How did the beginning of the season go at the wheel of this Ligier JS P2?

"This is a brand new team. We knew we had a solid driver line-up and a quality technical team. We also knew the competition would be very tough and we weren't wrong. Our goal is to win the title but to get to the first round at Silverstone and win was incredible. At Spa and Le Mans, the car had less aerodynamic downforce and we were aware the Oreca 05 would be hard to beat. It even reached a new milestone within a year, we expected a lot but not that much. In Belgium, we finished fourth despite being in second position before Ford GT's accident at the Raidillon de l'Eau Rouge. We have since learned we had an engine problem causing us to lose power."

The 24 Hours of Le Mans was quite disappointing for you.

"It was a complicated race especially given our engine trouble at the very beginning which lost us 30 minutes. And it is difficult to fight for more than 20 hours just for points when you're not even near the lead cars. Besides that, we were among the most solid Ligiers."

After your win at Silverstone and second place at the Nürburgring, you are still a title contender.

"We are still aiming for the title, that's true. The reality is with a race like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which counts double, it's difficult when you don't achieve a good result. We are going to try and remain solid at the coming races. I think the last circuits will favour the Oreca 05 a bit less. I hope our only misstep will have been Le Mans. We will continue to move forward."

What is the status of promotion for the Mexico race, next round of the World Endurance Championship? Will you be ready in time?

"Everything is going well and we are on schedule. We began a little behind because the signing of some contracts took some time. However, we have made up for lost time. In terms of promotion, all is on track as well. We also have the support of the government as well as new companies. For awhile now we have been receiving calls to get information or to buy tickets. It will be a great event and we expect, I think, 50,000 to 60,000 spectators. We are working hard this year and I hope that will be a good starting point for an even better 2017 edition."

What does this race mean to you?

"It's my home race, it's very important. It means so much work. I wear three hats: promotor, driver and team owner. We are currently in the process of structuring the team in each facet for the 6 Hours of Mexico. It's leaves me less time to take care of the team and driving. I'm lucky everything is working well!"

Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

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