An exceptionally tough edition
Judging by the comments from the different team managers below, this 2017 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was definitely one of the toughest ever, making the triumph achieved by the ORECA 07 even more so remarkable.
Rémy Brouard – Jackie Chan DC Racing
“It’s incredibly thrilling. Let’s put things into context: we’ve only competed in Le Mans very recently. We came last year but it didn’t go really well. And this time, we find ourselves racing in the first place alongside the factory Porsche cars! In the end we won with our two cars on the podium. It’s an extraordinary outcome which will have a tremendous impact in China. Jacky Chan called us straight away after we’d crossed the finish line. Our drivers and the entire team have done an amazing job. We’re going to celebrate now. In China, we do things to win and we also know how to appreciate victory.”
Graeme Lowdon – CEFS Manor TRS Racing
“This race was a perfect example of what an endurance race can be, in all extremes. There was a monumental race in LM P2, a true world-class battle, to which we’re glad to have participated in. We didn’t clinch the result that we’d hoped for. We were still aiming to finish on the podium until the #25 accident last night. All of the drivers have done a great job this weekend. They were all really engaged. The team worked well too and our cars were reliable. But this race requires experience too. If you look at the podium, both of the teams monopolising the first positions are more experienced.”
Bart Hayden – Vaillante Rebellion
“It’s hard to find words that can describe how I feel after such a race. I’m really happy that we’ve climbed onto the podium. But on the other hand I’m obviously a bit frustrated too that we’ve missed the first place because I think we were competitive enough to get it. I think we’re all very tired and I’ll probably need several days before my brain calms down and comes back to normal activity. The race was tough, I think that everybody will agree on that. Personally, for me, it was even one of the hardest editions I’d ever taken part in.”
Philippe Sinault – Team Signatech Alpine Matmut
“We finished just off the podium. It’s obviously a bit frustrating but let’s remember the positive side of it. We’ve taken risks in this race and the level was even higher than last year. It’s a shame we didn’t take advantage of the tragedy that happened in the LM P1 class, to try to reach the podium overall, but that’s the way it is. We thought it’d be very difficult this year, well, that was the case.”
Xavier Combet – TDS Racing
“Le Mans can provoke immense joys and also terrible disappointments. This year, unfortunately, we’re experiencing the latter. It’s a terrible outcome for us. Not only in terms of sporting results but also technically. We’re going to have to re-build two cars by the Nürburgring race. The next couple of days are going to be busy.”
Pascal Rauturier – Graff Racing
“Twenty-four years after Graff Racing’s last entry in the 24 Hours, and considering that we were returning to endurance, we’re really fully satisfied. It’s even the team’s best result overall in this challenge. Both cars crossed the finish line. The #40 encountered more difficulties than the #39 but overall the outcome is great. The volume of experience acquired during this race is huge and we’re going to capitalise on it and come back stronger next year, with higher ambitions.”