Kolles Racing
Julian Jousse
Guillaume Moreau
Pierre Ehret
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Kolles Racing
After months of hardest efforts and preparation finally the time had come on the 13th and 14th of June. Team Kolles had their first 24hours race in Le Mans.
Already at the tests preceding the event, the six drivers from Dr. Colin Kolles gave their very best, to prepare themselves, as well as the car, with numerous laps and concentrated set up work for the hardest and most prestigious race in the world.
Finally, after an impressing starting grid presentation, they were to start the race punctually at 3pm from position 13 (Albers, Bakkerud, Mondini) and 14 (Karthikeyan, Lotterer, Mondini).
Tragically Narain Karthikeyan, who was planned to do the start with the # 14 Audi R10 TDI fell, whilst trying to jump over the pitwall, on his shoulder so unluckily that he wasn't able to join the race anymore. So Charles Zwolsman, in the proverbial last minute, was appointed to do the start and was confronted with the big task to master the 24 hours together with new member Andre Lotterer only.
What followed next was motorsport at its best: lap by lap, hour by hour the two of them fought themselves through the race and didn't even let themselves be stopped by a damaged gearbox at around 6am. In the end they celebrated a terrific 7th place.
Starting number 15 started the race with its usual cast. Started from position 13, they eked out for a no less impressing 9th place. Unfortunately they had to stop at the box twice to repair damaged suspension parts caused by tire blowouts as well as some frontsplitter changes, which certainly cost time.
Dr. Colin Kolles: "What this team has shown this weekend was simply brilliant! Both team and drivers achieved something great. We were all here in Le Mans for the first time, and to finish with both cars in the top ten at your premiere is simply impressing. I'm especially sorry for Narain, who really was looking forward to the race and then couldn't join because of an unlucky accident. My whole respect goes out to Andre Lotterer and Charles Zwolsman, who really performed a masterstroke. The
24 hours are already unbelievably hard with three drivers, but to get the car in on seventh position with only two drivers deserves highest recognition!
Whereas I'm of course equally happy for Christijan Albers, Christian Bakkerud and Giorgio Mondini. They fought hard and were, despite diverse waiting times in the pits, rewarded with place nine.
My special thanks go out to my team: the guys worked perfect and hard, didn't lose their nerves even in the most stressful situations and finally made this result possible."
Julian Jousse
Julien Jousse executed his mission perfectly in what was his grand debut in the world's biggest race. He made not a single mistake as he and team-mates Yann Clairay and Xavier Maassen took their Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette to second place in the LM GT1 category. To crown it all, Pierre Fillon, vice-president of the ACO, awarded the man from the south of France
the Jean Rondeau prize for being the most talented, courageous and tenacious French rookie.
This season Julien is the only Frenchman competing in the brand new FIA Formula 2 championship, which the federation has set up as an F1 feeder. From one week to the next, however, Julien left the confines of his Williams/Audi single-seater for the completely different surroundings of endurance racing. The least we can say is that he didn't choose the easiest arena or the smallest race! After just one session of practice at the wheel of the Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C6.R over in Dijon, Julien checked into the Le Mans paddock wide-eyed with wonder, ready to live the dream...
Open practice and qualifying soon brought Julien back down to earth with a jolt. "We hit quite a few technical issues. To make matters worse it rained on Wednesday, which meant we weren't able to do as much practice as we would have liked. Bear in mind that I had loads to learn on this unforgiving circuit. In the Corvette we lap at over 205kph on average and we go into and through turns at very high speed. I was very worried about reliability but the race went wonderfully well, we had no problems at all. None of us made any mistakes on the track. That said, Yann, Xavier and I had to be very vigilant. When you're driving a GT at Le Mans the big bugbear is the LMP1 prototypes at night. It's OK during the day, you can judge their speed and anticipate their manoeuvres but at night you can only just make out their headlamps with the rear-view camera at the back of the Corvette."
There was hardly a whisker between the two Luc Alphand Aventures Corvettes until night fell. They were lapping like clockwork in 3rd and 4th places until a Lola Aston Martin literally propelled car No. 72 at 200kph into the wall at Tertre Rouge turn. So the crew of youngsters in No. 73 had to meet the challenge of getting the solitary remaining Luc Alphand Aventures car safely home across the line. Fortunately no incident marred their progress and they raced on to take the 2nd spot on the GT1 category podium. About two hours from home the gearbox of one of the two works Corvettes gave out. For Yann, Xavier and Julien, who was at the wheel for the home run, this was an unexpected bonus! The works cars have engine improvements and better aerodynamics than the privately-entered models. "It's a fabulous feeling when you take the chequered flag! All those people in the stands, the pits invaded, the marshals waving during the lap of honour... I'm definitely coming back here next year if I can!"
Julien is back in England now, preparing for next two FIA Formula 2 championship meetings. The first one is in Brno next June 20-21. Then he has Spa the following week.
Guillaume Moreau
Guillaume Moreau: From the Le Mans 24 Hours to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series
Guillaume Moreau drove an OAK Racing-entered Mazda-powered LM P2 prototype in the Le Mans 24 Hours. It was another enriching experience for the young Frenchman on his third outing in the Sarthe classic. He is now going to concentrate all his efforts on the rest of the season in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series with the SG Formula/KMP Group team.
