1000 km de Spa

Team ORECA-Matmut enters one car in the Belgian Ardennes

vendredi 09 mai 2008 - 14h57

Following the crash of the #5 car in Monza and in order to ensure a good preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Team ORECA-Matmut will enter one car in the Belgian Ardennes. The French team will be there with high ambitions for the #6 LC70, to be driven by Olivier Panis and Nicolas Lapierre.

Since the launch of the 2008 championship, the two men have been consistently fast, qualifying twice in 6th place, before racing with the leading bunch, both at Barcelona and at Monza. Victim in Monza of a radiator holed by a debris, the pairing had some misfortune and intends to turn around their luck. « After the Monza accident, the best way to bounce back is to finish the 1000km of Spa and to obtain a good result » confirms David Floury, the project leader. «Since the start of the season, we have been competitive, but this did not translate in a good result. We shall try to accomplish this mission, with a thought for Stéphane (Ortelli). Even if the #5 will not be there, we are a team: if the #6 could make a good perf’, everybody should be credited for this result. » The third event of the Le Mans Series is all the more important in that it is the last race before the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the main objective of the season. Spa will thus be a true rehearsal. « All the races are important, but such are the conditions that this one will be special » says David Floury. « At Monza, we got a knock on the head, but we have the opportunity to raise back. We must perform a “clean” week-end, doing everything to the best : practice, qualifying and race. Success has not been with us, we must find back the good dynamic. » The #6 Courage-Oreca, to be driven by Olivier Panis and Nicolas Lapierre, will benefit from new evolutions, aimed at reliability, but also at outright performance. Last week, despite tricky weather conditions, mist and rain, Team ORECA-Matmut has been able to validate some of these new components during a test session at the Paul Ricard HTTT, near Le Castellet.