Oreca, on pole, aims for “zero faults”

Oreca, one month after the 24 Hours of Le Mans, replaced the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP in the spotlight. In the furnace of Portimao, the Lioness, piloted by Nicolas lapierre, placed itself at the head of the pack, ahead of the three other LMP1s, the two Lola-Rebellions and the?Aston Martin Signature. If the 908 is the clear favorite for the race (start at 18 p.m.), Oreca does not want to claim victory too soon. The failure at Le Mans is still very recent but the pole at Portimao underlines the good work done by the Var team.

« Pole is always good and it allows us to score a point in the championship » explains Nicolas Lapierre, pole sitter again. “ The gaps are reduced, so you will have to be wary of the competition which has gotten closer since the day before. One of the positive things is that we only did two laps in qualifying. More importantly, the Peugeot handles really well. We found a good balance and the car remains constant over time. This will be crucial for this event, as will traffic management. »

Hugues de Chaunac, for his part, was also very cautious. “ Winning pole is always important. This allows us to approach the departure in the best conditions. That being said, we must remain focused on the race, with one goal and one ambition: zero mistakes to win. The LMP1s with petrol engines are close. They will be serious competitors. The tests yesterday were positive: the team and the drivers did a “good job”. »

The start of the race will be at 18 p.m. French time, with an arrival scheduled for midnight. At the wheel of the Peugeot 908 Oreca, Olivier Panis will start, before being relayed by Stéphane Sarrazin then Nicolas Lapierre.