At Silverstone, Nick Yelloly spoke to Motorsport Week about InterEuropol Competition’s ELMS season so far and explained how the experience of racing both LMP2 and Hypercar machinery had made the transition between the two categories easier, with each programme offering a different set of challenges behind the wheel.
The start to this year’s European Le Mans Series season hasn’t been the strongest for proven race winners at InterEuropol Competition. Despite the #34 finishing in the points in every race and winning at Spa, the crew currently sits fifth in the standings, 28 points off the leader.
Yelloly, however, who missed the race in Le Castellet due to a clash with IMSA, sits sixth in the standings with 34 points off P1.
“The first couple of rounds, we didn’t quite have the pace that we started with last year. So we had a few unfortunate events and just didn’t get it quite together,” he began, when asked to summarize his season so far. The #34 InterEuropol Competition then crew arrived at Le Mans, as defending LMP2 winners, and left with the trophy once again, securing back-to-back class victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the same lineup.
“Then we went to Le Mans, we obviously were able to win Le Mans for the second year running, which is a great feat. And then we came to Spa and we were competitive already straight as we rolled off the truck, so that was awesome. And we managed to win the race quite convincingly I feel.”
With two rounds to go, Silverstone this weekend and Portimao next month, there is still an opportunity to fight for top championship positions: “If we talk about our last few races that we’re coming to now, I feel like we should be pretty competitive here and in Portimão.
“We were last year, we finished second here I think, and we’re really fighting for the lead in the wet weather conditions at the end there.”
Alongside his ELMS LMP2 programme, Yelloly also races for Acura in the LMDh category in IMSA. Switching between a Hypercar and an LMP2 car is no easy task, but it is something Yelloly has become accustomed to throughout his career.
“So when I first did Hypercar I was jumping between a GT car and a hypercar. So I got used to transitioning quite a lot.
“I would say because the visuals are very similar in LMP2, corner speeds I would say are actually higher in LMP2 in the ELMS spec than the Hypercar. It’s more similar, so jumping between the two probably takes me a run or two to get in between, particularly when I come back to LMP2. In the Hypercar it doesn’t take me any time at all for some reason.”
Rather than the outright difference in performance, Yelloly says the biggest challenge when switching between a spec LMP2 car and a factory Hypercar comes from the subtle technical differences that can be felt behind the wheel.
“Probably the way that the rear axle behaves under braking in comparison,” he explained.
“So in the Hypercar you’ve got very clever systems that don’t allow you to overslip the rear tyres so much, whereas in the LMP2 you have to be very delicate with the controls to make sure you don’t slip and lose time.”
Ford Hypercar preparations
For next season, Yelloly will join Ford as the manufacturer prepares to debut its new LMDh in the World Endurance Championship. His experience in the ELMS could prove particularly valuable, with the series having provided plenty of experience on European circuits.
“More European-based tracks, a lot of the tracks I’ve been to because of my junior career racing in Europe mostly. So maybe I get to spend a few more days at home in the year for now.
“It depends on other programmes if I’m allowed to add them and where they’ll fit in, but obviously the Ford programme is the main programme and I got to drive the car earlier this week for the first time, so yeah, starting already. It was good fun, yeah, very good fun.”
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