"I don’t know what happened. I lost control at the end of my third stint when I braked at high speed. As soon as I lost it, I could feel it wasn’t going to be one of those spins where you drive off scot-free. I tried to minimise the damage and managed to get away. But the repair work was still too great and we had to retire". Thiriet hit the wall before the Mulsanne Corner and ended up in the gravel trap. He got the car back to the pit and the mechanics took over. The bonnet and suspension were changed and he handed the wheel to Mathias Beche. But the Swiss driver quickly realised that the steering had been affected. The extent of the work required spelled retirement. "We were in it to win. It’s great to be back in LM P2 because the competition is tough", says Beche. The Oreca 05 headed the LM P2 field on several occasions during the race, taking turns with the winning #36 Alpine A460- Nissan. The crew composed of Pierre Thiriet, Mathias Beche and rising star and Toyota factory hopeful Ryo Hirakawa, did an excellent job.

Team principal Xavier Combet doesn’t have time to dwell on failings. "We didn’t win, but we got a result. Once again Thiriet by TDS Racing clearly showed our technical expertise by leading the race with some very strong opposition. Let’s not forget that Thiriet by TDS Racing has only raced at Le Mans five times. We finished second in LM P2 twice and have always been among the contenders for the trophy. We are as determined as ever and we’ll be back again, stronger than ever."

See you next June then! 

Photo: The Thiriet by TDS Racing crew ran an excellent race until a loss of control at Mulsanne sent the Nissan-powered Oreca 05 back to the garage for good.

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