LeSports by Eurasia Motorsport, which will compete in the 2016 European Le Mans Series and at the 84th 24 Hours of Le Mans, was officially launched at a Guangdong International Circuit (GIC) in China on Wednesday (30 March).
The team is the product of a newly established and wide-ranging partnership between Eurasia Motorsport and LeSports TV, which has a comprehensive content platform and media rights for more than 200 sporting events worldwide.
In a move that is indicative of Asia’s growing interest in endurance sportscar racing, LeSports will livestream each and every round of the 2016 European Le Mans Series, as well as the 2016 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, through a new and innovative partnership with Eurasia Motorsport, announced to the world at an official launch attended by Cyrille Taesch-Wahlen of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and more than 80 media representatives at the GIC (Wednesday 30 March).
A priority will be to produce uniquely Chinese ELMS content and a camera crew will be positioned inside the LeSports by Eurasia Motorsport camp to follow the team and mainland Chinese driver, Kevin Pu Jun Jin, for the duration of the season.
The all-Asian team, which amalgamates world class driver development, international engineering excellence, local knowledge and the highest standards of preparation, boasts broad and wide-ranging foundations in single-seaters and Pro-Am sportscar racing.
Eurasia backed up a remarkable record in Asian motorsport with a hugely successful learning year in the 2015 ELMS and, as a result of its achievements, it has earned a position on the Le Mans starting grid at Circuit de la Sarthe with its brand new ORECA 05 Nissan LMP2 prototype.
Last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans attracted an audience of more than 30million television viewers and 630,000-plus trackside spectators and the need for an expanded 60-strong entry is testament to the French endurance classic’s ever-increasing popularity.
LeSports’ live streams in China will undoubtedly increase the following again and Eurasia Motorsport Team Principal, Mark Goddard, is proud to have the broadcaster’s support.
“LeSports is an invaluable media platform for global sports brands and will boost all aspects of Eurasia Motorsport’s presence in China,” said Goddard. “It is known for providing an enhanced viewing experience to Chinese fans and one of the core aims of its extensive live coverage of the European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans is to inspire and encourage a generation of top-flight homegrown drivers from China to race in and enjoy this amazing sport, just as Kevin Pu Jun Jin has done.
“We hope to demonstrate Eurasia’s driver development capabilities and show that others can follow in Kevin’s footsteps by working their way through karting, the Formula Masters China Series and into LMP racing with the Eurasia Motorsport team.”
Goddard continued: “A camera will be present in the Eurasia garages at each and every round of the ELMS to record anything of interest for the live programming and it will be particularly great to make a big splash during the team’s maiden appearance at Le Mans. To be seen throughout China opens up all sorts of opportunities for the team and Kevin (Pu Jun Jin), and we’re obviously delighted that LeSports has come aboard for what is a very exciting chapter in Eurasia’s history.”
LeSports by Eurasia Motorsport revealed its brand new ORECA 05 Nissan LMP2 prototype at the official ELMS Prologue at Circuit Paul Ricard last week (22-23 March), with Tristan Gommendy, Pu Jun Jin and Nick de Bruijn all shaking down the car ahead of Silverstone’s curtain-raiser on 16 April.
