A fruitful development test for the AIM Team ORECA

The ORECA 01 topped the time sheets of the Le Mans Series official test days on its home
turf. It was not the AIM Team ORECA’s main aim, but it is a sign of the success of the 2-day
test. Backed up by Andy Meyrick and Didier André, Soheil Ayari put all his experience to use
in what was a hard-working development session.

During the two days, the ORECA 01 tested several technical evolutions, some of which are for
2010, while others are in anticipation of the new 2011 regulations. In parallel, the AIM Team
ORECA continued its development work on the Dunlop tyres. Ayari, who knows the ORECA 01
inside out as he drove it in the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours, was the team leader. When the
moment came to sum up the test, he expressed his satisfaction: “We’ve done a good job. We ran though several sets of tyres, and we found a few interesting choices in terms of both the rubber and the structure. The car’s quicker than last year: it handles better over the kerbs, in the quick corners and in the tight sections. I love driving in sessions like these: I really enjoyed myself!”

It was Andy Meyrick’s first outing in the ORECA 01 AIM after driving an Audi R10 last year. He
too played a role in the car’s development doing long runs: “My test with the team’s gone off
very well,” the British driver said, “both in terms of the performance level of the car and the progress we’ve made over the last two days. I was very impressed by the ORECA 01. I soon felt at home as it’s got a lot of grip and the aerodynamics are excellent. It was really a good test, and I’m very happy to have contributed to its development - especially the tyres.”

Didier André was back with the Team ORECA for which he raced in the 2000 Le Mans 24
Hours. On Sunday, he also drove in race conditions to validate the tyre choices made a little
earlier: “I had to find my marks in a prototype again. On the other hand, it was like coming back home to this team that I raced for ten years ago,” he explained when the test was over. “Compared to the Courage-Oreca I drove last June, the ORCEA 01 is a big step forward. It’s much quicker and it gives the driver confidence so you can push harder.”