Pescarolo: “I am morally destroyed”

Henri, we'll find you in the press room, consultant for the 24 Hours. How do you feel when you see the cars passing by?
It's intolerable. It's a disaster for me. I can't get over it. I try to do correctly what I committed myself to as a consultant. But I am morally destroyed. I see myself down so much with my team, my car, what we could have done, what we should have done? It?s really very hard to bear.

The disappointment therefore does not fade. Is your regret growing stronger as the hours go by?
Yes of course. The more hours pass, the more I tell myself that when you fall into the hands of an incompetent person, someone who is completely dishonest? which is the case of the one who took over my stable (Jean Py, editor's note) - it was difficult to predict what was going to happen. If I had been able to anticipate a little and guess what his motivations were, or his lack of motivation, we would have had to organize ourselves differently. Now it's too late. I never imagined that cars which were automatically pre-qualified would be forfeited. It was unthinkable. I have a lot of regret, sadness. Especially for the team, who are going around in circles in the workshop, doing nothing, with two cars under a tarpaulin and great projects evaporating.

Another element which must reinforce your regret, we feel that there was room to do well?
When I see what the “petrol” cars have done, we could have done something good. Well, we would have been far behind the diesels, because these cars have evolved in a completely uncontrolled manner. But we would have been ahead of the Astons. It would have put us in an interesting position to race.

The goal is to return in 2011?
Yes, my goal is to try not to die right away. I'm fighting like crazy to try to find money. At the moment, the context is not too favorable. Finding budgets is difficult, but that?s the objective.

You launched a site to support your 2011 project. Are you touched by the messages of support you receive?
Yes of course. We did this because we received so many requests from people who wanted to express themselves that we made a tool available to them. Indeed, it warms the heart to see how much people identified with Pescarolo Sport, how much they supported us and loved us. For me, it could be a good way to demonstrate to potential partners that, if thanks to them, Pescarolo Sport restarts, there will be a wave of enthusiasm around this project from which they will be able to benefit. But it sure warms the heart.

We see a banner in front of the pit line: “ Le Mans without Pesca, it?s not Le Mans.” It must also be fun?
Yes, we have a lot of supporters. The whole of Sarthe identified with this green car because it is green because of my helmet, they are my colors. But it is green because of the colors of Sarthe too. It's true that we have had our group of supporters in front of the stands for several years, and they are still there this year, waiting for us.