The Pescarolo won the unofficial petrol class, beating the likes of the Oreca Judd
6 Hours
19 Hours
Finish
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6 Hours
Primat, Tinseau and Treluyer climb the order at Le Mans 24 Hours
The #17 Pescarolo-Judd 01 of Harold Primat, Christophe Tinseau and Benoit Treluyer has climbed to seventh overall and second in the unofficial petrol-class after just over six hours of the Le Mans 24 Hours.
For the first time in his fourth visit to La Sarthe, Primat took the start and did a fine job during his double stint. After holding his 11th place off the line, he fought hard with the Courage-Oreca of ex-Monaco GP winner Olivier Panis and stayed ahead during the opening stages.
Strong triple stints from co-drivers Christophe Tinseau and Benoit Treluyer followed, and the #17 car began to steadily climb the order as others hit trouble. They gained positions after problems for the #8 Peugeot 908 HDi and #10 Lola Aston Martin dropped them down the order. They also enjoyed a fight with, and passed, the Dome Judd S102.
Importantly, the Pescarolo-Judd has once again showed excellent reliability with no problems for the #17 car so far.
Harold said: "I made sure I had no problems at the start as the last thing you want in a 24 hour race is contact off the grid! From then on I pushed, but safely and within my limits. I enjoyed the fight with Panis and I was able to keep him behind me for a long time. He used the draft and was faster in certain parts of the track, while I was faster in others. Eventually he got past through the Dunlop Chicane as my car was a bit twitchy and I thought it was better to let him go as he was very close behind.
"After my first pit stop, the traffic was a lot worse and there were a lot of GT cars fighting each other which meant it was difficult to pass them. I had to go offline to get past and as a result got my tyres dirty which affected my lap times a little.
"But to be seventh after more than six hours is excellent news. We have a very consistent pace and everything is going according to plan at the moment. There is still a long way to go though and it's hugely important we stay focused on the race."
19 Hours
#17 Pescarolo leads petrol class as dawn breaks at Le Mans
Harold Primat, Christophe Tinseau and Benoit Treluyer lead the 'unofficial' LMP1 petrol class and lie seventh overall in their Pescarolo 01-Judd, as the sun rises at the 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours.
Their car ran problem free throughout the night, with all three drivers producing strong consistent stints. Rain began to fall just after 4am as Tinseau started a triple stint, but he made no mistakes throughout to maintain his position.
The diesels of Peugeot and Audi fill the top six places, but the #17 car has a seven lap lead over the #5 Courage-Oreca of Loic Duval, Soheil Ayari and Laurent Groppi.
Harold Primat: "I had a slow puncture during my double stint in the night and had to pit for new tyres, but apart from that we haven't had any major problems. I finished my stint just before the rain started and since then both Christophe and Benoit have done an excellent job to keep the pace going. Now it's all about getting through the laps and keeping the car on track because we have quite a big advantage over our nearest challengers. We just need to keep doing what we've been doing for a few more hours."
Christophe Tinseau: "I started my stint on slicks but then the rain came down very heavily and after just two laps I had to change to wets. I had no problems with the car, but what was meant to be a triple stint ended up as two and a half as the team made the call to bring me in early. It was absolutely the right decision to make because, when the track started to dry, my tyres were fading badly. Then, when the rain became heavier again, I was struggling for grip.
"Seventh at this stage is very pleasing and the best we can hope for if none of the Audis or Peugeots have problems. But there is still a long way to go so we must wait and see what develops over the next few hours."
Benoit Treluyer: "The conditions are very tricky because they are so changeable. As soon as it rains all the oil comes out of the track and some corners, such as Arnage, are very slippery. It's very difficult to find the right balance under braking and I had a small moment at Arnage when the gearbox stuck a little bit and I chose to go straight on rather than have a spin. But we're currently the best placed petrol car and if we succeed to maintain this position it will be a small victory for us."
Finish
Primat, Treluyer and Tinseau win 'petrol class' at Le Mans 24 Hours
Geneva-based racing driver Harold Primat and French team mates Christophe Tinseau and Benoit Treluyer claimed victory in the unofficial 'petrol' class at the Le Mans 24 Hours after a faultless run by drivers and team.
Seventh overall in the world's most famous motor race, behind the six diesel-powered works Audis and Peugeots, was the trio's reward at the end of the gruelling event, but to finish as the best-placed petrol car and the top privateer team the real achievement. The drivers performances were error-free throughout the race, while the car ran without a single major mechanical problem to highlight the superb reliability of the Pescarolo Sport chassis.
Having climbed the field steadily during the first half of the race, the #17 car moved into the top seven during the 14th hour and never relinquished their position at the head of the petrol-class field. Their job was complicated in the small hours of Sunday morning by heavy rainfall around the 13.629km circuit, but nothing could distract the team from achieving the result they had targeted prior to the race, as they finished five laps clear of nearest challengers Team Oreca in eighth.
For Primat, seventh overall was his best ever finish at La Sarthe, and he was clearly delighted at the chequered flag. "We're the best fuel car and that is a big achievement," he said. "The target before the race was to finish as the best petrol-powered car and that's exactly what we've done. For us, this feels like a victory, and while it's a shame it isn't officially recognised as one, it still feels very good. On a more personal level I am delighted to have played my part alongside Christophe and Benoit. I would also like to congratulate the team for providing such a reliable car and for the superb job they did during the race.
"It wasn't easy out there. The conditions were constantly changing from 4am onwards and every time the track started to dry, the rain tyres began to suffer. But Le Mans isn't supposed to be easy and I think we can all be proud of ourselves this evening."
Christophe Tinseau: "Our mission was to finish as the first petrol car and I am proud to have achieved our goal. It was very tense at the end as we had a misfire caused by the starter motor and so we were hanging by a thread. I hope this victory will now help Pescarolo Sport attract the input of a big manufacturer which the team so richly deserves."
Benoit Treluyer: "I really enjoyed the race, especially my night stint in the wet. We have clinched first place of the petrol cars and for me that is a real victory, even if it is unofficial."
Team Principal Henri Pescarolo said: "This is a great day for us because we knew there were two races within the LMP1 class, one for the diesels and one for the petrol cars. We have been victorious in the latter against Lola, Oreca, Creation and Dome which is a great achievement. The three drivers were fantastic because the conditions have been so difficult. They have all driven perfectly and I am absolutely delighted for them."