Oreca makes its mark in Portimao

It is in Portimao that the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP returns to competition, one month after the debacle of 24 Hours of Le Mans, during which the four Lion-stamped cars retired. In Portugal, Oreca must therefore regain confidence in the 908, even if the context is very different from the double clock tower at Sarthe, due to the configuration of the circuit, hilly and not very fast, and the race format (6 hours) . This Friday, during the three free practice sessions, the Oreca team worked patiently, with the declared aim of seeking victory this Saturday.

« We worked hard throughout the day, explains Olivier Panis. Even on worn tires, the car was still easy to drive. We tried new things during night testing and it turned out to be positive. The field is smaller than at the start of the season, but the traffic is really important. It?s not easy to manage, especially since some drivers are new to driving at night. Regardless, we've always gone in the right direction and I'm enjoying it. The atmosphere is good and the feeling is good. »

« The Peugeot 908 HDi FAP had never driven here before this morning (Friday), says Stéphane Sarrazin, who joined the Oreca team at Portimao, as at Castellet at the start of the season. The first rounds were therefore not necessarily easy. But we worked well, the drivers and the team. With Olivier and Nicolas, we have the same feelings about the car, which we find well balanced. The race will be long and the traffic is heavy. You can stay three turns blocked behind another competitor. This will be an important parameter to manage. In any case, we made progress during each session. »

« This night session was a good working session, affirmed for his part Nicolas lapierre at the end of the last run on Friday. We reviewed different types of tires and went through a number of adjustments. As there are few support races, the track is not smooth and it is still relatively dirty. But we have made the car evolve, in small steps. We now have a car that is much easier to drive, which is positive for the race. »