Scotland’s Colin Noble is all set to defend his hard-won Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 title, teaming up once again with fellow champion Tony Wells and Nielsen Racing for the 2022 season.
With thirty-one LMP3 cars entered for this weekend’s open round at Le Castellet, the all British squad know they will have an equally hard task as they had last year, where they beat Swiss squad Cool Racing by the narrowest of margins to secure the title. But they are more than ready for the challenge.
We caught up with Colin Noble after the one-day Michelin Le Mans Cup test to get his thoughts on the first race and the season ahead.
Q: 2021 was the year you finally took the MLMC title after finishing as Vice Champions in 2017 and 2018.What was the highlight of the 2021 season for you?
Colin Noble: “The highlight obviously was winning the title, but, race wise, here (Le Castellet) was a good one. We came through the pack to win and did the same at Monza. We made a lot of good races where we had to come from quite far back to win, which is always more satisfying.”
Q: Were there any downsides? Were there instances where you look back and you think I could have done better there or we had a bit of bad luck there?
“Yes, definitely. The last round was particularly bad, we actually ended up winning the title at the very end with a bit of luck. At the last round in Portugal, we played it very safe strategy wise, and it caught us out massively.”
Q: But isn't that motorsport? Sometimes you have the luck on your side. You've had your share of bad luck in the past, so perhaps it was payback time?
CN: “If you take the performances over the course of the season, we would have been due the championship.But we definitely could have done a better job and made it easier at the end.”
Q: You are back to defend your title with Tony Wells and Nielsen Racing.Will this unchanged line up give you an advantage as we head to opening race at Le Castellet?
CN: “We're going into this season as a known quantity, but the championship has got harder, most likely more than last year. We should be there or there abouts, but it's the same, we're going to have to get everything bang on to be in with a chance.”
Q: The entry list for the Michelin Le Mans Cup is the largest ever, with 31 LMP3 cars on the grid here in Le Castellet.Who do you see as your main rivals for the title this season? Is traffic going to be an issue this year with so many cars?
CN: “As long as the field stays compact, and when we get halfway through that the field’s close enough, I think we'll be on with the chance to fight for the win. As far as rivals goes, you could probably name ten people who are going to be up for the win this year. So, it's just who can get it right on the weekend.”
Q: Looking at the 2022 MLMC calendar, which is your favourite track and why?
CN: “Spa is always a good one for us. We always go well there as a pairing and then I’m happy to see Monza back on with the change of schedule. So those two are probably going to be the highlight.”
