[25-08-2016]
PIERRE RAGUES READY TO RESUME WEC PODIUM CHARGE IN DEBUT MEXICO 6H
 The 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship returns to action next week with the 6 Hours of Mexico City, a new event on the WEC calendar and the first race in Mexico for Pierre Ragues.
Pierre will once again join Larbre Competition in the cockpit of the #50 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, as the team looks to challenge for its fourth podium of the year.
The team is making its presence felt in the GTE-Am Championship. Third placed finishes in Silverstone, Spa and at the most recent race at the Nürburgring have helped consolidate the team’s third position in the GTE-Am Championship, just one point off second place. Pierre holds fourth in the GTE-Am Drivers’ table and will aim to add to his tally in Mexico.
The WEC moves away from Europe for the remaining rounds of the season, with Mexico starting a run of overseas events, which will include COTA, Fuji, Shanghai and Bahrain. Pierre has previously demonstrated his skills on the international rounds of the competitive WEC, so he has high hopes of continuing the team’s strong performances in the GTE-Am class.
Mexico City’s elevation above sea level of around 2,240m will put added pressure on car and driver performance but along with his team-mates Yutaka Yamagishi and Ricky Taylor, Pierre will be targeting the top-three in his debut Mexican race. A total of six cars are entered into the GTE-Am category of the 32 entries in total for the six-hour race, which will take place on Saturday 2 September.
Q&A with PIERRE RAGUES
It’s been a competitive start to the 2016 season for you and Larbre, how’s it been from your point of view?
“I have been very pleased with how the 2016 season has been going. It’s been an honour to be a key part of the Larbre Competition line-up in GTE-Am and to have the chance to drive the incredible Corvette. We’ve shown what we’re capable of with podium results in Silverstone, Spa and Nürburgring. Moreover, I feel that I am driving the best of my career this season with some consistent performances, including at Le Mans. This is my first season as a GT driver and I think I’ve adapted well. The team has performed at a very high level against some tough GTE-Am competition, so we need to maintain this approach into the second half of the season.”
What have you been up during the summer break, and what are your objectives for Mexico?
“It’s been a nice summer break and I’ve enjoyed spending time with family and friends. I’ve also made sure to keep doing my fitness training so I am fully prepared for Mexico. We’re heading into the exciting overseas part of the season. Mexico will be new for me but having seen racing in other series I am really looking forward to it. We know we have a package capable of the podium so that has to be our target. We will have plenty of opportunities to prepare the car with extra track time on the Thursday. I am usually quick to pick up new circuits, so I hope this one will suit me and the team as we look to build on our result at Nürburgring. I’d like to welcome Ricky to the team for the next four rounds; I look forward to working with him and Yutaka to get the best result possible for the team. I’ll also have the support of my partners at GroupAuto, Ellip6 and Sparco once again, which is appreciated, as always.”
6 Hours of Mexico City – Schedule
Thursday 1 September
09:00-10:30 Collective Test
13:30-15:00 Free Practice 1
18:00-19:30 Free Practice 2
Friday 2 September
10:00-11:00 Free Practice 3
14:10-14:30 GTE Qualifying
Saturday 3 September
13:30-19:30 6 Hours of Mexico City Race
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