24h Le Mans
The United Kingdom has Prodrive, in France there is ORECA. Former driver, Hugues de Chaunac is the French David Richards and has created a company that has widely diversified in recent years and has added another string to his bow this year with the organisation of FFSA races, the GT Tour, and becoming a manufacturer following the acquisition of Courage in 2007.
"The activities are complementary ORECA we said Hugues de Chaunac. We are present in communication, marketing, technology. ORECA, today is 200. We provide a technical team to customers who operate a prototype out of our workshops. "
Since 2008, ORECA has become a full-fledged manufacturer in the world of endurance racing and beyond Formula Le Mans, now provides LMP1 and LMP2 chassis to customers like Signatech and Race Performance. This year's official team has also entered a an 03 Oreca prototype powered by Nissan in the LM P2 class after their involvement of LM P1 in the last 24 Hours of Le Mans, as recalled by the boss of ORECA. "We tried to transform our fourth place in a positive way: we showed that we were able to build solid and reliable cars. Our new LM P2 chassis is an evolution of the old LM P1 which incorporates the new ACO regulations. It is a compromise between the Formula Le Mans, we are also building and the former LM P1. "
The boss of the company based in Signes, close to the Castellet circuit, has an eye to the future. First of Le Mans with "the overall podium as objective." Loic Duval, who set the fastest lap at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2010, Olivier Panis and Nicolas Lapierre will work to bring the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP adapted to Regulation of 2011 to the heights, as they did last year before the engine failed, like that of two other cars of the sister team official Peugeot Sport. "With only one car, we can't make mistakes," said de Chaunac. "That is why the whole team, mechanics and drivers have been following a special preparation for three months. "
Beyond Le Mans, the ORECA boss looks forward; "the development of ACO regulations for 2012 and 2013. The most important thing is to find a fair equivalence of the petrol, diesel and hybrid prototypes. "
After the stunning victory at Sebring in March of the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP ahead of the French manufacturer's new cars, a question was posed. If the car entered by ORECA is ahead of the official prototypes, will there be orders? "If we are ahead, we are ahead! "That response could not be more clear in less than two weeks before the start of the 24 Heures du Mans 2011.
Interview by Cécile Bonardel
