Policand, fastest driver at Le Mans with a Ferrari

The announcement of official return of Ferrari to the premier category for 24 Hours of Le Mans 2023 has excited the whole planet Endurance. After half a century of absence, the Team will build a Hypercar. However, the last time that a vehicle struck by the Prancing Horse attempted the Prototype adventure, it was in 1999.

Au milieu des équipes officielles (Toyota, BMW, Nissan, Mercedes, etc), the Jabouille-Bouresche Racing team is fielding a private 333 SP for the Italians Mauro Baldi and Christian Pescatori, as well as the Frenchman Jérôme Policand. Nearly 22 years later, the current boss of the AKKA-ASP team in Grand Tourism looks back on this experience.

“Jean-Pierre Jabouille wanted to make it a car suitable for Le Mans, which it was not initially (developed forIMSA in the USA. Editor’s note). The sidepods were curved on the original car, built by Michelotto. With us, they were straight. Jean-Pierre had passed the 333 SP through the wind tunnel. The bodywork has also been lengthened, of the “long tail” type, for better aerodynamic drag and less downforce. This had moreover strongly displeased on the side of Maranello ! "

Only reserved for Sarthe, this refined version is effective, as evidenced by the time saving compared to 1998, of around six seconds. But faced with overwhelming competition, the Ferrari was dropped to 14th place on the grid. “By the time I realized, it is still 10 seconds from pole position, recalls the Grenoblois. The Toyota GT-Ones were going too fast…”

The time of 3'38 "468 still left in 2021 the best time ever achieved by a Ferrari at Le Mans, although the route has been modified in the meantime. “I was equipped for the first time with Pirelli qualifying tires, which did not last two laps at Le Mans. The key is to have everything more or less “clear”. I almost got it, but I screwed up.

When I realized I had a clean lap, I let go too much at the entrance to the Ford chicane. I went too hard into the "left", I lost the car, I almost spun.

So, I had to go in first while she was skidding. It had to be put back in the right direction. I managed to finish the lap like that, even though I hadn't been bothered throughout the whole lap! »

The race will not leave a lasting memory. “We broke the box after an hour and then the engine. It was a little incomprehensible because we had driven a lot at Paul-Ricard (Var). We certainly didn’t do an endurance test because we didn’t have the means. The car was quite reliable until then. »

Now accepted in historic competitions, the Ferrari 333 SP has curiously never been so popular. « She has acquired legendary status, confirms Jérôme Policand. Besides, people talk to me about it a lot more now than 20 years ago! Fans send me photos from that period. Even though I have participated in Le Mans 13 times, I mainly receive photos from 1998 and 1999. It’s astonishing.

From a personal point of view it was a beautiful Ferrari, but what motivated the drivers was to find the best possible car. I was happy to drive it but it was not an ultimate goal. »