The French at home in Magny-Cours

This season, the Superleague Formula has a strong tricolor connotation, with two cars in the colors of French clubs and five French drivers. In this context, the Magny-Cours round, the third meeting of the season, appears to be a good opportunity to shine at home. But, if optimism is there, no French driver imagines an easy weekend.

« Magny-Cours is a circuit that I really like even if it is very difficult to overtake, a bit like in Assen, says Franck Montagny, driver of car no. 33 for the Girondins de Bordeaux. We will see, but I think it will be complicated because the tires will suffer a lot and we will have to be careful about that. It promises to be difficult at the start, but should offer some very good races at the end. I competed there in my last race Formula 1 and I can tell you that I love this circuit. »

If the first weekend of competition at Silverstone was difficult, the Frenchman made up for it by achieving a podium at Assen. Before Magny-Cours, the official driver Peugeot en Endurance is confident. “ We understand each other better and better with the team. It works well. There are just a few more pieces of the puzzle missing and it should be fine. »

For his part, Tristan Gommendy, who rides for Galatasaray, is happy to find a circuit in France. But, faced with serious competition, the French Champion of Formula 3 knows that he will have to be irreproachable. “ I obviously know the track well since I studied there and won the title of French F3 champion. In addition, all the teams already raced there last year and have the settings for this track. This therefore promises to be very tight in terms of performance. Everyone is also concerned about the problem of tire degradation. It is certainly on this parameter that the difference will be made on the track »

Like his competitors, Julien Jousse (AS Roma) knows that nothing will be easy at Magny-Cours. But, on a track he knows, the 2008 vice-champion of Formula Renault 3.5 Series hopes to be able to do well and stand out in turn, after the podiums already achieved this season by Sébastien Bourdais (Olympique Lyonnais, victory in race 2 at Silverstone), Franck Perera (Flamengo, 2nd race 1 at Assen) and Franck Montagny (3rd race 2 at Assen).

« It?s a circuit that I know well even though I haven?t driven there for three years, says Julien Jousse. The last time, I raced in Formula Renault 3.5 and I placed 3rd in the race. Passing the Adelaide Hairpin may not be easy to negotiate given the sometimes difficult behavior of the car in such portions of the track. I hope to be able to continue the momentum from Assen and live up to my more experienced compatriots, Franck Montagny and Sébastien Bourdais. »