Le Mans / ELMS – Gommendy: Alpine remained in the hearts

How did you get on the team? Alpine ?
Philippe Sinault asked to see me a few weeks ago and told me about the plan to put me on the car. It was very pleasant news and a source of great pride even if the final decision is quite recent.

What are your first sensations behind the wheel of theAlpine #36?
All this was decided very late. We didn't have much time to get into a suitable driving position. The objective for me is to discover the car and get used to the technical staff that I already know after having had a first experience with Signatech in 2003 (in Eurocup Formula Renault V6). For the moment we are content to get our bearings on the car. We have no special requirements, we will see this in the next tests.

What are your ambitions for this 2013 season?
It is above all to satisfy Alpine and the team while respecting the instructions. The objective is to do the best possible job based on the package we have, drawing out its quintessence. We don't have any written goals that I know of. We must aim for the best possible result; we would not mind a few pleasant surprises.

How do you feel about wearing the colors ofAlpine ?
I think that'Alpine will be one of the most followed cars in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Alpine has remained in the hearts of all French people and the LMP2 category will be very strong this year with around twenty cars and several very high level manufacturers. It may be a pressure but we have to do the best job possible by driving freely when we are a professional driver.