Patrick Pilet: “Don’t have regrets and don’t focus on others”

2017 marks the big debut at Le Mans of the new Porsche 911 RSR, with its engine placed in a unique rear central position, putting an end to the almost immutable nature of the rear overhang. With this revised and corrected frame, Patrick Pilet immediately shone in IMSA, narrowly missing victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona. The Auscitain hopes to benefit from a mount to his advantage here in Sarthe.

“The 911 RSR handles really well, the former winner of the Porsche Carrera Cup France confided to us. For my part, I did not ride in WEC this year, and there are some small differences on the car compared to IMSA: the BoPs are not the same and we do not have the same ride heights. We ride a little “higher” here, and as a result, we don’t have the same downforce. But the car is really well balanced, and this was felt from the Test Day. We clearly feel the aerodynamic improvement with the rear extractor. It is much easier to drive. »

Faced with competition led yesterday in Q1 by Aston Martin et Ferrari, Patrick Pilet, associated this year with Richard Lietz and Frédéric Makowiecki in the No. 911 91 RSR, does not wish to look towards his opponents.

“We are making our way, trying to find the best possible car for the race, comments Pilet. You have to have a consistent car, because all the manufacturers have come up with tire solutions that are a little too soft compared to the expected temperatures. We have more heat. We have to try to do a double or triple stint, which we didn't manage to do in one go. We did it with stops in the middle, but that never reflects true tire wear and performance. We will use the second qualification to work for the race, and in the third, the times could improve.

We did a real qualifying lap yesterday in Q1. I think we are the only ones to have driven consistent times compared to the Test Day. Personally, I could have done better. There was a lot of traffic and I made a mistake on my last lap. We could have finished 5th, but clearly not the time of the Aston Martin and the Ferrari.

What we are missing is VMax in sector 2. We know very well that with our naturally aspirated engine when it is hot, it is a little more penalizing. We changed a lot of things between Wednesday and Thursday, but I think it will be complicated to pick up the Aston Martins and the Ferraris on one lap. »

Ride at 100%

However, one parameter seems to reassure the Frenchman, the reliability displayed by the 911 RSR since the start of the year. “In recent years, we have not been at the level we should be. The priority is to be reliable. We have to try to do our 24 Hours using just fuel and tires. We have to race at 100% of our potential. We will see where we will be at the finish, if it is 1st or two laps. You must not have regrets and not focus on others. The only thing we can control is us. »

If the Balance of Performance did not benefit Porsche last year, Patrick Pilet hopes to be able to play his card this year. “We are trying to communicate with the ACO and the FIA ​​to put our cards on the table with them. I think we've changed the way we work with them and that's the way for the future. We want everyone to race hard and everyone to have a chance. »