 [17-06-2011]
FRANCK MAILLEUX STILL BUZZING AFTER LMP2 PODIUM IN LE MANS
[Full Article]
 [12-06-2011]
FRANCK MAILLEUX CELEBRATES FANTASTIC LMP2 PODIUM WITH JUBILANT SIGNATECH-NISSAN
[Full Article]
 [12-06-2011]
LE MANS SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE: FRANCK MAILLEUX AND SIGNATECH-NISSAN BATTLE BACK TO PODIUM CONTENTION IN LMP2
[Full Article]
 [12-06-2011]
PIERRE RAGUES AND OAK RACING ENDURE NIGHT-TIME DISAPPOINTMENT AT LE MANS
[Full Article]
 [12-06-2011]
LE MANS 24 HOURS UPDATE: POWER STEERING PROBLEMS KEEP PIERRE RAGUES AND OAK RACING FROM MAKING HEADWAY IN LE MANS
[Full Article]
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[12-06-2011]
PIERRE RAGUES AND OAK RACING ENDURE NIGHT-TIME DISAPPOINTMENT AT LE MANS
 Pierre Ragues suffered a disappointing end to his fifth Le Mans 24 Hours race when the OAK Racing team were forced to retire the #15 OAK-Pescarolo just after entering the twelfth hour of the race.
The team had already experienced a frustrating evening, having suffered repeated issues with the car’s power steering during Guillaume Moreau’s first stint, which warranted lengthy spells in the pits. The problems kept the car confined to the garage for in excess of fifty laps, dropping the team to the foot of the classification.
Instead of simply retiring the car, the team persevered to try and find a cure to the problem, but the power steering issue became terminal around two hours into Tiago Monteiro’s opening stint of the race, leaving the team with the frustrating decision to retire.
It had been an eventful first eight hours of the race for the entire field, though, with two lengthy safety car periods neutralising the course and dictating the flow of the race. OAK Racing had initially made its way into the top ten in the opening stages with Pierre Ragues maintaining position under the first SC period in spite of a loss of communication to the pits. When his scheduled double stint came to an end nearly three hours into the race, the team were tenth in LMP1, but then the power steering gremlins commenced.
Pierre had enjoyed a largely trouble-free race week up to that point with a solid performance in free practice that saw the team on pace with the other lead petrol cars in LMP1. The three qualifying sessions on Wednesday and Thursday also demonstrated the team’s ability to fight for the top ten with Pierre starting the race from eleventh on the grid. The team showed impressive determination to keep the car on track and in the race, but unfortunately it was not to be. Thankfully, the team has an incentive to bounce back quickly with the fourth round of this season’s Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, the 6 Hours of Imola, taking place on 3 July.
Pierre Ragues: “It goes without saying that as a team we are all thoroughly disappointed to have had to retire from the 24 Hours of Le Mans just before the halfway point. We had experienced recurring power steering problems throughout the early evening and into the night which the team could not fix despite their heroic efforts. It was certainly not what we had hoped for this race but the team performed incredibly and did us all proud. The week was not without its positive moments though. We showed good pace in practice and the qualifying sessions compared to our petrol-powered rivals, which gave us encouragement in such a competitive field. We all enjoyed once again the incredible atmosphere of the Le Mans environment, and my sponsors Group Auto Union have been here with a lot of guests. It has been nice to share this experience with OAK Racing, my team-mates and my sponsor, even if the result was missing this year. We have a quick turnaround before the next race at Imola, so we will learn from this and put the disappointment behind us. Thanks to all at OAK Racing, Dunlop and Group Auto Union for the fantastic support this week.”
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