Thiriet by TDS Announces Switch to Oreca 05-Nissan

Photo: Laurent Chauveau

After a season with Onroak Automotive machinery, Thiriet by TDS Racing will return to running an ORECA car in 2015, with the French squad announcing Thursday that it will purchase an all-new Oreca 05 for the European Le Mans Series season.

The former ELMS champions, which scored the first win for the Oreca 03 in 2011, is the second team to officially announce plans to campaign the new closed-top LMP2 car, joining FIA WEC-bound squad KCMG.

“It’s with great pleasure that we return to collaborating with the ORECA group,” said team co-owner Xavier Combet. “When we had to make a choice on the new car, ORECA quickly made its way to the top of the list.

“The company’s technical expertise has been proven time and time again. And the relationship we have with them has given us some very good results. Seamlessly, the work has begun anew in the best possible way. Our two outfits are working hand in hand to attain one goal: Winning.”

Pierre Thiriet and Ludovic Badey have been confirmed as two of the three drivers for its ELMS campaign, which will also include the 24 Hours of Le Mans, pending entry.

A total of four Oreca 05s have already been sold to teams, with two teams still yet to be announced.

“I am happy to welcome Thiriet by TDS Racing within ORECA again” said ORECA Group CEO Hugues de Chaunac. “The technical skills and sporting qualities of the team are obvious. They are the kind of teams that we’d rather have with us than against us.

“The history we share together is lovely – the first win and the first ELMS title – and I am convinced that some more successes are ahead of us.

“This will be the ORECA 05’s first year, therefore we have to remain moderate, but we have one goal in common: to win, and especially at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“Together with Xavier Combet and Jacques Morello, we’ve already found our working habits again. Actually, it’s as if we’ve never stopped working together.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John