“Ambition, realism and humility,” are the words that best describe the state of mind in which the Team ORECA-Matmut is tackling the first round of the 2009 Le Mans Series. Two protos have been entered for the Catalonian 1000kms: no.10 for Stéphane Ortelli and Bruno Senna, and no.11 for Olivier Panis and Nicolas Lapierre. It will be the LC70E’s swansong, as the brand-new Oreca prototype will make its debut at Spa. Over the past several months the design office has been working on a completely new car. The Courage-Oreca racing in Barcelona will have the mechanical elements of the new prototype, while the team impatiently awaits the arrival of the new aerodynamics.
“We’ve made a wise choice by deciding not to race in Barcelona with the new aerodynamics,” explains Hugues de Chaunac. “We prefer to take the time necessary to prepare these new aerodynamics really well, and give them their debut in the best possible conditions: namely, Spa.”
In the absence of works teams from two major manufacturers the race looks very open. But as always in endurance, the Var-based squad will start the event in a humble state of mind. But not without ambition, as the progress made during the off-season has been underlined by all the drivers.
“Our aim’s clear. We’re going for the rostrum,” de Chaunac continues. “Our slogan is simple: we must be up to the challenge! Before the Le Mans 24 Hours, we’re racing in the equivalent of a couple of qualifying matches. The first one is always difficult. I’ve asked my troops to show great concentration and to knuckle down to the job. We’ve got to leave Barcelona without the slightest regret. In 2009, there’s no longer any room for this kind of sentiment.”
Stéphane Ortelli (no.10): “Finish as near the front as possible”
You tested the small wing recently. What’s your first impression?
“The flap is rather reducing downforce. I did not have any bad surprises, quite the opposite, I was pleased. The flap works well : straight away in the first lap on the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit, I drove through the Signes curves at full speed. This is essential to build up confidence. With this new flap, we keep on going in the right direction. It is part of many novelties, and they suit my style of driving just as they seem to fit my teammates’. All the four of us, we do share the same mindset. We get along well and we are progressing together, just like last year. But the car is even better, so we all wear a broader smile!”
How are you getting on with Bruno Senna?
“We both analyse the car’s behaviour in the same way. We’re getting on like a house on fire. Bruno’s a really nice guy and above all he’s bloody quick! We’ll still be fettling ourselves in in Barcelona so we’ll be outsiders. But it’s obvious that we want to finish as near the front as possible and score a result that reflects the work done by the whole team.”
Olivier Panis (no.11): “We’ve got big ambitions”
Olivier, how are you feeling as the first round approaches?
“Pretty good, as I’m very happy with the winter tests. The team’s really done an incredible job, and I feel good in the car. This being said, we know that the Le Mans Series is going to be hotly disputed with even tougher fights than in 2008.”
A year ago, you made your endurance debut. How do you see things now?
“I still think we’re in a really fantastic championship. I’ve learned how to cope with traffic; I know the team better, as well as the car in which I’ve done a lot of running. Overall, I feel even readier to achieve the objective that I’ve always set myself in racing – victory! We’ve got big ambitions for Barcelona and beyond. Reliability will prove crucial and we’ve been working on that. ORECA’s got what it takes to fulfil its ambitions.”
Source : Team ORECA-Matmut