Mazda Team Joest has begun its European-based testing program, with a successful shakedown Tuesday at Hockenheim.
Jonathan Bomarito and Tristan Nunez handled driving duties of a bare carbon Mazda RT24-P, essentially running in 2017 configuration, at the German circuit, to provide baseline data for the team and manufacturer ahead of debuting a modified version of the DPi car.
It marked the first on-track test involving the ex-Audi LMP1 squad and Mazda, in a partnership announced in July.
Team boss Reinhold Joest was among those in attendance, along with a contingent of Mazda and Joest staff for the historic first on-track test.
While having started in wet conditions, the day-long shakedown on Hockenheim’s short corse is understood to have been trouble-free, with the car completing considerable mileage.
Initial testing with a modified version of the Mazda DPi is expected to begin in the coming weeks, before transitioning to a U.S.-based testing program in November, once Joest settles into its new Atlanta-based workshop.