Oreca: Rounding off the season with a podium and three titles !

The Team ORECA-Matmut had set itself several aims in the Silverstone 1000 kms. And it achieved them all! Nicolas Lapierre and Stéphane Sarrazin finished second in the race in their Peugeot behind the Team Peugeot Total 908 HDi FAP. Thus, the French outfit helped the Sochaux make to score a double, and also to kick off the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in the best possible fashion. The Var-based squad has also finished the 2010 Le Mans Series on a high note with the Teams’ and Drivers’ titles with Sarrazin winning his second crown from his team-mate, Lapierre. And finally, the Team ORECA Matmut scored a hat trick by bagging the Manufacturers’ title for Peugeot.

At Silverstone, the Team ORECA-Matmut again demonstrated its skills. The drivers matched the pace of the quickest, and Lapierre set the fastest lap in the race. The team had nothing to envy its rivals, including Audi, in the pits and in terms of strategy. Had the no. 4 Peugeot not tagged Boullion’s Lola-Rebellion it could have won the race. Hugues de Chaunac and his men have finished the season on a high note, and they are determined to come back even stronger in 2011!

The race

Lapierre made a cautious start from the second row. He held onto fourth place before
overtaking the no. 8 Audi on lap 9. A few minutes later he moved up into second after
the no. 7 R15 Plus hit trouble. He handed over no. 4 to Sarrazin who, after a tyre change,
opened up a gap over his pursuers to consolidate their second place. Lapierre got back in the car at the end of the second hour for a double stint. Despite tagging the no. 13 Lola-Rebellion twice, which required a pit stop to secure the rear bonnet, he reduced the gap to the leader, the no. 1 908 HDi FAP, from 40 to 25 seconds. Then a few drops of rain fell and Sarrazin took over keeping up a searing pace despite heavy traffic, and fended off the no. 8 Audi that ended the race with a splash ‘n dash. The team’s strategy paid off and the Team ORECA-Matmut Peugeot finished second behind the works 908.

Hugues de Chaunac, the ORECA Group President: “It’s a clean sweep! The Team ORECA-Matmut had only one car so there was no room for errors. We finished second helping Peugeot to score a double and bag the maximum number of points in the ILMC, as well as winning the Drivers’, Teams’ and Manufacturers’ titles for the Lion. That’ll be a very important chapter in ORECA’s results. Stéphane and Nicolas finished first and second, which shows their level, and they proved it again at Silverstone by being the quickest drivers on the track. The whole team’s been simply fantastic and I’m very proud of them. They never gave up throughout the season, that’s one of their strengths. We wanted to be at the top level and that’s where we are today. It’s a pity that Jean-Christophe Boullion (no. 13 Lola-Rebellion) tagged Nicolas twice. At that stage of the race, we were catching the leaders and we were in a position to fight for victory.”

Nicolas Lapierre, no. 4 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, 2nd and runner-up in the Le Mans Series: “The Team ORECAMatmut had an excellent race. The guys did a really great job and they should be congratulated. They were prefect in the pits and the strategy was absolutely right. We scored a double. It’s fantastic for Peugeot. We wanted to finish on a high note and we did. The team deserves its title. I also have a thought for Olivier without whom we wouldn’t be at this level. It’s a pity we didn’t share this moment together.”

Stéphane Sarrazin, no. 4 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, 2nd and Le Mans Series Champion: “It’s been a great weekend for Peugeot and the Team ORECA-Matmut. There’s the double, which is the best possible launch for the ILMC, and then there are the Le Mans Series titles. We made some changes during the warm-up and they paid off. The car was handling like a dream in the race. We beat Audi in a fair fight. It’s a great end and an even better beginning. The team’s done a brilliant job. I’m delighted to have won my second title with ORECA and I’m very happy for Hugues and his men.”