Photo : Pierre BARRAU - ACO/Nikon

Hugues de Chaunac has confirmed two of the fastest drivers of the current endurance for Oreca. In the team since 2008, Nicolas Lapierre will be back. Vice-Champion Le Mans Series, setter of two poles and three fastest laps, he will be joined for the 2011 season by Loic Duval.

“Immediately after Le Mans we began speaking about 2011, and pairing Loïc up with Nicolas seemed obvious to me”, said Hugues de Chaunac. “Nicolas has become a benchmark in endurance. I already appreciated Loïc’s approach in 2008 and he’s matured even more since then. With these two drivers who’ve both made their debut in the Le Mans 24 Hours with us, we’ve got one of the quickest driver line-ups in endurance.”

“I’m very happy with the opportunity the team’s given me, and also the way it gives young drivers the chance to race in an event as important as the Le Mans 24 Hours." responded Loïc Duval. "We’ve got to know each other well and we’ll be all the stronger for that in 2011. I hope we’ll have the opportunity to fulfill the promise shown this June. I’m delighted to be driving with Nicolas. We were rivals in single-seaters, drove for the same team, and now we’re team-mates today in LM P1. We’re both from the same generation and our technical feedback is fairly similar. We gel together and that’s what you need in this type of racing.”

“I’ve always said that I was in for the long haul with ORECA, and that I’d go for continuity as long as we progressed: it’s been the case since 2008,” said Nicolas Lapierre. “I’m starting my fourth season with the team and I’m sure we’ll have what it takes to score good results. For me it’s a logical choice. I’m pleased to be driving with Loïc with whom I raced in the Asian Le Mans Series, and again on several occasions this season. We’ve know each other for quite some time and we’ve had good races together. I’m now looking forward to finding out what our car and our programme are for 2011. I trust Hugues. Le Mans will again be the main objective and the aim is to make it to the finish. We’ve got everything it takes to do well. What more could you ask for?”

Nicolas Lapierre and Loïc Duval will be the regular drivers for Team Oreca-Matmut in 2011. The name of their team mate for the 24 hours and details of the 2011 programme 2011 will be announced soon.

(From Team Oreca Matmut press release)

Photo : LE MANS 24 HOURS, Le Mans, Monday 7 June 2010. Loïc Duval, interviewed during scrutineering, had the fastest lap of the race with the Peugeot 908 of Team Oreca Matmut... faster than the pole position time of Sébastien Bourdais.