Points of Improvement for 2017

About the team, Olivier Panis: "With Renaud (Derlot, Ed.), Simon and Sarah Abadie, we have made note of quite a few things throughout the year. We are going to make plenty of little tweaks inside the team, but nothing major. It will involve several parameters, the list is ready. At every race, we have made progress and in a few days we are going to sit down and really go over everything. We did well in a lot of areas, but we need to get better overall. So we're going to be firm about the small details which often take the longest to put in place without changing too much since our foundation is strong, serious and professional."

Regarding the drivers, Olivier Panis: "All the drivers we chose, except for Paul Loup (Chatin, Ed.) who had experience, were newcomers. It went very well. Paul-Loup Chatin was at the forefront several times, Fabien Barthez proved he is one of the best Bronze drivers in the field and Timothé Buret gained some maturity and showed some good things, particularly at Le Mans and in Austria. I must admit he even amazed us."

"As for LM P3, Simon Gachet wants to do some LM P2, which makes sense. Valentin Moineault continues to make progress and another year in LM P3 will be very good, he deserves it. Eric Debard is having a blast, he is an important pillar of the team, someone on whom we can count and who aims high. Now to win races, these drivers will need to make some strides, then we will see if they are capable of winning or not."

"We have made some décisions about our 2017 driver line-ups. We have tested out Franck Matelli, he does Formula 4 and a sponsor who wants to help him. That young driver has real potential so we will see."

Driver Fabien Barthez: "Above all, I need to get better. We are going to have a new car in 2017, with more power. I will need to continue to garner more experience in traffic, to work on the aerodynamics. Everyone needs to make progress. The mechanics, the engineers, some have come from other classes. Whether it be Olivier in the role of 'boss,' me in the car, Renaud (Derlot, Ed.) also, everyone must improve and that doesn't happen overnight. It is important to me to work together which will allow us to move forward and make progress."

The 2017 season

Olivier Panis: "We will do the European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans next year if the Selection Committee grants us an invitation. We are going to start with one car, a Ligier JS P217. Then perhaps take on another car, we are considering it, but nothing has been decided yet. One thing is certain, we will not go into the red to enter a second LM P2, that is out of the question. We will know by the end of the year."

"For the World Endurance Championship, we will need the support of a constructor or a top sponsor. For now, that's not where we are. Until we win in the ELMS, I don't see why we would go into the World Endurance Championship. We must remain humble and build something solid. We gave ourselves three years and will not go into the FIA WEC before that. Of course we are still thinking about entering our LM P3. It's great training for the young drivers, nothing is better for preparing them for LM P2."

2017 Goals 

Fabien Barthez: "Next season, the goal will be to keep this mindset, not lose our identity, keep this 'joie de vivre' within the team, a family spirit all while staying very professional. It's what I experienced in the biggest football clubs in the world. We are here to stay. The rest will come naturally. We are not in the ELMS to have nothing to show for it, we want to claim podium finishes and win races."

Olivier Panis: "I agree completely with Fabien. The team spirit and atmosphere we have are two very important things, also the loyalty of our partners. They are people who have trusted us and I want that to be longterm."

2017 LM P2 News 

Olivier Panis: "There will be a few changes but that will be across the board for everyone. We need to be up-to-date, learn things, prepare well, do good testing. This new car will be magical in terms of performance for the drivers. I can't wait to get started." 

Click below for Part One of these interviews:

ELMS - Olivier Panis and Fabien Barthez (Ligier): “Satisfied with our season” [Part 1]