Marcus Amand – Victor Bernier: “We were a group of friends”

Do you remember your first meeting?

Victor Bernier: It must have been on the Angerville track (Essonne), in 2014-2015, when you were doing mini karts, don't you remember?

Marcus Amand: Angerville? No.

Victor: He doesn't remember anything at the same time. (Laughs) I would say it was in those years, but it's impossible to explain our meeting.

Marcus: For me it was when you started coming to PB Kart.

Victor: Marcus had been there since 2014, I arrived in 2017. That's where we started to know each other well.

So what was the starting point of your friendship?

Marcus: Our parents were friends, so we always had our two campers parked facing each other on race weekends.

Victor: We ate together, we had aperitifs together. Well, not us, our parents! It was also Bertrand Péchon, the team manager of BP Kart, then the best French team, who brought us together.

In 2018, when Victor won his world championship title, Marcus you finished sixth. Did you go to congratulate him?

Marcus: I don't think I went to see him, I hated him. (Laughs) I was happy for him, but not to the point of going to tell him, and then his whole team celebrated with him. It was cool that a Frenchman won.

The following year, you won your European title. Victor, did you follow his season?

Victor: Of course! I was in F4 France, but I still followed him. I knew it was working and that the European championship was in the bag. You were too strong on the four meetings!

Marcus: No, not all four!

Victor: Three out of four, you were above the rest…

How do you explain that despite your two-year age gap, you are so close?

Victor: Marcus was always two years ahead of everyone. In karting, he was 10 years old and was already in cadet. Even in OK Junior, you arrived very young.

Then at the FFSA Academy, you were together at the school in Le Mans. How did that happen?

Victor: Those were great times… even though we weren’t very good students. Marcus often got yelled at, it was very funny.

Marcus: In truth, Sami (Meguetounif. Editor’s note) was the best.

In 2021, you find yourself teammates in ADAC F4. What memories do you have of this year?

Victor: I was very happy to be with Marcus and Sami. Unfortunately, on the sporting side, we were slow all year. I finished 4th in the championship, but it was a "robbery" because we were at a standstill.

Have you ever gotten into a fight?

Marcus: Honestly, it's never happened, except maybe on the simulator.

Victor: But it remained friendly!

And hooked?

Victor: I don't think so with you, but with Sami at least two or three times.

Marcus: En Karting ?

Victor: Yes, but also in a car, in FRECA. Sami was clashing with everyone in a kart. (Laughs)

When Marcus arrives in FRECA in 2022, you are again on the same starting grid, but in competing teams. Has this changed anything in your friendship?

Marcus: Of course, a little, because we almost never saw each other. We talked at the briefing and that's it.

Victor: You were in your own world, kid!

Marcus: Yes, but that's kind of the case for every pilot. In FRECA, we do so much data and analysis that we're focused only on ourselves and our work.

Victor: There was definitely a change, because it wasn't like in F4 where we spent our weekends together on the track and our weeks at school. We saw each other every day. Apart from a few small family restaurants, we didn't see each other very often at that time. Even on the track!

You have left the universe of car at the same time. Have you talked about it?

Marcus: We each did it in our own corner. (Laughs)

Victor: It's war. (Laughs) I knew Marcus was going to CLRT, because I had a little source.

Marcus: It's true that we didn't really discuss it. I knew that Victor was going to GT and the Porsche Cup was the most obvious choice. Afterwards, he could have done proto or another championship.

Victor: I thought he was going to continue in single-seaters for one more season. His choice to move towards the Cup and the Endurance afterwards is very good. It saved time somewhere and maybe I should have done it earlier.

And find yourself here in the Porsche Carrera Cup France?

Victor: It's really nice. The atmosphere is good, it's a change from FRECA! Over there, half the drivers are your enemies. They don't say hello to you even though you haven't done anything wrong to them.

Marcus: The single-seater has become a bit special and it's a shame. Here, everyone chats. Porsche even organized a training camp. It was really nice to get to know each other.

Would you like to share a car in Endurance?

Marcus: That would be really cool, in a Hypercar!

Victor: Oh yeah, that would be super cool. Even in GT!

How would work be if you shared the wheel?

Marcus: Better than at R-Ace GP. Back then, we were a group of friends. We laughed too much. We were less mature and today we would know when to laugh and when not to laugh. And we shouldn't have a third friend there, no Sami. (Laughs)

Victor: Three French people, that's way too many!

A little anecdote to finish?

Victor: When we were in the karts, Marcus would spend the day in his camper. He was like his brother. (Laughs) He would be in the bed in the back with his twin sister watching something not interesting at all.

Marcus: Little Secrets Between Neighbors (reality TV show then broadcast on TF1. Editor’s note).

Victor: Ah, that's it! Do you remember the Poker Star era too?

Marcus: Oh yes, that was really good. At school, every night, we played a fictional version of Poker Star with the two Samis (Dhahri and Meguetounif. Editor's note).

Victor: Marcus didn't understand the game and was going crazy! Plus, he wasn't in boarding school yet, but in a foster home. If he wasn't in bed by 21pm, he was getting scolded!

Marcus: So to play, I whispered into my microphone so as not to get caught and it made us laugh a lot.