Wilfried Merafina: “Riding in competition with my boys is a hell of a dream”

You have arranged to meet us at your TTM Compétition premises, in the middle of the Lameras which are built here. But it is a rather different car which will accompany our carpooling...

Yes and no. This is the Ford Mustang Bullitt. Its 8-liter V5.0 develops 460 hp. I received it in 2020. I like American cars and what's different. She has a good face. She is also the heir to an icon, the one driven by Steve McQueen in the streets of San Francisco. It is well placed financially with a very reliable engine. And it's a bit like the American cousin of our Lameras since Ford France has been the engine supplier for the Lamera Cup since the launch of the championship. I now have a special attachment to this historic manufacturer.

We'll talk about the Lamera again, but first, let's take a look back at your beginnings. Where does your passion for motorsport come from?

Of my father. He loves cars and BMW in particular. As a kid, I remember having a few of these in the garage. As I got into it, I started to get interested in it. And then on Sunday, I watched the Grands Prix with him on television. It was the Senna, Mansell, Cheers... I loved the commitment of the pilots, the battles they fought. Teams were already dominating, but less than today. There were fewer team instructions. The safety wasn't at all the same either, and I had a lot of admiration for the way the pilots managed risk.

Is it to bring you closer to the atmosphere of the Grands Prix that you started with the karting ?

Not quite. As a kid, school didn't interest me. So my parents