Pescarolo: “We are dead”

How do you react to the proposals made by the ACO?
There is nothing announced that we did not already know. The most interesting thing announced is that there will finally be a consultation of the teams and manufacturers. For ten years I have been participating in 24 Hours of Le Mans as team director, I have never been consulted on a regulatory project. If this consultation takes place and our proposals are taken into account, it will be a revolution.

What the ACO announced gives you hope for the years to come?
Each time we act three years late. In 2006, I wrote an open letter to demonstrate the power gap between “petrol” and Diesel, knowing that this was only in its infancy. Today?s decision should have been taken three years ago. With adjustments, we could have achieved an equivalence. It was not done, the decision was taken too late. In three years, a stable has time to die.

Can the “petrol” cars still fight at Le Mans?
They are already dead, gasoline cars. It's a miracle we're still here! How can we keep partners when we tell them that we can only achieve eighth place at Le Mans? If it continues like this, we will be wiped out. Fortunately, there are decisions taken that are going in the right direction thanks to the arrival in particular of Rémy Brouard (DG of the ACO, editor's note). Otherwise, will it be very complicated when there will be Diesel, “gasoline”, hybrids, electric cars? The only rule to apply, whatever the technology, is that everyone has the same power for equal weight. If we act three years late, by only doing half of what we need to do, we are dead.

Isn't it complicated to fight knowing that victory won't come at the end?
It's so complicated that I shouldn't be here anymore. I lost all my partners last year. It?s normal, I tell them that I can only play for seventh place, since last year we were behind the Audis and the Peugeot , or six Diesel cars. It?s more than discouraging. It amounts to saying that we are dead.

Pescarolo Sport will be at Le Mans again in 2010?
We try to fight to be the best every time. But it's obvious that we can't wait for someone to give us equivalences. I don't know if the team will still be alive next year.