Olivier Quesnel: “Loeb had broken incredible times”

It is by bike thatOlivier Quesnel agreed to take part this week in our column Carpooling, which became Copédalage for the occasion. The opportunity to return with the former head of Citroën Racing and Peugeot Sport on his career between his responsibilities in motorsport and the world of the press.

The epic of Peugeot 908 in Endurance and more particularly to 24 Hours of Le Mans logically remains one of the major moments of Olivier Quesnel's career. After the success of 2009, however, Peugeot was unable to achieve success again in the following two years.

“This race [in 2011 at Le Mans] was incredible. But we had been cursed. With the Audis, our operating ranges were contradictory. When it started to rain lightly, we went uphill hard but the rain only lasted long enough to say so.

And then Audi had this slow puncture. They would have had it in another place, at another time, it was over for them. With ifs, we remake the world. »

The former head of the Lion sports entity also discusses the possibility of seeing Sébastien Loeb slip into the seat of the official 908, notably in 2010. “I drove it at Motorland Aragon, and he set incredible times and had the best relay.

But he finally declined. Villeneuve wanted to come back but I needed a collective. And there was Kimi (Räikkönen). He rode very well, but something didn't work for him. »

Discover our Copedalage with Olivier Quesnel in its entirety, in issue 2191 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version and on newsstands.