KCMG out of the FIA WEC

In a reasonably short time, KCMG evolved from a team trying to expand the Asian participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship with a Morgan LMP2, to become a major force in the LMP2 class with the ORECA 05, being competitive enough to win races and fight for the class title. Unfortunately, this year the Hong Kong-based team won't try to capture the LMP2 class trophy in the worldwide championship.

According to Motorsport.com, the current 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 winners will step back from competing in full time basis, having already sold one of its pair of ORECA 05 machines. The other car will remain with the team as they intend to come back to Le Mans this year. A FIA WEC comeback would only happen if they seal a rumoured partnership with Proton Competition, although the German squad had the Dempsey-Proton car confirmed for LMGTE-Pro, while the Abu Dhabi-Proton car will return for LMGTE-Am.

The reasons behind the choice of being out of global action is that team owner Paul Ip wants to concentrate in his business commitments for 2016, and a return to FIA WEC in 2017, when the new LMP2 regulations will be finally in action, is a desire of him.

At the end of the 2015 season, when KCMG ended as runner-up in the LMP2 class, their activities turned to the participation in the Asian Le Mans Series, racing in the GT-Am class with a Porsche GT3 Cup car, and being the single entry in the class in all three races held until now, they already conquered the title. Aside this entry, Richard Bradley, one of the KCMG's aces, is competing in the same series with the Eurasia Motorsport squad.

PHOTO: KCMG