In June of 2014, Loïc Duval - replaced by Spanish driver Marc Gené - was unable to share Tom Kristensen's final podium finish. But, with the Brazilian Lucas di Grassi, the French driver was at the wheel at the 2014 6 Hours of Sao Paulo for the final race, finished in third place, of his illustrious teammate, a nine-time winner at the 24 Hours. In 2015, Oliver Jarvis is stepping into Kristensen's shoes at the wheel of the No. 8 Audi R18 e-tron quattro. This absence, for the first time in 15 years, elicted strong emotions early in the season from his teammates and all members of the Audi team, but for Duval as for everyone, the demands of the race take precedence.

Loïc Duval: "Of course I think about it, but I quickly set my mind to the new context. Tom is still with us and it is just as nice to get his thoughts and to continue to speak with him. It's a great way to keep the bond going that we shared when we were teammates. In any case, one had to turn the page and delve into the work with this new driver line-up. For sure Oliver feels a lot of pressure, but it's more about now becoming a member of the team and competing in the entire FIA World Endurance Championship than succeeding Tom. It's up to Lucas, me and the whole team to make the pressure go away as much as possible so he can be completely confident. Because if Oliver was chosen, it's for good reason: he needs to find his new footing but the performance level is there."

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SUNDAY JUNE 7, 2015, TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE VERIFICATION. Loic Duval is back for a potential second win at Le Mans.