24H Le Mans: In conversation with Nicolas Minassian
In conversation with Nicolas Minassian: The UK-domiciled French driver will be sharing the No.49 Pecom Racing ORECA 03 Nissan with Pierre Kaffer (DEU) and Luis Perez-Companc (ARG).
This is your 14th Le Mans appearance but the first in LMP2. Do you think the class will offer you a chance for a much desired victory?
I think I’ve got a chance, of course. It’s very competitive in LMP2 but I’m in one of the best cars and we’re leading the championship, so I’m really going for this one. I really want that victory.
As you say, you are currently leading the LMP2 championship in the FIA WEC. Tell us what Pecom Racing has done differently to prepare for 2013?
It’s a work in progress. I did half the season with them last year and we’ve changed the car a lot. It’s a bit like Formula 3 where you make very small differences to the car but it’s about being very precise and putting a lot of thought into it all together. That’s what we’ve got not and it’s about being as good as you can in every area. If you want to work on the damping, then you find the best damping possible. With the tyres, we’ve now switched to Michelin and I think they suit all set ups on the car better than before. You do whatever it takes to be the best; now we’ve reached a level where we can compete as a real challenger for victory.
Fiona Miller