Sébastien Baud (McLaren): “We know we can win”

Sébastien Baud, after your second place in Qatar, how are you approaching Imola?

We're starting with a good frame of mind. We had a great race in Qatar. We're pretty happy, despite a few minor technical issues that, fortunately, didn't penalize us too much. I hope James (Cottingham) will qualify the car in Hyperpole. The goal, for me, would be to go for pole. Imola is a return to European circuits that are narrower and less wide than what we had in Qatar, with a lot of traffic, as we saw last year. We'll have to be very calm, take the race step by step. The goal is to go for a podium, or even victory. We finished second in Qatar, just behind the Corvette. We're going there with a bit of a revenge spirit: we know we can win. We'll do everything we can to get there. After that, we'll have to see how it goes with the extra weight, because finishing on the podium means you lose some weight. We hope to position ourselves at the top of the field at Imola and get a good result to stay in the title race from the second round.

In Qatar, you finished just behind the Corvette you were in last year. Isn't that a little frustrating for you?

Yes, a little. However, it's also a lot of joy for my former teammates, especially Dani (Juncadella) with whom I had a great feeling, who really helped me develop. He's a very experienced driver, we saw him win again in LM P2 last weekend in Barcelona with IDEC Sport. There's a little frustration because we worked a lot on this car last year to make it a car capable of winning. And now it's winning, so in a way, it's a form of accomplishment too. I'm very happy to have joined the family McLaren. It's a real big family, and with United Autosports, there's incredible racing experience. With my teammates, Grégoire (Saucy), has already driven in Monaco in Formula 3 and James, knows GT very well, we form a very homogeneous crew. I'm happy to join this team. My goals are clear: to be recognized as the best Silver in the field this year, to stand out. And with the hyperpole, we can put ourselves forward more than in the past.

Is the goal to move up to the Hypercar category quickly?

My goal is first and foremost to become a real reference in GT racing, quickly. Obviously, if an opportunity arises to join a Hypercar team, I will seriously consider it. It all depends on the opportunities. There is a very good feeling with McLaren, even though we have only been working together for a short time. I really like their way of doing things. They will arrive in 2027, so why not be in their good books to continue with them for two years and join their Hypercar project. I want to become a pillar of GT racing, to stay at the WEC, and then see what the future holds for me. Of course I want to move up to the next category, but first we have to prove that we are among the best in GT and why not also gain a little experience in LM P2 to complete all that.

What are your ambitions regarding the 24 Hours of Le Mans ?

It's a legendary race. When I was little, I used to go to the side of the track with my father. Motor racing is a real institution in our house. My father did the Dakar Rally, the Monte-Carlo, and my sister is in the World Rally Championship this year.as co-driver of Mathieu Franceschi in WRC2 from the Rally of the Canaries. Ed.). We grew up with this dream that our father passed on to us. I've always been a fan of GT and motorsport, even before I got into it myself. We knew Stéphane Sarrazin well, who drove in LM P1 (five podiums at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ed.) and also did rally with my father. It was magical to see him and talk with him. Last year, doing my first 24 Hours of Le Mans with Corvette was crazy. It's a legendary brand with a huge number of victories. I was proud to represent this brand. This year, the goal is clear: to get a podium with McLaren for the 30th anniversary of the victory of the F1 GTR No. 59. A victory would be a dream come true and would give us hope of competing in the premier class next year and taking the overall title.

Interview by Cyprien Juilhard

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