Le Mans – Sébastien Loeb Racing ready for the deep end

Two years after his debut on the Le Mans circuit during Test Day, the Sébastien Loeb Racing returned to Sarthe in preparation for its first participation in the Le Mans double clock. The Alsatian team had its work cut out for it since it had to test the new Oreca 03R package as well as the new Michelin tires. In addition, Vincent Capillaire, René Rast and Laurens Vanthoor had to complete the ten regulatory laps to be able to take their first steps in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The presence of Jan Charouz who has seven starts at Le Mans (with a second place in LMP2 in 2010 with Oak Racing) was useful for Sébastien Loeb Racing which still lacks experience in Sarthe. The Czech was the first to take the wheel of the No. 03 Oreca 24R. “Overall it was a good day because we followed our plan to the letter”, comments Léo Thomas, the technical director of the tricolor structure. “We had many things to discover, whether it was the Oreca 03R or the new Michelin tires and, strangely, there is never enough time at Le Mans! More seriously, we completed exactly the number of kilometers we wanted. We still have some work to do on the settings, but we have a good top speed, and a good passing speed in the corners Porsche."

In total, the Sébastien Loeb Racing LMP2 completed 79 laps with the four drivers invited for the Test Day. René Rast set the best time for the crew with a lap completed in 3'40"171, the eighth fastest time in the category during the second session. “The pilots worked well”, adds Léo Thomas. “Jan was consistent as usual, Vincent needs to ride a little more to express himself more and René has potential. Laurens also made his contribution. It was important not to miss each other today to approach the race week calmly. It's up to us to improve this day in the days to come, but it's a good start. »