Craft-Bamboo Racing will be fighting to claim both the FRD LMP3 Series drivers’ and teams’ championship titles in Zhuhai, China, this weekend. The #95 Ligier of Mathias Beche and James Winslow currently sits first in the drivers’ and teams' table, eight points ahead of second place. With such a small margin of points heading into the final round in Zhuhai, the #95 Ligier will need to produce another weekend of top results if they are to take the crown this Sunday. Unfortunately, Beche is unable to join the final round due to scheduling clashes with his WEC calendar and will leave Winslow to fight for the sole drivers' championship claim. Beche will be replaced by Super GT driver, Hiroki Yoshida, from Japan. Alex Tagliani and Greg Taylor are united once again in Zhuhai and the pair is eager to finish the season on a high note. After some near podium finishes in the #20 Ligier JS P3, which is currently fifth overall, the pair are looking to fight back this weekend and show what the #20 is capable of.
Hiroki Yoshida is an experienced driver with a strong background in Super GT. In 2016 he piloted a Ligier JS P3 in the Asian Le Mans Series, making him the perfect fit to replace Beche for the crucial final round. Both Winslow and Yoshida have driven together before, racing the Ligier JS P3 for the final three rounds of the Asian Le Mans Series in 2016. Thanks to their previous pairing and experience behind the wheel of a Ligier, Winslow and Yoshida should be quick to find the pace and put the #95 ahead of their closest rivals in the KCMG and PTRS entries. Winslow has driven the LMP3 Ligier in Zhuhai before and will be able to help get Yoshida up to speed at the 4.32km circuit in the first practice sessions in preparation for qualifying.
Alex Tagliani and Greg Taylor are back behind the wheel together for the first time since round one and the pair are keen to build upon their performance and take the #20 Ligier to its first podium finish of the season. Now with two rounds each behind the wheel of the #20 Ligier JS P3, Taylor and Tagliani are well prepared to finish the final round of the season with a strong result. Both drivers will be working hard early on to get acquainted with the 14-turn Zhuhai International Circuit and will be applying the knowledge gained from the past three rounds to dial in the perfect setup. With the team’s continued development of the Ligier and utilization of data collected over the past three rounds, Craft-Bamboo hopes to provide the #20 pair with an optimal setup that will allow them to start both races ahead of their rivals.