MOTOR SPORTS NEWS

Latest News

  • Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah & Mathieu Baumel storm through to win Jordan Rally for 15th time in VW Polo GTi
  • Goodyear FIA ETRC is back in action this weekend, as the new season kicks off in Misano, Italy
  • WRC rally legends toast championship’s 50 golden years
  • 2022 Jordan Rally – positions after SS6 – Nasser leads
  • Nissan JUKE Hybrid Rally Tribute: where hybrid meets adrenaline
  • Home
  • News
  • Dakar
    • DAKAR 2016
    • Dakar 2015
  • Cross-Country Rally
  • Notice Board
  • Rally
  • Motorbike
  • Touring Cars
  • Circuit Racing
  • Events
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Pinterest
    • RSS Feed
    • Linked
    • Youtube

Strong start ends in frustrating finish for Murphy Prototypes

Apr 12, 2015


  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
Tweet

The Murphy Prototypes team came away from the opening round of this season’s European Le Mans Series at Silverstone on Saturday (11th April), satisfied in the knowledge that their pace was good enough to challenge for a podium position, but disappointed that for them, the race finished an hour early, when an electrical issue brought the car to a premature halt.

After setting the fastest lap time in the pre-season test at Paul Ricard three weeks previously, the team was pleased that the pace carried over to the two test sessions at Silverstone on Friday. Then, on Saturday morning, lead driver Nathanaël Berthon overcame traffic issues and a track surface with very little grip to put the Murphy Prototypes Nissan-powered Oreca 03R into P5 for the race.

First to drive in the four-hour race was the youngest of the team’s three drivers, 23-year old Michael Lyons. A clean getaway from the rolling start saw him maintain his grid position into the first corner, whilst behind him other competitors were not so orderly – the resulting accidents causing the safety car to be deployed for four laps.

Holding station for the first 30-minutes, Lyons then moved up to fourth, following an impressive move on the car ahead of him as they negotiated slower traffic. 20-minutes later, it was time for the team’s first pit stop and, after taking on more fuel, he re-joined the race for the second half of his double-stint.

Lyons delivered a strong performance and, after a further hour of racing, he returned to the pits to swap with the oldest of the three drivers in the Murphy Prototypes line-up, 61-year old Mark Patterson. The work the whole team had put in during the previous day’s practice sessions was clear to see from Patterson’s performance and throughout his 50-minute stint, he held his own against the rest of the LMP2 field.

With one-hour and ten minutes of the race remaining, it was then the turn of Berthon to do what he does best, his target: to put the Murphy Prototypes team on the podium. But then, with more incidents out on the track, as he went to leave the pits a second safety car session was called. It was at just the wrong time for Berthon and, although when racing recommenced he was holding fifth place, his task of getting into the top three was made all but impossible.

But just a few minutes later, any opportunity of a top result was eliminated, as the car coasted to a halt with just over an hour of the race left to run. It was a bitter blow for the whole team, who had worked extremely hard on the lead up to the race to ensure the car was as competitive as it could be against the competition – especially when it was found that it was a small electrical issue had caused the engine to cut out.

The team will now return to its nearby Brackley base to assess the problem and has already vowed to come back fighting for the second round of the ELMS: the 4-hours of Imola (Italy), which takes place on 17th May.

For further details and to find the latest news on the Murphy Prototypes team, plus images and videos, visit the Facebook page or the team’s brand new website: www.murphyprototypes.com

Greg Murphy, Team Principal (Dublin, Ireland)
“Of course, we are all disappointed to end our weekend this way, but up until the last hour the car was running perfectly. The team did a great job leading up to the race and there’s no doubt the car was competitive. All three drivers performed really well: Michael was exciting to watch and battled hard throughout his double stint, Mark put in a solid performance and also did good job, whilst Nathanaël’s pace may well have got us into the top three. We’ll just have to wait until next time to get onto the podium.”


  • tweet
Related articles
  • Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah & Mathieu Baumel storm through to win Jordan Rally for 15th time in VW Polo GTi
    Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah & Mathieu...

    May 22, 2022 Comments Off on Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah & Mathieu Baumel storm through to win Jordan Rally for 15th time in VW Polo GTi

  • Goodyear FIA ETRC is back in action this weekend, as the new season kicks off in Misano, Italy
    Goodyear FIA ETRC is back in action...

