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Larbre Competition set to challenge works teams at Le Mans |
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Friday, 06 June 2008 |
Having posted the second quickest time during the Official Test Day, Larbre
Competition returns to Le Mans this weekend with the hope of challenging the
works teams for honours in the GT1 category.
The team, a veteran of 15 Le Mans 24 Hour races, will field a single Saleen S7R
in the 91st edition of the world’s most famous motor race. Sportscar superstar
Christophe Bouchut and French GT front runners Patrick Bornhauser and David
Hallyday will lead the team’s attempts to pull off a shock against the works
teams of Aston Martin and Corvette.
While the factory giants remain hot
favourites to fill the podium places, Larbre’s third place last year gives the
team plenty of optimism ahead of the race. Team Principal Jack Leconte
explained his team’s tactics for the race: “We have a car which is
capable of a very high level of performance at Le Mans. I believe we can have a
good qualifying against the works teams and then maintain a good consistent pace
throughout the race. If we manage that, and don’t make any mistakes, we should
be able to stay in touch with the factory cars and be ready to capitalise should
they have any problems.
“It will be very difficult to beat them and our
main aim is to be the best of the privateer teams, but a key area of importance
at Le Mans this year will be balancing the car’s set up to be optimised between
wet and dry conditions. Larbre Competition has a vast amount of experience of
doing just that, and of this race, and that may be our ace card.”
In 2007
a stunning qualifying lap from Christophe Bouchut aboard the Larbre Competition
008 Aston Martin DBR9 stunned the paddock as the Frenchman, a former overall
winner at Le Mans, took the GT1-class pole by over 1.5 seconds from the nearest
factory car. Second on the grid for the race was Team Oreca’s Saleen S7R, and
Bouchut hopes to take the American-built machine to the top this
year.
“I’m definitely targeting pole position,” confirmed
Christophe. “To win a 24 hour race against two such well
financed works teams will be difficult, but pole is a realistic aim. It was a
fantastic feeling to beat the Aston Martins and Corvettes last year and I’d love
a repeat in the Saleen.”
Bouchut currently leads the FFSA GT Championship
in the Saleen along with co-driver Patrick Bornhauser, and the
pair are reunited at Le Mans, with the experienced Frenchman confident ahead of
his third visit to La Sarthe. “The car felt great at the test day, really
comfortable to drive, and showed great pace in the dry. We didn’t push so much
in the wet, but we had no problems and I think we’re in great shape for the
race.”
The driver line-up is completed by David
Hallyday, a Le Mans 24 Hours fan in the truest sense of the word: “It
was a childhood dream for me to race here, ever since I watched Steve McQueen in
the film, and I still feel like a kid every time I get here. I love the
atmosphere and I love the circuit. Hopefully the weather will be a little kinder
this year, but I feel good in the Saleen and I cannot wait for the race.”
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