Panis: “Fighting with Acura”

Olivier Panis, you were able to do some testing last weekend on the Road Atlanta circuit to prepare Petit Le Mans. What assessment do you make of it?
We had a lot of rain when we got here. On Saturday, we were only able to do around ten laps in the rain. On Sunday, we were also able to do a few laps in the rain before it dried and do a few runs in the dry.
The results are positive. The car, for the few runs we did, performed well. Compared to Audi and Acura who are there, despite the lack of experience we have with the track and the set-up, we are pretty good, it's encouraging. I find us efficient. In addition, the circuit is superb, it is really pretty and offers pace.
Romain Dumas joined us this weekend and it made us progress faster to learn the circuit, thanks to his experience (Romain Dumas raced in ALMS and is entered in Grand Am this season, Editor's note). He is also happy with the car. So we feel really good.

Did the victory at Silverstone (last round of the LMS championship) give you confidence? Or are you starting from scratch at Petit Le Mans, facing different opponents?
Silverstone was a culmination of the entire season, of the work put in by an entire team and drivers. It was a finality. But we come here with the desire to learn. Learn the ALMS, a different track, a different strategy due to the frequent exit of the Safety car. For the team to grow, it?s a great idea to come here. It?s good to ride alongside manufacturers to know where we stand at the end of the year.

Can the arrival of Romain Dumas in the crew help you to be more efficient?
Yes, the fact that Romain is joining us will help us better understand this race, thanks to his experience of American races and his knowledge of the track. His experience helps us a lot. He immediately integrated well.

The layout of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Audi and Peugeot far ahead, will it reproduce?
I think they will be much closer because the circuit is smaller. We will have a different card to play. We may not be able to beat them but we will be closer. These are very competitive races, everyone stays on the same lap for quite a long time and there are a lot of Safety Car appearances. We're already going to try to fight with Acura, which would be very good. If we manage to fight with them, while they are doing a very good job, that will mean that we are in the right car.

We know that you had expressed reservations regarding the equivalence between cars with gasoline engines and those with diesel engines. Do you think the 2010 regulations are going in the right direction?
Yes, this is going in the right direction. But, clearly, that's not enough. This is why I am still reserving my decision to continue or not. Contrary to what was written in a sports daily, which said that I had confirmed my presence with Oreca in 2010, this is not the case today.
I always said I wouldn't come back to Le Mans if I couldn't have fun with the good cars. Today, I'm still 50/50. There is a super positive side: I love it?Endurance, I love Le Mans, I love cars, I feel good in a team that has done an extraordinary job. But on the other hand, I am very disappointed by the regulations and by the attitude of the ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest, which governs the regulations of the 24 Hours of Le Mans), which does not want to understand what we ask for. I think it?s not good for the sport.
If they want to bring in other manufacturers and professional and private teams, it is not by doing what they are currently doing that they will be able to bring in people. They will rather succeed in making it go away. I am very surprised by this regulation and their attitude.
However, if I choose to stay, it will be because I have accepted it, so I will not talk about it anymore. For the moment, I haven't decided yet.

For the moment, are you only thinking about Petit Le Mans?
The objective is Petit Le Mans. We'll see after. I really want to stay because it’s a category that I like. Like I said, the team is doing a great job. Then, there is 2011 and new regulations, which will perhaps revive them. But I'm a little afraid of the Le Mans regulations and their attitude. I think they (the ACO) made an effort. But it is an effort to please, not to have real equivalences. So it doesn't suit me.

What are your plans for 2010?
I am sure of one thing, and that is that I will do GT next year. In France, surely, because I loved doing that. I think that with my teammate Eric Debard, we will leave together. It is true that I was approached by other teams? But my priority is not to change. I'm very happy where I am, we did a hell of a job throughout the season. It?s not a question of team but of fairness. After Petit Le Mans, I will take stock with Hugues (de Chaunac, boss of Oreca), with everyone, to see what 2010 will be like. Then, I will make my decision.