    May 20, 2022 Comments Off on Goodyear FIA ETRC is back in action this weekend, as the new season kicks off in Misano, Italy

  • WRC rally legends toast championship’s 50 golden years
    WRC rally legends toast...

    May 20, 2022 Comments Off on WRC rally legends toast championship’s 50 golden years

  • 2022 Jordan Rally – positions after SS6 – Nasser leads
    2022 Jordan Rally – positions after...

    May 20, 2022 Comments Off on 2022 Jordan Rally – positions after SS6 – Nasser leads

More in this category
  • Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah & Mathieu Baumel storm through to win Jordan Rally for 15th time in VW Polo GTi
    Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah & Mathieu...

    Comments Off on Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah & Mathieu Baumel storm through to win Jordan Rally for 15th time in VW Polo GTi

  • Goodyear FIA ETRC is back in action this weekend, as the new season kicks off in Misano, Italy
    Goodyear FIA ETRC is back in action...

    Comments Off on Goodyear FIA ETRC is back in action this weekend, as the new season kicks off in Misano, Italy

  • WRC rally legends toast championship’s 50 golden years
    WRC rally legends toast...

    Comments Off on WRC rally legends toast championship’s 50 golden years

  • 2022 Jordan Rally – positions after SS6 – Nasser leads
    2022 Jordan Rally – positions after...

    Comments Off on 2022 Jordan Rally – positions after SS6 – Nasser leads


Fleet Car Magazine

Notice Board

  • Killarney Forestry Rally to raise funds for Air Ambulance
    Killarney Forestry Rally to raise funds for Air Ambulance

    Feb 03, 2022

    TweetRally drivers from across Ireland will help fund...
  • McHugh’s Service Station, Ballindine Mayo Stages Rally, 6 March 2022
    McHugh’s Service Station, Ballindine Mayo Stages Rally, 6...

    Jan 27, 2022

    TweetMayo & District Motorsport Club, organisers of the...
  • Osian Pryce takes second British Rally Championship victory in a row at Cambrian Rally – 4th BRC win for Creighton
    Osian Pryce takes second British Rally Championship victory...

    Oct 31, 2021

    Tweet William Creighton takes his fourth Junior BRC win of...
  • Audi Sport electrifies with U.S. star Ken Block
    Audi Sport electrifies with U.S. star Ken Block

    Sep 24, 2021

    Tweet Electrifying addition to the brand with the four...
  • Formula One Car by Car 1990-99 by Evro Publishing
    Formula One Car by Car 1990-99 by Evro Publishing

    Apr 16, 2021

    TweetThis instalment in Evro’s decade-by-decade series...

Categories

  • Africa Eco-Race
  • Baja
  • BRC
  • Circuit Racing
  • Cross-Country Rally
  • Dakar
  • Dakar 2015
  • DAKAR 2016
  • DAKAR 2017
  • DAKAR 2019 PERU
  • DAKAR RALLY 2018
  • EV Motorsport
  • Events
  • EverGreeens: Irish Abroad
  • Extreme E
  • Forestry Rally
  • Formula 1
  • Hillclimb
  • IndyCar Series
  • Interview
  • Middle East Rally Championship
  • Morocco Rally
  • Motorbike
  • News
  • Notice Board
  • Rally
  • RallyX
  • Related products
  • Review
  • Sportscars
  • Touring Cars
  • Tribute
  • Truck Racing
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • WRC
Tweets by @IrMotSportNews

Recent Posts

Nissan JUKE Hybrid Rally Tribute: where hybrid meets adrenaline

Nissan JUKE Hybrid Rally Tribute: where hybrid meets adrenaline

May 20, 2022

TweetFollowing the release of images last June to celebrate Nissan’s participation in the East African Rally 50 years earlier, the Nissan JUKE Hybrid Rally Tribute has come to life. The JUKE...
Read More
Test of the Audi RS Q e-tron and the Ducati DesertX in Sardinia

Test of the Audi RS Q e-tron and the Ducati...

May 08, 2022

Entries Open for Rallye du Maroc 2022 Edition

Entries Open for Rallye du Maroc 2022 Edition

May 02, 2022

Extreme E marks Earth Day with Amazon programme visit

Extreme E marks Earth Day with Amazon programme...

Apr 23, 2022

M-Sport to pursue Dakar ambitions with Neil Woolridge Motorsport

M-Sport to pursue Dakar ambitions with Neil...

Apr 14, 2022

Copyright 2016 / All rights reserved