Peugeot wants to drive the point home

It was difficult for Peugeot to better start the first edition of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. The opening round of this championship recently created by the ACO, contested at Silverstone, saw the French team sign a resounding double, while Audi only managed to bring one car to the finish. The Lion now has a comfortable lead at the top of the provisional general Manufacturers classification.

It now remains to be confirmed next week in Georgia, during the 13th edition of Petit Le Mans, on a fairly winding Road Atlanta route. A track which could allow the Audi R15 plus to be closer to the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP in pure performance than was the case in Great Britain.

“The duel we experienced at Silverstone will probably start again and keep us in suspense, but this time over 1000 miles or 10 hours, explains Bruno Famin, the Technical Director of the Peugeot Sport team. There are always a lot of twists and turns in American races. The regulations are not the same when it comes to safety cars and wheel changes. You have to be sharp and above all very reactive in terms of strategy. It is this experience that we have always come to the US to prepare for Le Mans. Today, in the ILMC context, it is also a new victory that we are aiming for to increase our points capital.

Last year, rain played an important role during this race. The event was also interrupted much earlier than planned due to poor weather conditions. Victory then went to the duo Stéphane Sarrazin-Franck Montagny, just ahead of their friends Pedro Lamy-Nicolas Minassian, thus closing a prolific 2009 for Olivier Quesnel and his men with a magnificent double.

“With Franck we won last year, says Stéphane Sarrazin, freshly crowned with a second Le Mans Series title. It’s a wonderful memory because it was a success which put an end to a series of second places! We obviously come to try to do the same with an even more advanced car both in the dry and in the wet. I am very happy to find Pedro Lamy, my former teammate from 2007 and 2008.”

“I want to score at least one victory with the 908 this year, continues Franck Montagny. I have to hurry, there are only two races left! It is true that I would like it to be at Petit Le Mans in this very special atmosphere. Is it very atypical? It suits me well! »

The two Frenchmen will once again be associated in the seat of the No. 908 Peugeot 08 HDi FAP, and will therefore be supported by the Portuguese Pedro Lamy. The sister car, which will sport the No. 07, will see a trio taking turns at the wheel composed of the Briton Anthony Davidson, the Spaniard Marc Gené and the Austrian Alexander Wurz, i.e. the crew seen at the wheel of the n°1 at Le Mans, and winner of the last 12 Hours of Sebring.