Hugues de Chaunac: “Oreca is interested in GT3”

How do your 24 Hours of Le Mans 2021?

With the closed session, the last edition was complicated. This year, it's not quite like Le Mans before, but we feel that it's coming back and so we move forward telling ourselves that it will be even better next year and that the anniversary in 2023 will be the best . At the start of Covid, we had concerns and we wondered what the sport would become, but in terms of work and projects, it is ultimately very positive. We perceive that things are starting again and I even find that there is almost a desire to make up for lost time. Everyone wants to speed up decisions. We arrive in a situation in Endurance almost exceptional.

Should the new regulations have very positive effects?

Along with others, we have been greatly involved in this subject. From the moment this was announced in January 2020 at Daytona, we immediately saw the accelerating effect with manufacturers. In 2023, there will be a pretty impressive plateau. From Oreca's point of view, with the success acquired with the LM P2, we are very well placed to be in this good wagon that Endurance will become from 2023. I observe it in a concrete way, because I thought spend the 24 Hours of Le Mans peacefully, but I had a lot of meetings. We feel a dynamic at Le Mans which is very positive. This year, it's really at the top and we know that it will be the same next year with the same regulations. However, I mainly look at the long term. I have always reasoned by asking myself where I will be in 5 years. It's not possible... but it's one of Oreca's strengths. We have constantly anticipated by planning in the more or less long term.

Exactly, how does the future of Oreca take shape?

For the next 5 years, between the LMDh, the new LM P2 and with 2 or 3 projects being considered at the moment, we are really in a good dynamic. We are going to launch the construction of a new factory on the Signes site with 2 levels and 5000 m2. With Covid, I stopped this project, but it has just gone green again and it should be completed in November 2022. It will be a very modern building in which we will increase our technological and technical quality. The upcoming projects will require us to recruit by also increasing our level in different professions which are becoming more and more important such as electronics or simulation. Our goal is truly to change categories. To make an analogy with football, if today we are a good L1 team playing in the top 4, the objective by 2023 is to play in the Champions League! David Floury will leave us next year (For Toyota) so we are going to sign a technical director who will arrive by the end of this year or at the beginning of next year and who will be the real captain of Oreca 2026-2030.

Is the extension of LM P2 a good decision?

Completely. It would have been crazy to put them in 2023 at the same time as the LMDh. First of all, there are enough technical issues for the ACO to resolve. Then, it was important for the teams to wait until 2024 because some are wondering about the LMDh and we should not force them to buy a car just for one year. I also think that this category should remain for racing car manufacturers and that it should be reserved for teams. They are the ones who must be put forward. It is important that these teams play a role in the pyramid so that when a manufacturer wants to come to LMDh, it relies on the best of LMP2.

Have any manufacturers already contacted you to establish their new LMDh on an Oreca chassis? Are you certain about partnerships for 2023?

The manufacturers do not wish to reveal their program, I cannot speak about it, but I am totally confident. We will be with two in 2023 and probably three in 2024. There will be an announcement by the end of the season. We wouldn't have the capacity to do 4 or 5 anyway. It's pretty well split between Multimatic, Dallara and us. I don't know Ligier's situation very well. We also have to be aware that the LMP2 market is going to be much smaller in the future. We will not have 25 LM P2s in 3 years at Le Mans.

Are there discussions so that theAlpine can do another season?

I think the ACO has the answer.

Can the arrival of GT3s in 2024 be an opportunity for Oreca?

We are interested in GT3. This is a reflection that is ongoing, but I prefer to remain cautious.

Is hydrogen also an area you have started working in?

We're not completely into it yet, but it's one of the additional projects we have ahead of us.