24h Le Mans
Photo : Pascal Saivet - P.SAIVET/VSC Pictures
The #50 Corvette C6R driven by Patrick Bornhauser, Julien Canal and Gabriele Gardel made up for a difficult qualifying session by charging through the class from eighth to first by early Sunday morning. This year’s race was not without its challenges however. Three lengthy Safety Car periods, the second of which lasted the best part of two hours, stifled significant progress while at one stage the class’ top five were all running on the same lap. Ultimately, superior speed and reliability proved vital with neither Larbre entry experiencing significant delays in the pits. This was Canal and Gardel’s second consecutive Le Mans class win with Larbre Competition after being part of the line-up that scored GT1 victory at the wheel of a Saleen last season. Bornhauser, who was scheduled to complete the line-up 12 months ago before illness ruled him out, finally got his hands on the trophy.
Patrick Bornhauser: “For us, this was a well planned victory. A team like Larbre is perfectly prepared for this type of event which extends to the car, driver crew and mechanics. All were ready and no mistakes made throughout the entire race. The car was never in the garage with a mechanical problem so at the finish that usually means you win.”
Julien Canal: “Obviously I am very happy with my second consecutive win here for Larbre Competition. Personally, I don’t think this is down to luck but confirmation of fantastic team work and I would like to thank Larbre for their trust and confidence. I think that we are going places together!”
Gabriele Gardel: “Jack and his team have done an amazing job for this year’s programme so it’s a great reward for him and all the staff. I am really happy to be here and would like to thank the entire team and the boys, especially after the off on Wednesday night when I damaged the car. They worked very hard to fix it so this is a great reward for their efforts. To win at Le Mans is an amazing feeling.”
Jack Leconte: “This year our Le Mans project was a special one, with the objective to reunite all members of the Larbre family from over the years. ... The launch of our partnership with General Motors and Corvette Racing has also been a total success. We have worked together perfectly in the pursuit of a shared value, victory, with each side doing the maximum to obtain the best possible performance. The Pratt & Miller team has also given everything to win the GTE Pro class following Jan Magnussen’s and the #74 car’s accident. Reunited on the Le Mans 24 Hours podium, we are only at the start of a great story.”
(According to press information from Larbre)
Photo: 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, 11 & 12 June 2011. As indicated in the bonnet, the Corvette of Larbre Competition winner in LM GTE Am was supported by the factory team, who won the LM GTE Pro class.
