William David: “I almost died at Le Mans in 1996”

This little “yogurt pot” is very beautiful, does it have any particular value?

It belonged to one of my sisters, who passed away in 2008. It was her favorite car, and my father found one for her that she fixed up back in the day. He tinkers with it a little and constantly improves it. It will never be sold. It now has disc brakes. It touches me that she is in a photo in AUTOhebdo. 

How did motorsport appear in your life?

I didn't choose any of this, my father started it all. He had his little garage in the streets of Pau, nothing too important. As for racing, he was into autocross. He built his own frames. Its engine was a 1300 Gordini. By one point, he missed the title of champion of France. It was truly a passion for him. He put me on a motorcycle very early on before I was even able to ride a bike. Until I was 16, for leisure, I did a lot of Motocross but I wasn't crazy about competition. One day, I don't know how, he sat me in a kart and it clicked! He must have felt something. We therefore participated in two seasons of karting, between the ages of 16 and 18. 

William David © Fabien Gérard

You arrived late!

Yes, but it was really nice. This allowed me to understand the basics. In the garage, my father and I tinkered with everything ourselves, from A to Z. We drove at a regional level and were able to participate once in the French championship, because at the time, it was competing in an event.

As a child, what were the disciplines or events that made you dream?