The duo of Emmanuel Collard and Christophe Tinseau are now known to be driving in the Pescarolo team in 2011.. Unsurprisingly, but to the greatest satisfaction of the fans, they are two pillars of French endurance racing, but also of the late Pescarolo Sport for whom they wrote the most successful pages of its brief history.

The duo of Emmanuel Collard and Christophe Tinseau are now known to be driving in the Pescarolo team in 2011.. It is not a huge surprise but it will be especially satisfying to French fans. They are two pillars of French endurance racing, but also of the former Pescarolo Sport for whom they wrote the most successful pages of its brief history. With Jean-Christophe Boullion, Emmanuel "Manu" Collard won European Le Mans Series titles in 2005 and 2006 Le Mans Series with team based in La Sarthe. The duo also won a 2nd place overall at 24 Hours of Le Mans 2005 with the the help of of Erik Comas. It took two years to get back on the podium for 'twice around the clock', still with a Pescarolo Judd, but this time with the last winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Romain Dumas.

The most recent participation of 'Manu' at Le Mans was with Henri Pescarolo was in 2008. In 2009 the Parisien driver brilliantly won the LMP2 class with the RS Spyder of team Essex for Porsche. It was with mixed feelings that he prematurely retired from the 2010 race. He had found refuge in the official (GM) Corvette team - Manu had formerly driven the Cadillac prototype , also of General Motors, in the early 2000s. For the first time the factory Corvette entry was in the LMGT2 category. The car maintained a good pace during the race, but the French driver ended up in the barrier, a victim of an 'optimistic' overtaking move of an LMP1. Although he was able to return to his pit, retirement was already inevitable. After this brief foray into LMGT2, Manu will be pleased find himself back in the premier class as he confirmed: "I'm really happy to drive again in proto and especially for the team of Henri, whom I have known so long. Participation in the development of LMP1 with Claude Galopin is always an exciting experience. " 

His partner for 2011 did not participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2010, the late withdrawal of the of Pescarolo-Judd entry wiped out any chance of finding a seat. Yet in 2009, the French driver won the Asian Le Mans Series and finished the LMS season as vice-champion. Christophe is, as was his new partner, a veteran of the epic Cadillac - we remember the spectacular burning of the prototype at the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the beginning of the 21st century. He is also a race driving instructor for the Porsche Sport Driving School at Le Mans, but he will soon be back into endurance racing in LMP1: "It's back as I hoped, I was waiting impatiently. I am also pleased to join the team with whom I obtained many best results. Sharing a Pescarolo-Judd with Manu Collard is an exciting project. "

So it's a partnership that has respectively 16 and 9 entries which may take the start of the 79th edition since the Pescarolo team has filed for entry of a Pescarolo-Judd in LMP1. The team will use the V10 Judd for another season as allowed by the new regulations. The team, in the person of Henri Pescarolo, has already announced its commitment to the five-race Le Mans Series for the 2011 season, with probably Michelin, as tyre manufacturer, "We chose to take the opportunity that was offered to us by the ACO to keep the V10 Judd for another year. Pescarolo-Judd 2010 version never ran in LMP1, it has still not shown its potential. We are confident it will be quite competitive in 2011. The choice of a crew peak demonstrates our ambition: to win the Le Mans Series, and position ourselves at the 24 Hours. "

Cecile Bonardel