Lilou Wadoux (Richard Mille AF Corse): "Working hard to prepare for the race as best as possible"

Teaming up with Custodio Toledo and Riccardo Agostini in the #150 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo, Lilou Wadoux will compete in her fourth 24 Hours of Le Mans.

What is your state of mind a few days before the 24 Hours of Le Mans?

In a good frame of mind. We've been preparing for this race since the beginning of the season, and even since last year. We have a virtually identical crew and car, giving us a solid foundation. We're ready. The goal this week is to work hard to prepare for the race as best as possible.

What are your ambitions?

It's always hard to say at Le Mans. There are so many things you can't calculate. The ambition is to do well, to give it our all, and if unforeseen events happen, that's just how it is. The real goal is to maximize everything within our control.

This is your fourth time participating. Do you feel a real progression compared to the beginning?

Naturally, with experience we become more comfortable overall, but Le Mans It's always a complicated week with little track time compared to everything else going on, a really unique week that we can't really replicate in training. What's different is that I've done other 24 Hours of Le Mans races, so I feel more prepared than I did five years ago, but I think it will still be just as tough.

Have you approached racing differently since your first time?

The first time, we try to experience everything to the fullest because we tell ourselves it might not happen again. Now, I try to rest and be ready for the race. To maximize what I can do during the week so I'm in top form on race day.

How to effectively manage these ten days, with the downtime, the Parade, the waiting?

I try to rest whenever I have a free moment: taking time for myself, doing things that are a little different, calling people outside of work, getting out of the routine, doing some exercise. We spend a week and a half in the same place, we eat in the same place, we see the same people. Getting out of this routine is good for clearing my head and recharging before the big deadlines.

Has your status changed? Are you more in demand, more closely watched?

It increases a little over the years and with the results, yes, but I try to keep the same approach: enjoy the moment while preserving some energy so as not to arrive exhausted at the race, and at the same time try to give to everyone.

You are only two women at the start with Dorian Pin in LMP2. Is female representation struggling to progress in this environment?

I think it's progressing. I see more and more girls starting very early at kartingAnd the more people who start early, the more likely it is that things will shift towards cars. Places are hard-won for everyone, it's never easy, but it would be wrong to say that there's no progress.

Is the Hypercar still a goal?

What I'm experiencing right now is already a waking dream: three championships (IMSA, ELMS(GT World Challenge), lots of races, a Pro car. That's what I wanted. If luck allows me to move up to Hypercar and I do things right to make it happen, great, but it's not an end in itself for me. My goal is to have fun, enjoy myself, and race in the cars I love. I love GT as much as prototypes. In a career, it's good to do both, but if you don't, it won't change much.

Does competing in multiple championships, including in the United States, represent an advantage in preparing for Le Mans?

Absolutely. Driving with different tires and different Balance of Performance (BoP) philosophies develops adaptability. In all three championships, every time I get in the car, it's to adapt. Driving on very different circuits is a plus, and it helps at Le Mans, which has many different types of corners. Ultimately, it's still Le Mans, and there are things we can't control: other cars, mechanical issues, mistakes… The best thing is always to try and adapt.

Comments collected by Michaël Duforest, in Le Mans.

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