IMSA Performance Matmut came back from Silverstone with the sixth (ELMS) and seventh place (WEC) which is not the reflection of the performance during all the week-end for the team, winner of the ELMS GTE-AM 2011 and 2012 Even the result is not relevant of the goals, the team took positive learnings of this first meeting of the season. ELMS race started on Saturday afternoon. Patrice Milesi at the eighth position on the grid won two places before the first entry of the safety car, due to an outgoing of a LMPC.
Just after the opening of the pit lane, the V de V 2012 winner put wet tyres. He succeeded to pass through difficulty and brought the car n°67 at the sixth place to his teammate Wolf Henzler. All the hope was possible for the Normande team because the official Porsche driver ran against amateur drivers less experienced with condi- tions more and more difficult.
Unfortunately, the German driver didn’t make a lap on the race, he stayed on the track for 40 minutes behind the safety car. After that, the organisers stopped the race because of a lack of security.
With out a bad weather, the team could pretend to a better result. At IMOLA, Wolf Henzler will be in ALMS and will be replace by another official Porsche driver, the American Patrick Long.
It was under better weather conditions as Jean Karl Vernay took an excellent start on the Wec race on Sunday and drove to the fourth place behind the top three. Then he gave the flywheel to Raymond Narac who exits the pit lane at the third position, thanks to the rapidity of the IMSA’s mechanics. Second for a time, the Rouennais has slip because of oil on the track due to a contact between two cars. With time to get back on the pit lane and repair the car, the car n°76 lost a lap and the hope of a podium.
After that, Christophe Bourret took the relay and saw the damages on the car; it became very understeering in rapid turns because of the loss of aerodynamic parts. The three drivers used the car at its maximum one after one.
With the level of the teams engaged in GTE-Am, time lost can’t be regained, and the tricolored Porsche finished the race at seventh place. With- out this incident during the race, the team could pretend to podium.
Jean-Karl Vernay ■ «I think I have reached a new level during the race. I gave everything on my last relay but it wasn’t enough. The team made a fantastic work, we had the means to get good result, but things don’t go perfectly. That’s race. »
Christophe Bourret ■ «At my first lap I understood that the balance of the car was affected by the runway excursion. I had to adapt my driving to try to com- pensate the lack of support at the front. Our engineer found the good words to motivate myself. I have not dropped. We have the means to do well and we will be present at Spa! »
Raymond Narac ■ «When I took my relay, I was not in confident with the car but lap times was good. When I arrived in Becketts, I saw the track change of colour, but it was too late, I couldn’t do anymore. I serve of alert for the cars behind me. I’m disappointed for all the team, mostly which the potential is there. »
Patrice Milesi ■ « It was Beyrouth on the track! I only thought at one thing, bring the car entire. Except a contact with Nick Tandy (who came to apologize after his relay), it was mission accomplished. We had a good strategy, but the weather decided otherwise.»
Franck Rava (Team Manager) ■ «The two teams made a really good job in difficult conditions. It is a pity that the weather didn’t allow us to fully express ourselves in ELMS. In Wec, we had also a playing card and the podium was within our reach, the Astons were unattainable. Raymond arrived the first on an oil plate it’s the race. We will continue to work, but despite the bad result this week-end, the team is on the good way »
Source : IMSA Performance Matmut