It’s the final stretch before the start of the Le Mans 24-Hour Race. The Oreca #48 IDEC Sport is currently in the pits, but on Sunday, the Gibson engine with its power in excess of 600HP will be roaring during the test day, the first official session for the 2018 Le Mans 24-Hour Race.
The magic of Le Mans is gradually building with the two trucks lined up in the paddock, with the cars in their garages just waiting for one thing. The race track! The LMP2 Oreca #48 IDEC Sport has an official photo session for the 2018 race on Saturday 2nd June. The drivers have certain obligations too, as they have to be present during the paperwork before they can set off on the 13.626 km track on the test day on Sunday. All of the teams have to take part in this day and can drive from 9 to 1 and from 2 to 6.
All of the IDEC Sport team is excited by the idea of taking part in their second edition of the legendary round the clock race, even the highly experienced Nicolas Minassian, the team’s race director, who is planning to make the most of the final hours on the track to sort out the final details: “The results from early in the season are very good. The whole team has worked hard on all the details. These details are important to ensure everything goes right,” said the former Peugeot WEC driver. “The test day will be away to ensure things come naturally and even for those who have already raced in Le Mans, it is important. We need to work on the car’s set ip to make sure everything is coordinated.”
The IDEC Sport drivers, Paul Lafargue, Memo Rojas and Paul-Loup Chatin did well in the European Le Mans Series with one pole position and one place on the podium. The three are hoping for a good result in Le Mans, even if they need to remain cautious, as Nicolas Minassian explains: “Firstly we’ll be focusing on the set up to make sure everything is balanced. We need to respect this circuit with some very high speeds and sharp bends, which means the set up has to be just right. Secondly, we’ll be working on the comfort, which is key for the drivers in a 24-Hour endurance race. And to finish, we’ll be working on the tyres, as this is avery demanding circuit and a good set of tyres can make all the difference. If we cut the number of pit stops, it’s good for the race,” said the driver, who has taken part in 17 editions of the Le Mans 24-Hour Race.
IDEC Sport has had a good start to the season with the new weapon, the Oreca 07 and wishes to remain humble at this meeting: “One of our main assets is Paul (Lafargue), our Silver pilot, as he is very fast, reliable and experienced with a good result in 2017. With the support of Paul-Loup (Chatin) and Memo (Rojas), Paul has taken a leap forward and can now be compared to the best. However, we’ll be setting off without piling on the pressure and doing what we know how to do. We’ll be doing as good a job as possible, while remaining humble, as to do well, you need first to finish,” said Nicolas.
The festivities in Le Mans are starting for the teams and for the fans. Come and see the car #48 IDEC Sport and maybe grab an autograph from one of the drivers at the pitwalk (Saturday from 10 to 5 and Wed 13th from 10 to 3), the weigh in (Sun 10thJune, Place de la République) or at the signing session (Tues 12th June from 5 to 6.30 in the afternoon).
Follow all the exceptional preparations being made by IDEC to see everything that is going on at the Le Mans 24-Hour Race thanks to social networks: Facebook: IDEC SPORT Racing, Twitter: @IDECSportRacing et Instagram : idecsport_racing_officiel17
