Mailleux: “Signature, a big family”

You are going to start your fourth season with Signature (which will take the name Signatech Nissan in endurance), what pushes you to re-sign every year?
Signature, it’s a big family. I get along very well with Philippe (Sinault, Editor’s note). We started on a very good basis in 2008 with the VW partnership in F3 Euroseries. And if we had not had the expected results at the time, the team is reaping the rewards now (by outrageously dominating the 2010 season, editor's note). Philippe is aware of this and wants to thank me for it. For three years, we have been linked in endurance. We are writing a great story, especially at Le Mans. I hope it will last a very long time. I also work very well with our Technical Director Eric Mommey.

Disappointed to leave the LMP1 category?
I always wanted to fight for victory. And since I didn't manage to get noticed enough by Peugeot or Audi in previous years? LMP2 is a category that will allow us to play at the forefront, and that is what is most motivating for a driver. We will have to go to coal to win. Last year, we were sometimes forced to do waiting trips.

What do you think of the outbreak of ILMC?
This is the championship I wanted to be at the start of. We are talking about the beginnings of a world championship. As far as I'm concerned, I think it already has all the makings of a world championship. All that's missing is the name. I am delighted to take part in legendary races like Sebring or Petit Le Mans. These trials make me dream.

Do you have any feedback regarding the Oreca 03?
We received news from Eric Mommey, who is still in contact with Oreca. There is a relationship of trust between Signature and Oreca. We also have very good feedback from the pilots Nicolas lapierre and Soheil Ayari. I trust them completely when it comes to the development of the car.

If the Signatech Nissan project (new name of the team in Endurance) is only just beginning, what will your objectives be?
We will aim for first place, after which we also have to put things into perspective. We still don't have much information regarding the performance of the Oreca 03 and the Nissan V8. However, we are confident because we are starting on solid foundations. We are here with victory as our goal and we will do everything necessary to achieve it. We will drive on the Paul-Ricard circuit before flying to Florida just to settle in well in the cabin and already use some automatic systems. It will be more of a shakedown than development. In Sebring, we will therefore try to run a clean race, without necessarily relying on pure performance as we will perhaps do in the second half of the season. Above all, we will have to finish the race, score points, and not compromise our chances for the championship. And of course prepare for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In particular, you will have to face Honda (Honda Performance Development), the current benchmark in the category?
Honda is several years ahead of us, and has an extremely fast car which has little left to prove and which notably has an overall victory at the Budapest 1000 km on its list. We don't have to get up to speed. The bar is very high. We know the rivalry that exists between Japanese manufacturers. It's up to us to do what we can to beat them.

Are you going to discover Sebring, an atypical American circuit, a former military airport with tarmac in poor condition?
I'm totally into it, playing video games and constantly watching on-board cameras. I'm starting to know Allan McNish's comments by heart in his turn in 1:44:9 (laughs!).

Pierre Ragues left for OAK Racing, Vanina Ickx for Kronos, are you going to discover new teammates?
I have a little pang in my heart because Pierre and I have been riding together for two years. He is also off to a great program with a very good French team. And I find it nice to see OAK Racing and Signature pulling out all the stops on projects. This is very good for French motorsport. As for Vanina, I hope that our old Lola-Aston Martin now in the hands of Kronos Racing will be on the starting grid on June 11, because it is always a pleasure to be on the circuits.