OAK: Promising tests at Petit Le Mans

The main objective of these tests was to allow the drivers to get their bearings on this atypical route which presents some difficulties. The team was then able to work on the set-ups and test the endurance of the tires. According to the team, despite the heat and rain that followed over the course of these two days, the objectives were achieved and the performance of the cars proved promising.

« We can therefore hope for a very good result in the race, notes Sébastien Philippe, the team manager. However, we still need to work on reliability. Like the drivers, the cars suffer from the heat which can reach more than 40 degrees on the ground. We had some power steering problems in LMP1, undoubtedly linked to the particularity of the famous Turn 1 where the lateral force reached 3,5 G. However, the performance is there and we are aiming for a double on gasoline with our two crews: Matthieu Lahaye, Guillaume Moreau and Pierre Ragues on #15 and Olivier Pla, Alexandre Prémat and Jean-François Yvon on #24. A long race with very dense traffic and numerous safety cars, the American specificity, awaits all drivers. Strategy and consistency will be decisive. Free practice on Wednesday and Thursday will be an opportunity to make adjustments and allow us to position ourselves in relation to our competitors.»

For Olivier Pla, who with Alexandre Prémat was the architect of the first overall podium for the Le Mans team in ILMC, at Silverstone, “ithe two days of testing were very constructive. Everything good I thought about the car was confirmed. We are on the continuation of the Barcelona tests and the race at Silverstone. Road Atlanta, where I rode in 2008, is a fantastic circuit as it should be in Europe. You have to be able to let go and gain confidence. And that?s a real treat. But the big difficulty remains traffic management. On Saturday, we must not make a single mistake and stay as much as possible in the diesel laps. And if the opportunity presents itself, know how to seize it like at Silverstone », Warned the Toulouse resident.