IDEC Sport is not just a car racing team. Patrice Lafargue promotes human values through all his sponsorships, whether we are talking about sailing with the IDEC Sport maxi-trimaran or team sports. Alex Pella, recent winner of the Jules Verne Trophy hung up his foulies for a day to stroll around the pit lane for the Le Mans 24-Hour race.
This week-end, IDEC Sport will be facing one of the biggest challenges of the year: The Le Mans 24-Hour Race. For this event, Alex Pella, world record holder with the crew of IDEC Sport, joined Patrice Lafargue, Paul Lafargue and David Zollinger for a wide-ranging press conference.
It is hard to compare a round the world sailing record with the Le Mans 24-Hour race, but for the Spanish sailor ocean racing and car racing are not so very different, starting with the mechanical and technological aspects: “Our race track is the planet, our fuel the wind and currents, but there are a lot of similarities between the two sports. There are shared values with the key being team spirit and pushing beyond personal limits,” explained Alex Pella. “I think people feel the same excitement before the race with all the preparation, the hard work and the excitement which builds as we get close to the start.”
Even if he is used to extreme conditions and has already driven around the track a few times at the wheel of a Porsche GT3, Alex Pella cannot imagine racing at Le Mans. “I let others do that, even if it is something that I like. I’d like to drive around the track in the car just to see, but I feel happier at sea so will stick to that.” While he wasn’t able to drive the JS P217 IDEC Sport (because of the competition), the sailor did get to visit the stand and managed to sit in the driving seat of the IDEC car, while Patrice Lafargue explained the various controls on the dashboard.
He had no time to hang around after visiting the paddock. Alex Pella let the three IDEC drivers focus on the trials later today. He is due to return to la Trinité-sur-mer (Southern Brittany) to get back with Francis Joyon and the rest of the IDEC SPORT crew to carry out some final trips before competing in The Bridge, a race between maxi-trimarans and the Queen Mary II. The six sailors on IDEC SPORT will be setting sail from St Nazaire on 25th June and will be attempting to sail to New York before the other ocean racing giants, whether they are powered by sail or engine.
On the track, the drivers and engineers are taking advantage of the trials from 4 to 8 this evening and the two hours of qualifying trials from 10 to midnight to set up the car. Two other qualifying sessions are scheduled for Thursday 15th from 7 to 9 in the evening and from 10 to midnight. On Friday 16th June, the 180 competitors will parade through the centre of Le Mans aboard historic cars from 5.30 in the afternoon.
Don’t miss this exceptional event by making the most of the IDEC SPORT social media: the Android app: IDEC SPORT, the Facebook page: IDEC SPORT Racing and our twitter and Instagram feeds: @IDECSportRacing
