Hugues de Chaunac: “a great team”

The Audi team having released its R15 plus at the start of the season, an evolution of the model seen last year, the managers of Peugeot Sport had made the decision, to help the "in-house cars", to entrust a fourth 908 to the Oreca team in 24 Hours of Le Mans. A car which, according to Olivier Quesnel, represented 25% of the brand's chances of victory, and which was taken into account in the strategy of the French manufacturer. During the Le Mans week, the Var lioness constantly appeared at the top of the timesheet, having nothing to envy in pure performance to her official sisters. The last survivor of the 908 clan and with a real chance of grabbing the podium, the Mondrian-colored car will unfortunately be forced to abandon a short distance from the finish, the V12 having given up the ghost in its turn.

“At first it is a cruel disappointment, explains the boss of the Oreca Matmut team. After a superb performance, we headed towards the podium. We remained second for a long time, before the transmission problem. Then we got back into the Audi at a breakneck pace. We have the feeling that we are coming very close to the podium, and it hurts. This disappointment is compensated, in part, by the course of the Oreca 01: our in-house prototype finished fourth overall and first in Essence. The team performed flawlessly during operations. The pilots also did not make the slightest mistake. There was a lot of work done. Today?s performance shows that Oreca has become a great team, well organized and capable of fighting with the big manufacturers. »

Indeed, within the team, there is nothing to reproach ourselves for. The team has once again shown that it is capable of taking on major challenges. But Le Mans remains a unique event, testing for both the men and the mechanics, and in which we cannot control everything, as Olivier Panis confirms.

“Unfortunately, it’s a race, affirms the Grenoblois. This is the magic of Le Mans, this is the difficulty of Le Mans. Throughout the event, we fought for the podium. Oreca has proven what it is capable of. The team and engineers did a superb job. The pilots were evil. Success is missing. It?s not just for us that it?s hard. »

Sparkling since its arrival in endurance, Nicolas lapierre once again showed everyone the extent of his talent. At the very start of the race, it was on him that all the television cameras were focused, when the young Frenchman masterfully resisted the attacks of Allan McNish, whose debut at Le Mans dates back to 1997.

“The team did a very good job, declares the 1-2005 A2006-GP champion. We said we would be in this, we showed it from start to finish. Without the transmission problem we would have fought for victory. Oreca was perfect in its operation and no one has anything to blame. We deserved the podium. Stopping like this, with 1h15 to go, is annoying and very difficult to swallow. I think we made an impression. More than people imagined. »

Make an impression. This is exactly what he did Loïc duval, who set off on Sunday noon to clock a time of 3:19:074, which will remain the lap record for this 78th edition. Fast, reliable, the young Frenchman, for his second start in Sarthe, dazzled more than one observer.

“I believe that we can only be fatalistic: when it does not want, it does not want, laments the 2009 Formula Nippon champion. The team had a perfect weekend. The crew too. I think we had a very good race and that's what makes the defeat so bitter. There is the disappointment of the transmission problem, but giving up like that after coming back so hard on the Audi is cruel. On the other hand, it will certainly remain a very strong moment. Fighting like this, being so close to the finish, is full of emotions. I hope we come back as strong in 2011 and that we win! »

2011 is still a long way off. But an ordeal like this requires months of preparation. Until then, the three tricolors will regain their respective championships. Before getting into the seat of the 908 again in the company of Nicolas Lapierre in mid-July for the 1000 km of Portimao, Olivier Panis will try to return to victory in the French GT3 championship on Saturday at Val de Vienne. Loïc Duval, for his part, has already got back behind the wheel last weekend at Sepang, during the 4th round of the Super GT. A race at the end of which he climbed onto the third step of the podium.

Find the full report of these 78th 24 Hours of Le Mans in your AUTOhebdo magazine on newsstands currently.