of them will be competing with us in both our national and international programmes.”