ELMS – Mailleux: “We didn’t have the right balance at the Red Bull Ring”

How did you find the race? Was it harder than elsewhere?

The start is always a difficult moment, due to the fact that these are sprint events. The speed difference between the cars can reach 60km/h in places and we can't take a breather at any time. But the GTs were very fast in a straight line, which caused particular situations where it was necessary to take more risks when overtaking. The race went well, but we were at the limit.

How was the Morgan-Judd on this route of the Red Bull Ring?

Like all the teams, we had to deal with this somewhat atypical circuit and compensate for the understeer. The Morgan was originally designed for 24 Hours of Le Mans and we were able to see last month how efficient this prototype was (dubbed the Oak Racing). But balance is more difficult to find on more winding circuits. Even completely unloading the rear of the car, we couldn't solve the understeer problem until the tires deteriorated significantly. The track was quite demanding on the compounds, particularly with the right front tire. We had to be patient despite the lively start. I didn't keep my tires on during my first stint and suffered during the second.

Your teammate Natacha Gachnang resisted several rounds ofAlpine A450 by Nelson Panciatici. She seemed comfortable in the car.

It was very fast, as has been the case since the start of the season. She has experience with car and she's smart about racing. We often judge a driver's performance by her times, but she was very efficient in traffic and was consistent in her performances. We are still in the learning phase with the Morgan, but we are doing quite well.

Are you confident for the next event which takes place at the Hungaroring?

It’s a track that I know and like. However, the weekend could be complicated for the prototypes because this circuit is not really suited to this type of car. We will have to be aggressive again in the race so as not to lose time in traffic. The race could be even more dangerous than here and I wouldn't be surprised if there were collisions. We will have to find the right combination of caution and risk-taking.

Discover the report of theELMS at the Red Bull Ring produced by our special correspondent in the next issue of AUTOhebdo, available from this Tuesday in digital version on all platforms, and from Wednesday on newsstands.