Your first 24 Hours of Le Mans as a driver: "I did the race for the first time in 1995 in Larbre Compétition's Porsche RSR GT1 (with Stéphane Ortelli and Dominique Dupuy, editor's note). My first surprise when I arrived was discovering the circuit. It's just crazy with its long straights and amazing speeds. Then, I got used to the circuit. Another element is specific to Le Mans: the changes in weather with rain at Arnage and a dry track at the Tertre Rouge, for example. That's something that rarely happens at a typical circuit."   

Your best memory at Le Mans: "There are several, with class wins in GT, in LM P2 and podium finishes with Henri Pescarolo. That year, in 2005, the podium (second at the wheel of the No. 16 Pescarolo of Pescarolo Sport with Jean Christophe Bouillon and Erik Comas, editor's note) was a little bittersweet because we could have won."   

Your worst memory at Le Mans: "Every time I didn't finish the race! To finish is already a good thing. There was some disappointment during the Toyota period because we had an extraordinary car two years in a row (the Toyota TS020, editor's note). We should have won and both times we had problems. It was a difficult time since the car was well-prepared and very fast. We did four or five simulations of 30 hours before the race. To be better prepared than that is impossible. When we went to Le Mans, we had problems we had never experienced before."

The teammate who has most marked you: "I have plenty of buddies in the paddock luckily (laughs). I don't  open up easily with others, I'm pretty reserved. I have very good memories of all my teammates. I can't single one out in particular."

Is there significance to your helmet decoration: "It's the same design I had in karting. At the time, each karting club had its own colours and I just kept those of my club. The real colours were blue, white and yellow. So, for France, I just changed the yellow to red."

Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO