The boss of Larbre Compétition wants to surprise the public at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Very few teams have won at their first attempt at Le Mans. Yet that feat was managed by Larbre in 1993 ... Better still, the French team had 1-2 finish in the Grand Touring class! Since then the team based at Val de Vienne has multiplie successes partnering with the most prestigious manufacturers such as Porsche, Chrysler, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Corvette and Saleen. With three consecutive victories (GT1 in 2010, GTE Am in 2011 and 2012), team boss Jack Leconte intends to continue this momentum!

* Result acquired following the disqualification of the Jaguar XJ220 No.50.
 

How is the 2013 race looking?
Jack Leconte: "It looks very significant because it marks the 90th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 25th year of Larbre, as well as the 20th team participation. In sporting terms, it is very encouraging to see that there are more competitors than last year in GTE Am (14 cars). We will have a tough fight!"
 

But this time, you only have one car (two in 2012) ...
"We have received many requests to run our second Corvette, but it was clear that the sporting ambition all these projects lacked economic strength. Le Mans should suffer no mediocrity, and certainly not from us!"
 

What kind of surprises?Until 2010, Larbre Competition rivalled works teams. Is that impossible today?
"No. It is a little disappointing because we hoped to race in GTE Pro. In 2012, all objectives were achieved with the WEC title and victory at Le Mans. We wanted to defend the colours of Corvette in the World Championship, but this type of campaign requires a large budget, even for a large manufacturer. That said, we can not complain. Corvette support our entry in GTE Am. We will surely have some surprises for Le Mans ..."

"Maybe American drivers ... The theme is the Stars and Stripes ..."

A sign of your proximity to General Motors?
"We try to enter gently into the Corvette family. On the 12th of February, we'll get our car in Detroit at Pratt & Miller."

What are your aspirations for the future?
"Larbre is evolving and will have a C7.R next year. Larbre will be totally free to find a better combination ..."

The message is clear!

Julien HERGAULT

Photo : SILVERSTONE (UK), AUTOSPORT SILVERSTONE 1000km, SUNDAY 13th SEPTEMBER 2009. Jack Leconte.