Jean-François Lehalle: “Michel Hommell took me out of my architecture office”

Hello Jeff. Thank you for welcoming us to this magnificent ledge of Èze (Alpes-Maritimes. Editor's note). How did you get into this world of car racing?

I came from my two brothers… The eldest was a motorbike enthusiast and raced a Norton 500. The second was an optician and passionate about photography. One day, the biker told me that he was racing in Montlhéry and that he needed me to do the signage for him. It was quite unusual, since he was traveling in a 2CV from which he had removed the rear seats and the right one to place the Norton across. I agreed to accompany him, a bit forced, and I had to find a place in the venerable Citroën. Against all expectations, I liked it. The next time, I didn't need to be asked twice and asked my other brother to lend me a camera. At the time, I was a student at an architectural drawing school, and it wasn't long before I found a job in a firm just a stone's throw from my home. I worked there for a few years, while also going on these escapades with my brother, during which I took more and more photos.

How do you go from two to four wheels?

Discovering the world of motorbikes pushed me a little to take an interest in the world of cars. One day, in L'Équipe, I saw a small article explaining that there was a new travel agency specializing in motorsport. It was called "Start" and had a man named Daniel Gérard as its president. I signed up for a trip to Magny-Cours. Originally, it was supposed to be a coach trip, but since there were only four of us, it was by car. Daniel introduced us to Johnny Rives (see Carpooling Ah n°348. Ed.) and Roger Jonquet, journalists at the famous sports daily, and a few drivers. Having had a good weekend, I repeated the experience afterwards. It