Driver of the Mercedes SLS GT3 #96 at the 6 Hours of Zhuhai, Cong Fu Cheng was the first Chinese driver to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2008 in the company of his two team-mates at the time, Franck Mailleux and Pierre Ragues, and their boss Jacques Nicolet.

In 2008, Saulnier Racing (not yet been renamed OAK Racing by its new owner Jacques Nicolet), and the Porsche RS Spyder exercised an unchallenged dominance in the LM P2 category. But the #35 Pescarolo drivers Cong Fu Cheng, Matthieu Lahaye and Pierre Ragues entered in the history of the 24 hours, thanks to their third place in LM P2.

How did Cong Fu Cheng join you for the 24 Hours 2008?
Jacques Nicolet: "It is we who contacted him. I wanted to create a link between Asia (especially China) and the team, if possible with an event around it. We have been the first team to race with a Chinese driver at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the crew were the youngest average age (23 years) in the history of the race, and Cong Fu Cheng will remain the first Chinese driver on the podium for the 24 hours."

What were your first impressions after the first laps of Cong Fu Cheng on the circuit of the 24 hours on the test day?
Jacques Nicolet: "He quickly adapted and integrated into the team, difficulties had been predicted, because Chinese drivers were not highly regarded at the time."
Pierre Ragues: "I was very surprised and happy to see his adaptation to the circuit. He had never driven the car before the test day. We had very little time to get to know it, since he had arrived by plane at the airfield of Le Mans from Pau, where he participated in the Formula 3 Euroseries race. After his ten regulation laps, he left directly for Pau."

How was it working with him to learn the circuit during the free practice and qualifying, and his adaptation to driving at night?
Pierre Ragues: "During the week of 24 hours, we took the time to explain the operation of the car and some of the subtleties of the circuit with high speeds, not to mention turning "hot" turns such as the left hander at Karting.
Matthieu Lahaye: "Our role was to give him confidence that he could learn the car and the circuit as quickly as possible. But everything was new to everyone, we took delivery of the car quite late that year, and the team did not know it well. We approached Le Mans with great humility and our goal was to garner all of the experience. Cheng's adaptation to the car and specificities of the circuit, such as driving at night was fast, despite the difference in culture, it went very well and he integrated into the team."

How were his race stints?
Matthieu Lahaye: "After weeks and testing, Cheng was ready! He had a good burst of speed and was very comfortable in the car. He even surprised some of the paddock by setting the same lap times in the early morning rain as Jos Verstappen and his Porsche RS Spyder which would win the LM P2 category."
Pierre Ragues: "I remember it started to rain in the middle of his stint. Cheng discovered driving at night in the rain! He only did one stint in the rain at night because we preferred him to drive in the light due to his lack of experience in these conditions. But he held his position well."
Jacques Nicolet: "He was fast, consistant, and no mistakes."

How was Cong Fu Cheng when he took this third place on the LM P2 podium with you?
Pierre Ragues: "As Matthew and I were, he was impressed by the crowd at the foot of the podium, and also by the drivers' parade before the race. A Chinese couple had run across the barriers behind the car for much of the parade for an autograph!
Matthieu Lahaye: "We were excited, not many people expected us at this place! Despite our lack of experience, we managed a great result. But we have seen that Cheng was able to adapt easily in all categories in which he ran afterwards."

The third place of LM P2 was a little taste of victory, given the dominance of the Porsche RS Spyder in the category in 2008?
Jacques Nicolet: "Yes, it seemed at the time to be a real victory, and the best result we could have hoped for. The third place was a real encouragement, fully deserved, which did a lot of good to the team. Also, bringing the first Chinese driver to Le Mans 24 Hours created some media coverage, and Cheng had several pages in 'Sport Auto'. I think it would be much more obvious now and I am convinced that the creation of the World Championship gives me reason to have had this idea."

For 6 hours Zhuhai, Matthieu Lahaye, Pierre Ragues and Guillaume Moreau are team-mates in OAK-Pescarolo #15 of OAK Racing, which also has a second prototype in LM P1 (Jacques Nicolet / Alexandre Prémat / Olvier Pla #24) and an LM P2 (Frederic da Rocha / Patrice Lafargue, #35). As for Cong Fu Cheng (who has not yet returned to La Sarthe since 2008), he will share the wheel of the Mercedes SLS GT3 with former double F1 World Champion Mika Häkkinen Formula and Lance David Arnold (#96).  

The Zhuhai 6 hours will be on the 13th November. Click here for more information on the final race of the ILMC 2011.

Jean-Philippe Doret

Photo : CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES (LE MANS), LE MANS 24 HOURS, 14 & 15 JUNE 2008. Third in LM P2, Cong Fu Cheng, Matthieu Lahaye and Pierre Ragues also took 18th place overall.