What are your thoughts now looking back on your 24 Hours of Le Mans debut?
Gaëtan Paletou: Well it’s not any old run-of-the-mill race – it’s just extraordinary! I’m not used to this sort of event. It goes on for over a week with the scrutineering and the Drivers’ Parade. You only really see that at Le Mans. One of the biggest events for me was the Parade. It’s simply fantastic with the crowds of people lining the route. It’s a tiring week though because we have a lot of commitments to fulfil and then there are the two qualifying sessions that don’t finish until midnight. That means you don’t get to sleep before 1.00 a.m. and you have to be back on the track bright and early the next day. But all-in-all it was an amazing experience.

How did the actual race go for you?
It went really well to begin with as we were up among the leaders in the early stages (second in the LM P2 class after five hours). The car was performing really well but then we had this electrical problem. It’s a shame but that’s how it goes sometimes. Unfortunately I didn’t get to drive in the actual race as we retired before my first stint. However, with the test sessions and the warm-up, it’s all good experience.

What does it feel like to drive an LM P2 and to drive on this circuit?
It feels great! Even if I ran off the track for the very first time (at Mulsanne Corner during the Wednesday qualifying session), I really loved driving this car. As for the circuit, it’s quite exceptional. It may not be my favourite circuit but I like it a lot. It’s really something else! I’ve got to admit, clocking up 300 km/h in a prototype on public roads is pretty impressive. The cornering speed and braking capacity of these cars are just amazing.

Going forward, are you hoping to return to LM P2 soon?
You bet! I’d really love to have the opportunity to drive an LM P2 again and especially with the Greaves Motorsport team who made me more than welcome. I’d be delighted to go back.

What do you have lined up for the rest of the season?
I’m going to focus again on the European Le Mans Series championship. I’m racing in the LM P3 class in a Ginetta-Nissan. With Team LNT, we pulled off a double at Silverstone but, unfortunately, had to retire at Imola. The championship leader (University of Bolton) is not here at the Red Bull Ring. If we finish the race, it should put us back in contention for the championship. For this Austrian round, I’ll be teaming up with Mark Shulzhitskiy who drives for Nissan in LM P1. I know him well as I’ve already raced with him in a Nissan in GT.
I’m also competing in the Blancpain Endurance Series in a Nissan GT3-R. The highlight of this championship will be the 24 Hours of Spa at the end of July. I’m expecting a tough race – even harder than Le Mans. We’ll have a tremendous lineup in the Pro Am class with Ricardo Sanchez, Florian Strauss (Bathurst 12 Hour winner) and, of course, Olivier Pla.

Tim Greaves, Team Principal of Greaves Motorsport, following the 24 Hours of Le Mans: We were all really disappointed that Gaëtan did not get to drive. His performance in the car during the week is further evidence of the value and validity of the GT Academy. But his time will come.

David Bristol / ACO
Translated from French by David Goward

Tim Greaves quote courtesy of the Greaves Motorsport press release

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), 24 HOURS CIRCUIT, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, WEDNESDAY 10 JUNE 2015, PRACTICE SESSIONS. Gaëtan Paletou’s Le Mans debut will remain etched in his memory in spite of the unfortunate outcome.