Carpooling with Éric Cayrolle: “I can’t plan my retirement”

Hello Éric Cayrolle, why this photo on the Pau circuit as an introduction?

Quite simply because that’s where my passion for motorsport was born. I was four years old when my father took me on his shoulders for the first time to the Pau Grand Prix (Pyrénées-Atlantiques). I was immediately fascinated by the spectacle. Since then, I don't think I've missed a single meeting in the heart of the Pau city. The photo was taken near the Foch statue in Beaumont Park. This is one of the most difficult places to negotiate with a long, never-ending curve between the rails. Then, we are faced with a form of chicane that we have to cut a lot before attacking the descent. As for the car, it's my personal BMW M8 Grand Coupe. I have always appreciated the Bavarian brand and since I won three Super Touring titles with BMW, I have remained loyal to this manufacturer.

Was your father a pilot?

No, he loved cars, the spectacle of racing, but he never wanted me to taste karting when I was a kid. He had principles and stuck to them. When I was 13 or 14, I did very well skiing in the Pyrenees. To the point that I could join the France Espoirs team through sport studies. My father refused and said to me very solemnly: “ My son, studies are done in Pau! »

So your beginnings date back to your majority?

Quite. As a teenager, I met René Saint Michel, the boss of a team from Pau who alig