Brakes: “We are the only car to have ABS which is a massive help when it comes to braking. There is a Master-Vac brake booster that creates a vacuum  to provide assistance when the driver presses the pedal. Without it, he wouldn’t apply enough pressure to brake himself.”

Steering wheel: “It is unique. The prosthesis he wears has a tip at the end that he uses to turn the wheel. It has practically the same steering rotation as a standard wheel. It has all the buttons required to start and stop the engine, and to control the automatic gearbox and the power supply. For him to use them, he must be disconnected from the steering wheel so all the buttons have been designed for use only when the car is stationary.”

Special controls: “There is a paddle that he can control with his right thigh. It is used to control the pit limit [the speed permitted when coming into the pits] and the full course yellow at 80 kph. He presses it down as long as necessary and the computer interprets that to adjust the engine strategy [throttle opening and engine management]. Finally, on his left, there is a joystick that controls the indicators and activates the brake lights and flashers.”

Extraction: “The regulations mean he has to be able to get out of the car himself if there is a problem. There is a compressed-air system that lifts his seat so that he can then tip himself out of the car.”

The other drivers: “There is a special steering wheel for Frédéric Sausset while Jean-Bernard (Bouvet) and Christophe (Tinseau) use a standard wheel. Frédéric’s pedal set is also different and he controls it with his thighs. He is connected to rods that are used to accelerate or brake, and there is no clutch as it’s an automatic gearbox. The steering wheel and the pedal set are removed when one of the other drivers takes over.”

Lights: “Eduardo Freitas, Race Director, has asked us to fit blue LEDs that only light up when Fred is in the car. When his steering wheel is connected, it automatically switches those lights on. They are on the front end, the roll bar and the rear extractor. A broad blue strip warns the drivers in front and behind.”

How the project came about: ”Onroak Automotive Le Mans worked on the electronics while the team from Magny-Cours developed the mechanical aspects. Around 15 people were involved and we’ve been working on it since January. Development took a good three months and then we did plenty of tests on the track after that. Fred had to get used the car because he has switched from a CN to an LM P2. Perfecting his driving comfort took quite a while to get right.”

Validation: “FIA officials have been to see us several  times. They validated some points, rejected others and we have made the changes that they have asked for. The car is now totally compliant with FIA standards.” 

 

New content and exclusive videos: myACO goes the extra mile for you! Sign up for free!