Romain Dumas: “A work of real complexity”

What can we expect at Le Mans with this 007 LMH?

Obviously, when you come out of an LM P1 like the Porsche 919 which was running with 3'21" in the race, the comparison is impossible. Besides, the Hypercar is not made for that. Now, at what level can we imagine these cars compared to the regulations? It's hard to say. Yes, it will go slower. Now, I am unable to say whether we are wrong, right, a lot right or a lot wrong. Let's not forget either that the tanks are very large in capacity: more than 100 liters, almost twice as much as in LM P1. The performance gap when the tank is full or empty will be huge. All this put together, it's really complicated to predict the times.

What is your role in this type of private testing? 

I do a lot of “debugging”. We did this in Vallelunga then in Monza. On Monday morning, I took care of the traction control, but not only. When I drive after everyone at the end of the program, I can see the difference in the behavior of the car. In Monza, the sensations were quite surprising, it was pleasant to drive. 

Is there a hierarchy between the six drivers of the team? 

Everyone’s experience is useful. This allows the team to know more quickly whether the direction taken is the right one or not. I try to guide the team. At the end of the day, we ride to try to understand the chassis and the aero as well as to improve the set-up. This morning (Monday March 15. Editor’s note), we carried out aerodynamic measurements. However, we are only on the fifth day of testing. We are constantly trying to learn.

Find the entire interview with Romain Dumas in AUTOhebdo N°2304 available in digital version.