Philippe Alméras, cured of Covid-19: “As if you were breathing at altitude”

First of all, how are you?

It's much better than last week. I had severe breathing difficulties which was absolutely not normal since I had no particular health problem. I went to see the doctor, there was no screening, no treatment, I was sent home with almost no information. The doctor even took my vital card directly from my hand, even though I offered to insert it into the reader myself!

Do you think you contracted the virus when you were undergoing tests in Barcelona during the first half of March?
Not sure, because in Catalonia, we were there on March 10. I'm thinking more about the following week. In Barcelona, ​​I didn't have too many contacts: we didn't go to lunch in the circuit cafeteria, we were in the box, we worked a lot. In the team I was the one who protected himself the most and who repeated the instructions to everyone. With the help of certain pilots, we put rules in place and provided bottles of hydro-alcoholic gel to wash our hands at all times. I have no sick pilot, no sick mechanic, no sick engineer.

As early as February, the factory had implemented strict hygiene measures. On the plane, which was rather deserted, I was next to my father. So it's a bit of bad luck... I have three children too, wasn't it rather brought home from school? We have quite a few friends in the town who have been sick.  

So you had a little feeling worse and it returned to normal after a few days?
Yes, it lasted two or three days. I didn't have a cough, but fever and fatigue, not continuously. A runny nose, a scratchy throat. On the other hand, respiratory discomfort, as if you were breathing at altitude: you have the impression of inhaling but you are not oxygenated. But now I'm ready, the season could start!

Unfortunately, it's not going to be right away... How is confinement going for the team?
Everyone is at home, on partial unemployment. We were ready to start, the cars are stickered, serviced, ready to go. Everything is on pause because we have no work in progress. We are dependent on the reopening of the circuits and the reorganization of the championships.

And at the same time, how does the Alméras garage work (Porsche dealership/Peugeot ) these days ?
It's a little different, the two companies are separate, we don't have the same issues but it's no less complex. We have the right to welcome customers, subject to being able to respect certain standards, in particular the wearing of masks, hydro-alcoholic gels available, respecting barriers of 1 m between customers. But according to the latest news, we are not able to have a mask. It's ambiguous: we would have to maintain the activity while respecting rules... which we do not have the means to respect! 

In terms of competition, we are preparing to experience a season spread over only four to five months. How do you approach this?
If politicians want, sports authorities can. All that remains is to know if they want it too. The big problem will be the reopening of the borders. We have disciplines with international teams, all of them offer meetings abroad.

It is enough for there to be a country that is late with the management of the epidemic and that creates a destination where we will not be able to go. Italy will perhaps be the first to come out of it, but will the Italians be able to come and race in other countries? It's a global problem. There is such a big gap in all European policies that it will be complicated for sport, events, etc. 

And regarding the pilots, do you have regular contact? Do they have a schedule to follow?
Yes, in that regard, things are going very well. We launched the team Martinet by Alméras in e-racing, in the Porsche Supercup Virtual championship. We did the collective tests last Sunday, the manufacturer opened a private platform to check that the packages were working well, that everyone could connect. The cars are exactly in the colors, with our sponsors. And the first round will take place on Saturday, with free practice, qualifying and two 20-minute races. The races will be broadcast live on YouTube.

They only concern drivers, and not gamers who have already been able to compete virtually at the wheel of Supercup for some time. This is a Porsche franchise exclusively reserved for professional teams. So, it's the little breath of fresh air in this context because it's quite hard to anticipate things until we have the new calendars. At the concession level, we can have a vision, but on the sports programs, it is vague.

It is impossible to establish a scenario in advance, logistically for example. It is also a headache for service providers mobilized in different championships. We know that the Carrera Cup round follows the 24 Hours of Le Mans which were moved in September, but it is not clear if we follow the repositioning of the sleeve DTM in Monza, for example. Porsche can also decide to go racing in Jerez or Valencia in November-December, it remains entirely possible. We just have to wait!