Bourdais: “Very good surprise”

For Sébastien Bourdais, a new season is beginning. If the Frenchman shone during the second half of the 2009 Superleague season, everything has to be done again: new team (Laurent Redon), new club (Olympique Lyonnais), the recent second in the 12 Hours of Sebring must be patient before aiming the podiums again.

But, despite this new situation, Sébastien Bourdais still stood out at the front. The Frenchman, during the group stage of the qualifying session, had the best time in group B, on a dry track, reaching the quarter-finals. He then fell, on a wet track, against Max Wissel (FC Bale), future pole-sitter. In the end, the Frenchman achieved an almost unexpected eighth place for Jean-Michel Aulas' club.

« We don't even know how we ended up P1 in the first session! », says Sébastien. “ It was a very good surprise, but in the wet, I had never driven before and we got the tire pressure wrong. There was a challenge in the dry, but I'm happy with the team, who worked until 4 a.m. these last two days to finish the car in difficult conditions. They did everything they could with what we had. We are still starting much better than we could have expected. »

Tomorrow, from 12 p.m., Sébastien Bourdais will start in eighth position in the first race at Silverstone, scene of the first round of the Superleague Formula season. The starting grid for the second race will be established according to the reverse classification of the first race. Finally, a super final will bring together the six best drivers of the weekend.