You've just taking your first steps in the endurance world at the Prologue in Le Castellet. What kind of welcome did you receive?
Graeme Lowdon. Excellent! The WEC offers a perfect balance of fierce competition and friendliness in the paddock. It is very intense and professional, but also very open and warm...
John Booth. What touched me the most was reuniting with so many friends. I never expected that.

Why choose Le Mans and the LM P2 class to revive Manor Motorsport?
JB. Well, Manor Motorsport never went away. It's always been there, in the shadow of Virgin Racing, Marussia F1 Team and Manor F1 Team. What we wanted was a new adventure. 
GL. We wanted something different! It's the first time Manor has competed with a car with a roof. Like John said, Manor has always been there, whether in F. Renault, F3, F1 and now the WEC. We looked into different directions for the future of the outfit, but it's in the WEC that most of the positive things are happening right now.

Did you have to start back at zero over the winter?
GL. Yes. but that's become second nature to us. We waited for our entry to the 24 Hours of Le Mans to begin the car. 
JB. We started by finding new facilities, at Silverstone. I have been in motorsports for 37 years, and when it became clear we were going to take on this new adventure, we got a lot of phone calls. I'm not saying it was easy to start over on the machine, but we didn't have to knock on any doors.

Would it have been possible to do this program in LM P2 without an entry at Le Mans?
GL. I don't think so, not for us coming from another class! We had a very constructive meeting with the championship promoter last year at the 6 Hours of Bahrain, then we talked to drivers, to team managers, etc. That definitely made us decided to continue down this road.

What do you know about the 24 Hours?
JB. Nothing! Believe it or not, I had never set foot in Le Mans! After so many years in motorsports, I couldn't retire without having done it! I am as excited as when I first started out. A huge thank you to ORECA whose help has been invaluable. Hugues de Chaunac knows Manor's history well and the respect was mutual from the first moments.
GL. I attended the race for the first time in 1990, the year Martin Brundle won at the wheel of the Jaguar. It completely changed my view of motorsports because I had never seen anything like it. It's the biggest race in the world.

What are you expecting this first time at Le Mans?
JB. Nothing specific since we are rookies! I think there are more expectations outside the team than inside. We will do the best we can, but without forgetting to have fun. We don't want to miss out on any part of this experience.
GL. Motorsports is difficult, and if it isn't fun, you're left with nothing but worry. Le Mans, for us, will be a celebration!
 

Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO