[22-05-2013]
BUOYANT PIERRE RAGUES REFLECTS ON DEBUT PODIUM OF 2013
 French racer Pierre Ragues has enjoyed a fantastic start to his 2013 European Le Mans Series campaign, following up his solid fourth place at Silverstone with a sensational second place at last weekend’s 3 Hours of Imola.
For Ragues, the result at the Autodromo Dino e Enzo Ferrari was even more special since the result marked the return of the Alpine name to an endurance race podium. Pierre was on exceptional form in the race, helping to take the Signatech-Alpine A450 up from fourth on the grid to second in the race, recovering some 20 seconds on the leading car during his double stint.
The result could not have come at a better time in the season as Pierre and the team prepare for the forthcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans, the undisputed highlight of the endurance racing calendar.
Quick Q+A with Pierre Ragues
Pierre, an excellent result at Imola, how do you reflect on the weekend?
“It was a great weekend and an even better result for the Signatech-Alpine team. The A450 delivered excellent performance throughout the weekend and I was pleased with my own contribution to the result. I felt really competitive in my double stint and was able to fight hard to get us up into the podium positions in second place and reducing the gap to the leader. We had some small issues during the race but thanks to the fantastic work of the team we were able to regain our position and celebrate what will hopefully be the first of many podiums this season.”
How do you prepare for a circuit you’ve not raced at for some years?
“We last raced at Imola back in 2011, on the modified configuration of the circuit, but I had the additional benefit of using the Ellip6 simulator to familiarise myself with the nuances of the track ahead of the race weekend. This helped a great deal. I was happy with my performance over the weekend and the fact that, in my double stint, I was able to recover 20 seconds to the race leader, showed that my approach worked.”
What is your schedule leading up to Le Mans?
“First up, we have a short test at Magny-Cours later today to evaluate a few items on the car, but then it is counting down to the big event – Le Mans. We have an official test at the full track on the 9th June for which we will now prepare but the whole of June will be busy, as it always is, with Le Mans. It’s the highlight of the year and this will be my seventh participation in the event. After the result at Imola, we will be heading into Le Mans in high spirits.”
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