Third victory and title for Oreca?

Photo : Jean-René ROGER - ACO/Nikon

Intercontinental Le Mans Cup - Autosport 1000km of Silverstone

In recent years, Hugues de Chaunac (pictured above) and his team have often been successful at Silverstone.

In 2005 an Oreca had its first success on the legendary British circuit in the context of what was then called the Le Mans Endurance Series, thanks to Stephane Ortelli and Allan McNish. That year, the French team ran the prototype benchmark in endurance: the Audi R8, already five times winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Last year, it was a car designed by Oreca in the Autosport 1000km of Silverstone (now the closing round of the Le Mans Series), with a French driver duo consisting of Olivier Panis and Nicolas Lapierre.

In 2010, the stakes are quite different. The Team Oreca Matmut is running a Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, and is leading the provisional rankings for drivers and teams in LM P1. Bad luck has often plagued the team this year, especially at Le Castellet, in Spa and at the Hungaroring. But if Olivier Panis, Nicolas Lapierre and Stephane Sarrazin take a third victory for Oreca under the chequered flag in the Autosport 1000km of Silverstone, it would be a well deserved twin title for Hugues de Chaunac and his team, and compensation for years of effort in the Le Mans Series. Oreca would also make the history books of endurance racing as the winner of the first race of the new Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.

Jean-Philippe Doret – Translated by Dave Davies