A sublime second-placed finish in the 6 Hours of Bahrain was the highlight of the season for French racer Franck Mailleux in the inaugural World Endurance Championship. 

Franck, entering 2012 as the reigning LMP2 champion from the preceding year’s Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, once again demonstrated his competitive skills at the wheel of a Nissan-powered Oreca 03 chassis throughout the season but the Signatech-Nissan team was unable to mount a sustained challenge for the WEC title.

Nonetheless, Franck was able to extract a number of positives from the season which has seen him put in some impressive performances in the face of disappointment.

Quick Q+A with Franck Mailleux

Franck, it has been nearly two weeks since the WEC season drew to a close in China. How do you reflect on the season as a whole?

“It has been a character-building season for me but there have been some good highlights from the season, not least our second place finish on the podium in Bahrain. I have enjoyed working with the Signatech guys once again – for our fourth consecutive season in endurance racing – and in technical partnership with Nissan with whom we won the LMP2 title in ILMC last year.”

How was the performance of the #23 Signatech-Nissan Oreca 03 throughout the season?

“Overall, the pace of the car was pretty good but we suffered from reliability issues in the first part of the season particularly which masked our true potential. I was generally always pleased with the balance of the car but we faced a few issues during the season that meant we were not always able to capitalise on our package.”

What were your highlights of the year?

“Obviously, the second place in Bahrain is the standout performance this season. It was a long overdue result and one that I think represented our true abilities in 2012. LMP2 has been an incredibly competitive category this year and it has been a tightly bunched field that any mistakes or technical issues become amplified. I have to say that Le Mans 24 Hours was a key highlight for me, as it always is. To feel that level of emotion, support and passion from the spectators is amazing. I was also really pleased with my own performance when we were running for a time in the top five.” 

How was the work of the team during the year?

“It would be hard to find a harder working, more passionate group of people that Signatech-Nissan. It has been a genuine pleasure to be part of the team again this season. We have worked strongly as a unit and fought hard to overcome difficulties. That is why it is even more special when we have results like we did at Bahrain because when you win, you win as a team. I thank all of them for their support, as well as Nissan and my personal sponsors Sojasun. We now have the winter months to look towards 2013 and to see what opportunities arise.”