First 100% Peugeot line at Petit le Mans

?Today, my objective was to qualify the car in the top-4 because the race promises to be very intense. The session is over for me now. But are we going to wait a bit to celebrate? » A few minutes before the end of qualifying, Anthony Davidson did not want to declare victory too quickly. Since the start of the week, the gap separating the Audi R15s plus the Peugeot 908 is tiny. Finally, thanks to a fast lap completed in 1:07:187, the Briton retained his pole position.

“This is the first time since 2008 that I have been responsible for qualifying a car, and it is my first pole position since 2001, he exults. I am very happy, especially as the No. 08 will be alongside us tomorrow on the starting grid. Taking pole is certainly a great performance, but we must immediately concentrate for the race. I think the key to success tomorrow will firstly be to be at the finish. »

As the former member of Team Super Aguri attests in Formula 1, the first row will be 100% French, the Portuguese Pedro Lamy having also managed to beat the two cars from the brand with the rings.

“Two Peugeots on the front row is a good result, affirms the latter. The cars are very close despite different technical options. Anthony did a good job. »

The No. 07 of Davidson-Gené-Wurz ahead of the No. 08 of Lamy-Sarrazin-Minassian as the lights went out just now, this is a Georgian weekend which is off to a good start for the lion brand.

But be careful, the R15 plus are on the lookout. Benoît Tréluyer, who is nevertheless discovering the Road Atlanta layout, only conceded four tenths to the leading 908, at the wheel of the No. 9 which he shares with Marcel Fässler and André Lotterer.

“The conditions were mainly damp or wet and we did not want to take any risks given that the weather forecast called for a race on a dry track, continues Technical Director Bruno Famin. The three drivers of the No. 908 Peugeot 07 HDi FAP needed the most “driving” to learn the circuit, but unfortunately, Anthony went off the track Thursday evening during the night session. The car was not badly damaged and the mechanics were able to repair it overnight. They did a fantastic job. Qualifying is only a small part of our job this weekend at Road Atlanta. We must now prepare for the race which promises to be difficult. We have to be at the finish to score important points in the Intercontinental perspective Le Mans Cup. »

After a double at Silverstone, Peugeot started the first edition of the ILMC with a bang. But an Audi victory this weekend, and everything would be restarted. Winner last year, the Peugeot Sport team will do everything possible to achieve a second victory in a row in Georgia, and a second victory this season in the United States after Sebring. But at Audi, we don?t hear it that way. The German firm will be keen to recover a trophy which reigned for nine consecutive years in Ingolstadt, from 2000 to 2008.