Duval: “Have the best possible preparation before Le Mans”

Loïc duval, what was your program since Bahrain?

There has been a lot of work here (at Versailles Satory. Editor's note) internally to summarize the three races of 2022 (Monza, Fuji, Bahrain), the directions to follow, etc. We were able to see where the performance and reliability issues were, because we weren't where we wanted to be at that time. Things have been tested, with quite a few test sessions since (Castellet, Portimão) and we have another big one coming soon (a 36-hour test is planned at MotorLand Aragón next week. Editor's note) to check that the choices were fair. And then, direction Sebring (Prologue March 11 and 12, race March 17).

What assessment do you draw from the first three races?

The outcome of having done the shopping is very positive, we were happy to do it. We learned a lot and it showed us some things. In terms of performance, it's 50/50. There were some very positive things, but we were also surprised by our lack of performance in certain places on the circuits. In terms of reliability, as much as we thought it was not bad after Fuji (we had a little problem with the cars, but not much), in Bahrain we were disappointed to have the problems we encountered. We encounter a problem, we fix it and that leads us to another problem, etc.

Duval: “A progression curve over the three races”

Il y a malgré tout une courbe de progression sur les trois courses avec de la compréhension, du travail en tant qu’équipe et nous avons continué de parfaire un peu tout cela pendant les séances hivernales. Il va encore falloir faire un grand pas en avant, car nous avons vu qu’à Daytona, hormis Porsche et BMW, cela s’est plutôt bien passé en ce qui concerne la fiabilité. Cela reste un circuit peu demandeur pour les machines, mais Cadillac et Acura ont été plutôt bons à ce sujet.

Have you felt any progress during the latest tests carried out?

Yes. I was not able to make direct comparisons between the old and new configurations in terms of pure performance, but I was able to realize that there had been positive developments in terms of feeling compared to negative points that we could have as pilots. We have made good progress on this, there is still more to come, but the feelings are rather positive compared to what we had in Bahrain.

What do you expect from Sebring? 

It's a continuation of last season, so a gain in performance, feeling better in the car, being able to become more one with it even if it's complicated with these cars. With the regulations, they are very cumbersome. It will be harder than with a DPi for example, the last car I drove there (2nd in the 12 2022 Hours of Sebring with JDC-Miller MotorSports. Editor's note). It will be important to bring both cars to the finish during the next three races without encountering reliability problems to have the best possible preparation before the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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