For Bailey Voisin and United Autosports, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is special. Last year, they stormed to victory in the 2021 GT4 European Series, winning the Silver Drivers Championship and the Silver Teams Championship at the Spanish circuit.
Now, Voisin is in his second year with United Autosports, contesting the European Le Mans Series (LMP3 class) with teammates Josh Caygill and Finn Gehrsitz – the Swiss born British driver will return to the track for the 4 Hours of Barcelona, this time in a Le Mans Prototype instead of a GT.
The season started well with a podium in Paul Ricard but a DNF in Imola blunted their title challenge.The season got back on track in Monza with a fighting fifth place finish, but the top step of the podium is the target for this weekend’s four-hour encounter.
We caught up with Bailey Voisin to talk about his season so far and the race here in Spain that holds a lot of good memories.
Q: How has your first season in the ELMS gone so far?What have been the highs and lows for you?
Bailey Voisin: “It's been really good, really enjoyable as well. I've had a great time with my teammates and the team as well. It's my second year with United Autosports, so it's nice to be back with them.They’re a really nice bunch of people and it honestly feels like family.
“So, it's great to be here, the car is very different to I've driven before, but I'm learning, slowly progressing and I'm getting there.
“I think kicking off the season at the first round in Paul Ricard with a podium was definitely a high of the season, and maybe a low would have been just the DNF in Imola, which was out of the team's control, out of the driver's control, it is just one of those unfortunate things.”
Q: Barcelona holds a special place for you and United Autosports after winning here in the GT4 European Series last season in a McLaren 570S GT4.This year you are back but in a Le Mans Prototype, a very different car.How have you adapted to driving an LMP3 car here?
BV: “It’s very different, there are so many different things to think about. Not only have you got two other categories on track at the same time as you, the car has a lot more downforce and a lot more power. So, racing in the ELMS, you have to be able to manage the traffic, overtaking and letting people through by minimising your time loss. The way I've adapted to the aero is just trusting the car, you got to build up to it, you can't just go flat out straight away”.
Q: What are your thoughts on the track here at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.Which corner (or corners) are your favourite and why?
BV: “Well, it's great to be back, I really do enjoy Barcelona.FP1 was really good, really quite promising. We finished fourth, so that was quite nice. Turn three is quite cool, just because it's barely a lift and you know, high speed and high G forces as well. I also quite like the chicane, which is really technical, it's very easy to mess up and not quite get right. So, you have got to be quite relaxed through there, it’s very easy to over push it and it cambers away from the corner.”
Q: You and your teammates Josh and Finn are currently 5thin the championship with 28 points but only 15 behind the leading drivers.What is the goal for this weekend for you and the team?
BV: “I think if a driver says they're not thinking about the championship, they're lying, everyone's got it in the back of their minds, I think it is important to not just concentrate on that and concentrate really on this weekend. We've got such good package, Finn, Josh and myself, we all get on really well, we are really striving to progress, find time and try to better the car.
“So, we're just going to try and really maximise what we've got for this weekend to try and get the best result possible. It's going to be important to qualify towards the front, potentially in top three, top five sort of area, which I certainly think is doable.
“ELMS is such a long race in the Four Hours of Barcelona. So, anything can happen in those four hours. So, whether you get hindered by it or you can take advantage of it, it's just important to be able to maximise what is what is presented to you. So hopefully we will be able to be alright in qualifying tomorrow and finish the weekend off strong.”
