Having completed a similar one day test at Magny-Cours earlier in the month, directly following the Spa 6 Hours race, the Signatech-Nissan squad returned to the track on Tuesday to carry out some important systems checks in day and night-time conditions before heading to Le Mans. 

Pierre Ragues was back in the cockpit of the #26 G-Drive by Signatech-Nissan car with team-mates Roman Rusinov and Nelson Panciatici to build upon their experiences from Spa, which was their first contested round of the World Endurance Championship.

Pierre and the team completed around 80 laps of the circuit in warm and dry conditions, running the #26 car from 17.00-midnight to get a full range of ambient and track temperatures to best simulate the rigours of Le Mans.

Pierre is one of the most experiences racers at the Le Mans 24 Hours race, the most gruelling and demanding event on the endurance racing calendar. This year’s event will mark his sixth participation in the event and his third with the Signatech crew, having driven for them in both 2009 and 2010 in LMP1. The 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours will be Pierre’s second race of the season following confirmation that he will be part of the G-Drive by Signatech-Nissan line-up for all remaining events of the 2012 season.

The official test day on Sunday will run from 09.00-13:00 and again from 14:00-18:00 giving teams and drivers a full eight hours in which to prepare themselves for what will be the biggest, highest profile endurance event of the year.  

Pierre Ragues said: “Le Mans is the jewel in the crown of the endurance calendar and it is an absolute pleasure to be part of it once more. This will be my sixth Le Mans experience and it is fantastic to be contesting this year’s event with the G-Drive by Signatech-Nissan team. We’ve made a lot of progress since Spa, with two separate days of testing at Magny-Cours, the most recent of which was on Tuesday this week. We carried out some important systems work in preparation for Sunday’s official test day. Sunday will be a busy day with lots of cars on track and some vital work to carry out in advance of the Le Mans week itself which starts with scrutineering on 11 June."