 [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]
FRANCK MAILLEUX CELEBRATES FANTASTIC LMP2 PODIUM WITH JUBILANT SIGNATECH-NISSAN
 Franck Mailleux and the Signatech-Nissan team are celebrating a triumphant podium in the LMP2 class after finishing an excellent second in class and ninth overall in an action-packed 24 Hours of Le Mans this afternoon.
Franck, together with his team-mates Soheil Ayari and Lucas Ordonez, had to battle hard throughout the entire 24 hour race after a puncture on lap 10, just half an hour into the race, dropped them down the classification.
The first half of the race was largely affected by two heavy crashes for LMP1 competitors that warranted deployment of the safety car to neutralise the field. Thankfully nobody was injured but the safety car stayed out for a long time on each occasion to clear up the wreckage and repair barriers, all of which halted progress in those opening hours.
After picking up the puncture on his first run, Franck was able to vault back up impressively towards the top 20 before handing over to Lucas Ordonez by the end of his triple stint. Solid runs from both Ordonez and Soheil Ayari allowed the team to break into the overall top 20 before Franck returned to the cockpit for his second run of the evening.
Franck managed just five laps before the long safety car period but confidently navigated the Signatech-Nissan Oreca 03 into the top 15 when, at the end of the SC period, he handed the reins over to Ordonez once more.
A generally trouble-free period of night-time running with Ordonez handing over to Ayari for a five stint run allowed the team to make further advances. Franck resumed driving duties at 6.20am but experienced a flat spot to one of his front tyres and then pitted earlier than scheduled after experiencing power steering problems. Thankfully some quick work on the part of the Signatech team to change the power steering canister allowed Ordonez to rejoin the race in a top ten position and second in LMP2.
Soheil Ayari took over from Ordonez at 09.30 local time with the weather forecast already starting to predict rain. At 11.15, Ayari was forced to pit with a slow rear left puncture with Franck taking over in the cockpit for the final time. With the rain approaching, the race was intensifying and Franck ran into trouble with a rear left puncture that stopped him on track with just three hours remaining on the clock. Franck was expertly able to salvage the car and return to the pits where the team changed the rear end of the car in incredible time, allowing Franck to keep second place in LMP2.
At just over two hours left to run, the track got wet enough for Frank to pit for intermediate tyres. As his stint came to an end with just over an hour left, he handed over to Ayari running in ninth overall. Typical of Le Mans, the drama never stopped. Franck had reported the brake pedal to be long towards the end of his stint, something that Ayari also had to drive around as the team made the strategic decision to push until the end of the race to secure the result – and a highly deserved class podium.
For Franck, this incredible podium is the result of another highly commendable and supreme driving performance which has proven his ability to extract the most from the car in a full range of conditions and situations.
Franck Mailleux said after the race: “It has been a very busy and hectic Le Mans 24 Hours for us so we are absolutely overjoyed to celebrate an LMP2 podium this afternoon. It is the result of an immense amount of hard work by the entire Signatech-Nissan team and a dedicated approach by every single team member. The race did not get off to a good start with the puncture which left us playing catch-up, but we did just that and gradually fought our way back into contention. The safety car periods were long and tough but we kept focussed and did what we had to do. We also had a few problems this morning but the team worked professionally and efficiently to maintain our position on the track, for which they deserve every credit. The changeable weather has also been hard with varying levels of rain, but we came through with the result we wanted – an LMP2 podium! I am really pleased with my own performances this week and the competitiveness of the car. Soheil and Lucas also drove well, so we share this amazing result as a team. It is thanks to Signatech and Nissan that we could fight hard for this result, as well as our tyre suppliers Dunlop. I’d like to extend my own personal thanks to Sojasun, my own partners, who really share in every emotion of this fantastic race. I’m overjoyed with this result and definitely think that we have earned it over the last 24 hours!”
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