[26-06-2013]
FRANCK MAILLEUX REFLECTS ON CHALLENGING LE MANS 24 HOURS AND DRAWS POSITIVES FROM MORAND RACING TEAM EFFORT
 Franck Mailleux registered a sixth placed finish in the LMP2 category at last weekend’s Le Mans 24 Hours after a tough and challenging race which saw the Frenchman fight hard against the inclement weather conditions and a significant number of safety car periods.
After a good start to the race, jumping up to third in LMP2, Franck was caught out by the mixed weather conditions which resulted in some parts of the track being wet and others dry. A safety car period kept the race under control for the first hour but following an early spin in the tricky conditions and a driver change under the safety car, the Morand Racing team found themselves well down the order.
Franck subsequently had a strong race, setting some competitive times in amongst the numerous safety car and wet weather periods, and demonstrating his potential in the Dunlop shod Morgan Judd LMP2 during the night and into the morning. Franck, sharing the cockpit with Natacha Gachnang and Olivier Lombard, fought back to a creditable sixth place in LMP2 by the chequered flag but it made for a gruelling 24 hours.
Q+A with Franck Mailleux
Franck, how would you summarise your performance in this year’s 24 Hours?
“I don’t think the conditions in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours gave anyone the chance to really showcase their full potential. It was a constant battle against the conditions with some really tricky weather and a lot of controlled safety car periods. Nevertheless, we fought our hardest and came back from a difficult opening hour to finish 12th and sixth in class. Not the result we were hoping for but to make it to the end of such a tough race was an achievement in itself.”
How was the start?
“I had a good start to the race and made it into the top three but the weather was already making things difficult with some wet patches on the track. I got caught and had a spin which dropped me back, and then we had the safety car period for most of the first hour. At Le Mans, it is important to keep focussed and keep fighting and that’s what we did during the rest of the race. It was one of the most competitive, tight LMP2 fields we’ve ever seen so it was always going to be a competitive event.”
How was the performance of the Morand Racing Morgan Judd LMP2 and Dunlop tyres?
“When the track was dry and we were racing, the car felt good. We had a minor issue with the fuel pressure but the mechanics did a great job to fix that without losing any positions. Personally, I had some competitive triple stints and felt that I was able to get good performance from the car and tyres, even if the conditions were not ideal. The final hour of the race was pretty intense with the heavy rain but we kept our focus and as a team we performed well. The result was not what we wanted to achieve but in the circumstances, we have to look at our fight-back and take satisfaction from the overall team effort. We were the highest places ELMS team so I’m pleased with that.”
What’s next for you?
“We don’t have much of a recovery time from Le Mans, actually, because the next European Le Mans Series race takes place at the Red Bull Ring in July. Le Mans was good for us as a team and I think we have developed as a unit, so we will be taking this feeling forward to Austria in a few weeks from now. For now, though, I would like to thank the Morand Racing team for their support and hard work at Le Mans, which I think has been a hugely valuable experience as we move back into ELMS.”
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