Nicolas Lapierre: Victory is crucial

Nico, the aim’s clear for the third round of the Le Mans Series, isn’t it?

“Yes, it’s victory! It’s crucial that we finish first. We know we’ve got what it takes. Now, we have to finish - and finish in first place! We’re still chasing after a result. We have to win to reassure ourselves and to show everybody that we can do it, and also to put ourselves back in the running for the title!”

But Portimao won’t be the easiest circuit for that, will it?

“It’s true that the layout hasn’t really been designed with the 908 HDi FAP in mind, as it’s much more at home on a fast track. On the other hand, we know that this car’s competitive everywhere. One of the main parameters we have to take into account is tyre wear. It’ll be hot and we’ll have to work hard on this aspect during practice. On the Portimao circuit, traffic is another big problem with a lot of blind corners and bumps. The field, though, is smaller - we’ll be our own toughest rivals!”

You’ve got a bit of an advantage as you set pole here last year…

“It’s true. That’ll give us a good base to work on even if we haven’t got the same car. We raced at Portimao in 2009 and we did a little testing here during the winter, but that was with the ORECA 01, so we’ve got some data. The track surface is a bit special, but we know it pretty well. The sea’s nearby so there’s sand on the track. The conditions are such that it’s not an ordinary circuit. It’s also a bit tight for the prototypes, but it’s a beautiful place, and with a night race there’ll be a rather special ambience that’s always pleasant.”