24h Le Mans
Nicolas Minassian is gearing up to compete in his 17th 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 18th and 19th). For the third consecutive time, he will race with SMP Racing, the Russian team entered in LM P2 in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). Though his car, the BR01, has only been competing for barely a year, we were able to take stock with the French driver.
Just a year ago you were competing your first European Le Mans Series race, at Imola. Where are you a year later?
"We are missing performance level, we're a little behind as we have yet to put our finger on how to go about making the car work best. The problem is not fast sections but slow ones. We lack grip and are looking to find the best compromise possible with the car. We made the car very fast last year. In LM P2, we can't make any changes so we are a bit stuck with what we have. At circuits like Spa, it's hard. At Le Mans, we should do better and go fast in the straight as the aerodynamic drag of the car is quite low. The car is not bad to drive and of course, as compared to Imola 2015, we have made progress. The only somewhat disappointing thing is that at the end of 2015 we weren't far off from winning races, and now this year we find ourselves back to mid-field. I don't know why but we have not improved whereas all our adversaries have! At Silverstone, we had front damper and splitter problems. Endurance races are ones in which you must never stop. For now, I'm a little disappointed I have to admit, but at no time have we thrown in the towel. We need to work on the set-up, testing sessions are scheduled to improve all that."
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is approaching fast. How do you think it will go for you?
"As I've said, at Le Mans we will have good top speed, which is an advantage. In terms of what happened at Spa, I am not 100% sure we will fight for the win. We are going to conduct two big testing sessions before Le Mans to get closer to the best. It's a reliable car, we have good driver line-ups and there should be a small surprise for the 24 Hours of Le Mans: a top driver many people know! It's up to us now to find a good balance. We have the same tyres as our adversaries, we have a year of experience but the overall level in LM P2 has greatly improved. A lot of really great drivers, good teams, it will be difficult this year for everyone."
In your opinion, what will make the difference toward the win in LM P2?
"All the cars are reliable now. It's going to be all about the standard of the drivers. To make the difference, no mistakes can be made, there must be flawless pit stops and good, consistent lap times. It's an endurance race but also a big sprint."
There's a lot of talk about an LM P1 version of the BR. What's the status?
"It is currently under discussion. I don't know much yet about where they are for next year honestly. That's also because there are no well-defined regulations for the future of this class. I think it could be interesting. In any case, the LM P2 version of the BR01 will no longer be eligible next year, or not entirely let's say!"
You have been with this team since 2014. How do you feel there?
"I feel really good. I have a two-fold role. I drive but I advise as well. Indeed, I take care of the drivers to help them improve, to teach them to be more professional and make good choices. I guide them and try to steer them in the right direction. I admit it's a role I enjoy."
David Bristol / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO
PHOTO: STAVELOT LIEGE PROVINCE, BELGIUM), SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS CIRCUIT, FIA WEC, WEC 6 HOURS OF SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, SATURDAY MAY 7 2016, AUTOGRAPH SESSION. Nicolas Minassian will participate in his 17th 24 Hours of Le Mans...
