Alesi and Fisichella at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

At the end of the press conference organized by the ACO to announce the list of entrants for the next 24 Hours of Le Mans, many were surprised that the Ferrari n°95 AF Corse does not benefit from this famous sesame and is only third substitute. In fact this F430 was made up of a crew made up of two former pilots Formula 1, namely Giancarlo Fisichella and Jean Alesi.

But this year, withdrawals are legion. After the Modena team car the day before yesterday, it?s the turn of Peka Racing to withdraw from the GT category, to the delight of AF Corse and its amazing crew. Alesi and Fisichella will therefore be there, and although the name of Patrick Dempsey has often been mentioned, it will ultimately be the Finn Toni Vilander (their LMS teammate) who will support them. Double FIA ​​GT2 champion in 2007 and 2008, the Finn has the advantage of knowing the discipline and the car perfectly, and therefore serves as road captain.

« This winter, when I learned the names of my teammates, I really took it as good news, declares Kimi Räikkönen’s great friend. For me it’s really a boost. I don't know if you can really say that I'm a teacher. I just have more GT experience than them. They drove in DTM, but there you have to share the car. So I try to help them adapt. In endurance, you have to try to be strong and consistent, it?s a different mentality. I took part in the 24 Hours in 2008, and we had to withdraw due to a technical problem. We were disappointed not to have been able to finish, but the team and I learned a lot. This year we will present ourselves better prepared than two years ago »

For Jean Alesi, this selection will not be synonymous with his first participation. In fact, the Avignon native had already taken part in the event in 1989, the year in which he shared a Porsche Schuppan with Will Roy and Dominic Dobson.

« Last week, I spoke with Prime Minister François Fillon who asked me if I would be at Le Mans. And I was able to answer him yes, declares the winner of the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix at the wheel of a Ferrari. When I came for the first time, I was very impressed, especially since the Mulsannes were then just one long straight line. Last year, just before the start, I completed a lap of the circuit with Luca di Montezemolo and I was able to see the efforts that have been made for safety. And when you ride 24 Hours, it counts. »

For Giancarlo Fisichella, however, it will be a great first. The crew is fast, that’s for sure. Now it remains to be consistent. But the big debut went well, the trio having managed to climb onto the third step of the podium, for their first race together, at the end of the 8 Hours of Le Castellet. The Vilander-Alesi-Fisichella team will be one to watch on June 12 and 13 in Sarthe.

Find the full report of the 1000 km of Spa-Francorchamps in your AUTOhebdo magazine, on newsstands from Wednesday.