Photo : Sebastien BASSANI (ACO)

 

How would you describe the atmosphere in the press room during the two weeks of the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
Catherine Vatteoni: "Everything is really going to crescendo until the race. At the Test Day, we see journalists start to arrive and organize themselves in preparation for the week. We are 10 people working in rotation. During the race week, we will open the press room on Monday and Tuesday, then for the practice session and qualifying session on Wednesday and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 in the morning. Friday, some of the journalists disappear to the city for the Drivers' Parade, but there is still a lot of activity at the circuit as many press conferences are scheduled. Starting Monday, we feel everything accelerating little by little as the days go by up until Saturday noon when the cars are on pre-grid. I will not say it is a relief, but the journalists are no longer thinking of what they need because all week we will have answered to endless requests for anything and everything."

Meaning?
"Regular requests from journalists concerning having a desk to work at, good wifi, a locker to store equipment (for photographers). Less typically we have journalists who come to Le Mans with no lodging accommodations or some who ask us to take them from the press room to downtown Le Mans! Generally, journalists require a high degree of assistance throughout the week."

How do you experience the race?
"We follow it closely because we keep each car's activity on the track updated in the press room (pit stops, mechanical issues, retirements) for which we have to find the information. For example, when the race director informs us of a retirement, it's up to us to find the most complete information concerning the cause of that retirement. We don't verify the information the race director transmits it to us, but in other cases it is our responsibility to separate rumour from fact to confirm information before posting it. The atmosphere in the press room depends also on what's happening on the track. On Sunday after the end of the race, even if there are less people, the activity is still not over as many journalists who have to turn in their articles the next day stay to work in the press room which generally closes at 1:00 a.m."

Have you noticed a kind of "Patrick Dempsey effect" since he is participating at the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
"We do indeed have different kinds of journalists who don't have the same needs and requests as specialized automotive journalists. This effect concerns people who are far less interested in what is happening on the track. They are less demanding when it comes to accessing the pits, for example. On the other hand, they want to know where Patrick Dempsey sleeps and where they can seek him out at the circuit. Our role is to protect his privacy, as for all the other drivers."

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

Photo: 29th 24 Hours for Catherine Vatteoni.