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SMP Racing withdraws from 2019/2020 WEC season

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By: Stephen Kilbey | July 8, 2019 8:24 AM


SMP Racing has withdrawn its pair of AER-powered BR1 LMP1 cars from the 2019/20 FIA WEC season.

In a surprise statement issued on Monday, the Russian team, which finished third overall in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, said that it had achieved the best results possible in “the given circumstances” racing as part of the privateer LMP1 pack, and will therefore bow out.

“For us, it was a difficult season,” Boris Rotenberg, the team’s founder, said. “We worked a lot on our BR1 prototype. As a result, we were able to show and prove to everyone that the Russian team, Russian drivers and the Russian car are capable of achieving the highest results in the most difficult world championships, and in such a prestigious race as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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“This is a well-deserved success of everyone who participated in this ambitious project – drivers, SMP Racing and ART GP, BR Engineering and Dallara. Our goal has always been only a victory, and we believe that we achieved this victory with the highest possible result in the given circumstances.

“After the final race at Le Mans, we decided that SMP Racing will leave the FIA WEC. Our team will not race in the 2019-2020 season.”