KCMG Drops LMP2 Effort for 2016

Photo: Vincent Wouters

KCMG will not return to the LMP2 ranks of the FIA World Endurance Championship this year, following a turbulent 2015 season that saw the Hong Kong-backed team miss out on the title.

Motorsport.com reports the Paul Ip-owned squad has pulled the plug on its P2 program for a full-season effort, having sold one of its two Oreca 05 chassis.

A decision on a possible GTE-Am effort with a Porsche 911 RSR, run in cooperation with Proton Competition, has yet to be made.

The team, which claimed class victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Richard Bradley, Matt Howson and Nicolas Lapierre, lost out on the LMP2 World Championship following a controversial incident at Fuji that resulted in a DNF.

A return to Le Mans, however, appears to be on the cards, via its auto-invite for winning last year’s French endurance classic.

“Everything is still under review,” Ip told Endurance-Info about 2016. “We’d like to run in the 24 Hours of Le Mans but otherwise nothing is confirmed at present.

“I have already spent a lot of money in FIA WEC and I wish to develop my business. KCMG will be present in ten championships this year.

“We must not forget that only four people make up [the WEC] team full-time.”

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