Following his break with the Luc Alphand Adventures squad only a few days before the Le Mans 24 Hours, Moreau able to take advantage of an excellent offer to start the greatest endurance race in the world in a prototype backed by Mazda. "I was very happy and very proud to have the opportunity to race in the Le Mans 24 Hours with the OAK Racing Mazda Team France. It was very important for me to get back behind the wheel of a prototype. I received a warm welcome from a well-structured ambitious team."
After scrutineering and the traditional weigh-in at Les Jacobins, Moreau got to grips with the car in Wednesday's free practice session. "It wasn't easy. After starting the season in GT1, I had to find my feet in a prototype on the 24-Hours circuit. And in the rain! We were able to work on the traction control. Even in these conditions the Pescarolo chassis was very efficient, and it really stuck to the track. I was among the quickest in the category."
On Thursday in qualifying, Moreau did the setup work for his team-mates. "We were quick right from the word go with a lap in 3m 46s without really pushing. I handed over to Karim Ajlani but our programme was slightly delayed by a problem with the power steering. When Matthieu Lahaye went out to do the qualifying time he didn't really have enough information. Even so he lapped in 3m 45s on soft tyres. If everything had gone according to plan we could have got round in 3m 42s. It's a shame as we should have been able to make our mark in that session with a quick driver and a good chassis, engine and tyre package. I felt that we missed a great opportunity to help the OAK Racing Team and Mazda make the impact it deserved."
At 15h00 on Saturday came the moment everybody had been waiting for. The no.35 prototype set off with 54 other cars in front of 234 800 spectators. "We made a good start. Karim did the first stint and then I took over followed by Matthieu. Despite a few minor electrical problems we gradually moved up the LM P2 time sheets. I set quick times and I paid attention when overtaking. Our pace was good and well within our safety zone."
Unfortunately, an engine problem slowed no.35 during the night. "We tried to find a solution while we continued racing but the engine was losing too much oil. We had to stop after 17 hours for safety reasons: it was a disappointment for the whole team. We had the potential to finish on the rostrum in LM P2 as the third place of the team's other car proved. The package was very competitive. This collaboration between OAK Racing, the Pescarolo chassis, Mazda and Dunlop is very promising. I'm proud to have shared this experience with them. I'd really like to thank Jacques Nicolet, John Doonan, the President of Mazdaspeed North America, Thierry Guillernot, President of Mazda France and Francois Sicard for having put their trust in me for this unique event. I hope that we can do some more races together."
Despite his early retirement, Guillaume is still very keen on endurance racing and is impressed by the potential of the team he drove for for the first time in this year's 24 Hours. "The Le Mans ambience is still unique. We had an exceptional week and the Parade is a very intense experience with an amazing public. I'm really happy to have bounced back thanks to OAK Racing. The decision taken by the Luc Alphand Adventures Racing team put me in a difficult situation in relation to my partners, but my latest experience is more than positive. The OAK Racing Team is very tightly knit with strong human relationships, which reinforce the sporting and technical aspects of our sport. I was able to share the race with a couple of winners of a competition organised by the Limousin Region. It was a great initiative by my region, which is heavily involved with me, and which enabled two supporters to see the behind-the-scenes activities of a top-class team in the Le Mans 24 Hours."
The rest of the season will see Guillaume make his comeback to single seater racing in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series with the SG Formula/KMP Group. "I'm really very happy to be back with Stephane Guerin's team and the world of single-seaters. In my last season with SG Formula we had fourteen podium finishes in seventeen races! A big challenge awaits us and I want to help them fine-tune the car to try and score a podium finish before the end of the season. It's a great opportunity for me to be back in such a competitive championship. At Silverstone and for the rest of the year we're going to work hard to show the whole team's potential."
Next rendezvous: 5th -- 6th July at Silverstone followed by the World Series by Renault meeting on the Le Mans Bugatti circuit on 18th -- 19th July.
Pierre Ehret
24h Le Mans: Pierre Ehret takes Rank 7 with Team Modena Racing
Driving his fifth edition of the 24 hours of Le Mans on the 13th/14th of June, Pierre Ehret and the team Modena Racing took rank seven on their Ferrari F430 GTC. In the end Ehret saw the chequered flag for the fifth time in row at a 24h Le Mans event.
"Finishing the 24h of Le Mans is always something very special. So we can be happy with our performance. Without some incidents a better result could have been possible. The team did a great job and worked hard for this success", stated Ehret on Sunday evening.
After his podium placements in the preceding years, Pierre Ehret was hoping for a good position in the 77th edition of the 24 hours of Le Mans, too. Together with the Brit Leo Mansell (son of the former F1 World Champion Nigel Mansell) and the Russian Roman Rusinov he started in the Ferrari of team Modena Racing with starting number 84 in GT2 category.
After the qualifying on the 13,629 kilometres long track, which consists of country roads as well as a typical racing track , the trio took place twelve in GT2 category. So one had all chances for the race. "It was important for us to find a setup which matches all of us. And this worked out", Ehret explained after the qualifying.
Ehret drove the start and was able to improve to the top ten positions in his stint. "The start was good and I was able to drive fast lap times", Ehret stated later.
After the first hours went off without a hitch, one had to check the car at the stroke of midnight after the Ferrari was hit by another car. Mansell was driving his stint but was innocently involved. A few hours later it was Rusinov, having an accident. This time recovery and repair took a bit longer, and did cost time.
In the following hours there were no more problems and after 24 hours and 314 laps one crossed the finish line with the Ferrari 430 GTC in the seventh position.