After a positive test day, the young rookie, Nelson Panciatici, feels ready to start his first Le Mans 24 Hours (16 and 17 June). Well integrated in his G-DRIVE by SIGNATECH NISSAN team and efficiently supported by his two co-drivers, the Frenchman Pierre Ragues and the Russian Roman Rusinov, Nelson knows he’s holding a trump card. The team manager Philippe Sinault foresees nothing short of a victory after an excellent second place in 2011!
The test day has given Nelson Panciatici the chance to discover the track while completing the 10 mandatory laps for “rookies” at the wheel of his ORECA 03 NISSAN, and also get the hang of the ” Le Mans aerodynamic kit”. The objective was not to go for performance but to confirm the technical and strategic choices which will be decisive in the final result.
The LMP2 battle will be intense but Nelson Panciatici remains confident: “I have prepared really well physically because I think it’s going to be hard to stay at the top of one’s form for 24 hours. What surprised me the most during the test day was the intensity of the traffic, I don’t think I lapped once without being held up or overtaken by a competitor, it makes a change from the single-seater. We had some very good practise which makes me think that we will be both high-performance and reliable, and that’s without taking into account the strategic choices which could make all the difference. I feel very calm because, with my co-drivers Pierre and Roman, we have the cards in hand to aim for the LMP2 victory. I am conscious however that it won’t be easy and that the competition will be tough. The victory will be all the sweeter for it! These are my first 24 hours of Le Mans but I have great support in my G-DRIVE by SIGNATECH NISSAN team and even though I know I have to stay very sharp I am still confident in our chances!”
Philippe Sinault, the manager, shares the same analysis as his driver: “The car’s balance seems good, no major failures have shown themselves to us and our drivers are very capable. We still have a lot of work to do between now and the next driving sessions, that’s why the whole team is staying on site for another week. The LMP2 battle will be a serious challenge and we must be ready! 20 cars are signed up in this category, what’s more they are high-performance with good drivers. We will have to double our strategy and efforts. We will need to be very alert because I sincerely think that the show will be within this category more than in LMP1!”
As we can see, the whole SIGNATECH-NISSAN team have set their heart on taking the victory on