Anthony Beltoise shines at the 24 Hours of Spa

Anthony, how did you end up in the seat of the Gulf Team First Lamborghini for this event?
This year I am participating in the FFSA V de V Series (at the wheel of a Ferrari F430, editor’s note). Regularly, with Fabien Giroix (boss of Gulf Team First, editor's note), we both find ourselves on the front row and we fight each other at the start of the race. We already knew each other before, but now, racing against each other in the same championship brought us closer. He told me about his project to have Gentlemen drivers who have no experience in motorsport racing (see AUTOhebdo n°1764, currently on newsstands). He was looking for a professional pilot to support them. So I offered him my services.

Despite a retirement 1h30 from the finish, what do you remember from these 24 2010 Hours of Spa?
Victory was not achievable. The goal was simply to have fun. It was good for me to discover another GT3 than theAston Martin that I drive in the French FFSA championship. The race didn't start very well. We realized that the front splitter was loose, which was causing terrible vibrations. So we had to change it, which cost us a lot of time. Subsequently, one of the amateur drivers in my crew had the front right of the car torn off by a Ferrari. For my part, the first time I got into the car, I did a double stint on slick tires in the rain. So it was more of a survival relay than anything else. On Sunday morning, around 7 a.m., I came out of the pits right in front of the BMW which was leading the race. So I regularly looked in my mirrors so as not to bother her when she passed me. But one, two, three then four turns went by, and she hadn't taken anything back from me. And in fact I did my entire stint in front of her. The next day, when I got home, when I looked at the ranking sheets, I realized that I had achieved the best time in the GT2 and GT3 categories combined. It's a great satisfaction, especially since I haven't driven here for a long time. And it’s also very rewarding for the team. The Lamborghini is fantastic. Its strong point is the torque of its engine and braking. This year, I don't have an international program, and it made me really happy to be able to rub shoulders with official cars and drivers on the track. I showed that I was still in the game. The results of the weekend are therefore extremely positive.

You are participating in the French FFSA GT3 championship this season, how is it going?
The championship is very good, and the level is very high, as good as the European Championship. The GT3s are fun to drive, even if perhaps too sanitized, perhaps too easy. The Aston Martin doesn't perform as well as the Lamborghini I drove last weekend. It is competitive on fast circuits, and would be very comfortable at Monza, for example. But it is not suitable for winding circuits like most French tracks. We have a lot of development work ahead of us with Prodrive. It is also in Prodrive's interest that this car performs well.

Alongside the French Grand Touring Championship, you are entered in the FFSA V de V Series. What is the outcome of this first part of the season?
Entre la Lamborghini, les Porsche Imsa, Xavier Pompidou's Mosler, there is competition, and the Ferrari is a sensational car. In fact I didn't know Jean-Paul Pagny (boss and driver of the Visiom team, which is entering the F430, editor's note). On the other hand, I knew Thierry Perrier, since I argued with him about Le Mans Series in 2007 at the wheel of a Porsche. In fact, when they learned that they could incorporate a professional driver into their crew, they called Michelotto (preparer of the Ferrari F430 GTC, editor's note) to ask if they could recommend a French driver. Having driven the last two seasons in LMS with the Farnbacher Ferrari, I often went to Italy for testing. That's how I was held back.

Do you have a particular goal for next season?
I would like to continue in the French championship. At the same time, I would like to participate in an international championship. Why not the FIA ​​GT3 or the future GT2 championship? GT2 is truly a great discipline, offering more tuning possibilities than GT3.

Find the full report of the 24 Hours of Spa in your AUTOhebdo magazine, currently on newsstands.