Late in 2008, Mazda France decided to back up Jacques Nicolet and his team for the two coming years. A little bit more than two months later, the now OAK Racing team’s boss talks about the shakedown of the Pescarolo car powered by Mazda. A few days before the official Le Mans Series Test Days, Jacques Nicolet is confident.

Jacques, how have you been since our last interview?
“I am very fine! The first Pescarolo-Mazda is ready for the Test Days. We will be there with one car as we planned. I am happy because the team has been working very hard. The car first started on February, 25th and its shakedown took place the day after. After the announcement of the ACO’s entry list, I drove back to Magny-Cours to be with my teammates and this first test session went well. This is why I am quite optimistic!”

Who first drove the car and what can you tell us about the test?
“Since I had to stay in Paris, Matthieu Lahaye was the first one on track. We didn’t need to push him (laughs). I joined the team after the ACO’s press conference. I didn’t want to leave them alone (laughs)! Seriously, the shakedown was very positive. We only had a few details to settle. We have discovered the Mazda engine, which is easy to use. In the same time, the Dunlop tires worked well. Even if we still don’t have the 2009 aero package, I found the car well-balanced.”

Was it also one of your first meetings with Mazda’s technical team?
“Yes it was and for now, I can only say that I hope things keep on going like that! Two AER engineers worked with us during this test session and they are in Magny-Cours again this week. We can feel that Mazda – MazdaSpeed as well as Mazda France – really wants to do things well, to do THE thing actually. The ACO summed the LMP2 class up as a Porsche versus Mazda duel, which makes crews more motivated.”

What is your work schedule for the Le Mans Series Test Days?
“We will work on the set-up, knowing that we shall have a “hybrid” aero in Barcelona before getting the new one later. I am confident for the HTTT: everybody enjoyed the car end the Pescarolo/Mazda/Dunlop package is already working well. It is as solid as a rock… and we can improve a lot. We have to get used to or to get used again to a turbo engine, which is a little bit different from an atmo-engine, but we won’t search for performance. We need to feel well in the car before being competitive. We scheduled other test sessions between now and Barcelona.”

Does the integration of a new engine bring a part of unknown?
“I won’t hide that we are a little bit worried… But I have good memories of our cooperation with AER. The reliability was there. And now, more than AER, we are backed up by Mazda. As I told you before, they really want to do things well.”

The shakedown of the Pescarolo-Mazda took place on February, 26th. It has not been the only good news of the day since your two cars are on the entry list of the 24 Hours of Le Mans…
“Is is clearly a pleasure. I am very proud for the team of this token of trust from the ACO. It is a great acknowledgement to be the only LMP2 team with two cars on the entry list, so we have to honor this trust. We will be part of an exceptional race. In LMP1, it is magical… and unique. In LMP2, the level is getting higher with teams getting more and more professional. The field is really beautiful.”

You have reached the podium in 2008, you now are backed up by Mazda and you have two entries. Is the pressure higher this year?
“Honestly, it is true that we are a little more under pressure. But the team is highly motivated. We want to seize this opportunity to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans in good conditions and I am actually not under stress. You should remember that this is a two-year program and this is the first time that we have known continuity. Our goal is to be sustainable.”

Do you put a figure to the results?
“Not really. We will take the results as they come. I am used to saying that the results come naturally. I want to build in a future prospect. This is why I am already working on 2010 and we organized ourselves according to our two-year project.”

Cécile Bonardel and Anthony Megevand