AIM Team ORECA-Matmut 01 final qualifying report

AIM Team ORECA Matmut: First mission accomplished...

Soheil Ayari, Didier André and Andy Meyrick in the top ten

Prepare well for the race: this was the philosophy of the AIM Team ORECA Matmut as they began qualifying sessions for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Soheil Ayari, Didier André and Andy Meyrick did just that: third in the petrol prototypes between the Aston Martins, the ORECA 01 fits the trio of drivers and the spirit of their driving: have a smart race with no mistakes.

With Soheil Ayari leading the way, the driving squad worked to get the best set up for the race. Thanks to their experience with the ORECA 01, the team was able to accomplish this quickly. As a result, the Signes born prototype and fifth place finisher in last year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, showed good performance, consistency and easy to drive. Soheil, the captain, confirms: "I really enjoyed myself. Last year, the car was already quick. But today, it was superb: in the Porsche curves, the car was simply exceptional. I don't think the times show just how good it was. That said, we are where we want to be, with the car we want to have. We have the tools to reach our goal: it's up to us to be solid."

Like their teammate, Didier André and Andy Meyrick were won over by the ORECA 01. "After the different sessions, the cadence is starting to get good," noted Didier, who will be making his eighth start at Le Mans. "The changing conditions didn't make it easy, but I'm rather confident for the race. The car doesn't change: it stays identical and that's good for an event like the 24 Hours. We took advantage of the last session to adjust the last details and we are satisfied now. We are in the thick of things, between the Aston Martins."

After his first laps around Le Mans, Andy Meyrick continued to learn the track. " My discovery of Le Mans went well," the British driver said with a smile. "The sessions were very informative, most notably my first night laps in the ORECA 01. I feel confident behind the wheel. I'm happy with the handling: we have a quick and balanced car for the race. That's what you need. The tyres perform well and are consistent at the same time. We are in a good position."

Hugues de Chaunac echoes his drivers' sentiments at the positive conclusion of these sessions: "The drivers and team did a good job. Didier and Andy were consistent and they adapted themselves to the car and to the track. As for Soheil, we know him: he play his role as captain perfectly and he realised a good performance. We are able to fight for the top of the petrol- powered cars. The objective is clear: repeat our performance from last year by running a flawless race."

-source: oreca