Reigning Le Mans 24 Hours GT1 champions Larbre Competition return to Circuit de la Sarthe this week with a new car and fresh challenge as they fight for GTE-Am class honours at the world’s greatest endurance race, as well as double Intercontinental Le Mans Cup points.The French outfit, one of GT racing’s most successful stalwarts of the past two decades, will contest this year’s race, which has also been designated round three of the ILMC, with their third American manufacturer – Corvette – following stints with Dodge (2001-03) and Saleen (2008 and 2010).
The team’s trusted ILMC driver squad of Gabriele Gardel, Patrick Bornhauser and Julien Canal will again pilot the factory-supported C6R which, as a one off for Le Mans, is joined by a Porsche 911 GT3-RSR featuring Jean-Philippe Belloc, Christophe Bourret and Pascal Gibon at the wheel.
Corvette boasts a rich recent history at Le Mans with its C6R claiming GT2 pole position in 2010. Larbre Competition proved the car has lost none of its potential since then when in April it topped the GTE-Am timesheets at the event’s official Test Day.
Larbre Competition’s preparations for this year’s race included a training camp at Château Valmer in France’s Var region, where the team worked closely to establish a solid working atmosphere that will serve them well throughout the coming week.
Following the short team building break, Larbre’s engineers set to work fine-tuning the Corvette C6R for the specific demands of Le Mans. An optimum set-up jointly developed by the team and Corvette will be used along with all the latest upgrades. The car was then assessed during Monday’s traditional public scrutineering session in Jacobins Square.
Gabriele Gardel: “Following the training camp at La Croix Valmer, I am fully prepared thanks to their physical trainer Jerome with whom I had a full check up. The hospitality is magnificent this year. The entire team is highly motivated for this weekend.”
Patrick Bornhauser: “I am very happy following the training camp in La Croix Valmer, and to see that my physical condition is at its highest level just like that of my two team-mates. I am always amazed by the public’s enthusiasm during scrutineering at Jacobins Square.”Julien Canal: “It is always an exciting moment when we get together for training and team building. We have had a very enjoyable stay, appreciated the atmosphere and had ideal preparation. Our first day in Le Mans for scrutineering has allowed us to meet the public and fans who were as passionate as ever. A great moment.”
Jack Leconte, Larbre Competition Team Owner: “This year we start on solid foundations with the crew from last season retained for the ILMC. Patrick Bornhauser, who was unable to race at Le Mans last season through illness but who supported the team, is hoping to translate his French GT Championship success to the GTE-Am class at Le Mans. The race promises to be superb as we have seven manufacturers, 25 cars and nearly 50% of the entries. That will have implications for traffic and room during the race. To win GTE-Am we need to take a cautious approach and avoid the silly incidents that were far too numerous at Spa. I’m sure everyone will take their jobs seriously as Le Mans preparations are built up over a whole year. I do not want to miss an opportunity and have to start again in 365 days time.
“As well as the Corvette, Larbre will also be running a Porsche in the same class, which means we hold a very strong hand in GTE-Am, especially after seeing the cars at the top of the Test Day timesheets. It’s interesting because I like to include rookies in the line-up, which is a tradition at Larbre. They already have some good experience and enough maturity, unlike some other youngsters! I hope they make the most of that. It’s good to offer gentlemen drivers the chance to take part in one of the world’s biggest races.
“We prepared the team by attending a training camp at Château Valmer, in the Var region, where there is a great facility and coach, Jérôme Vassia. It is a great asset because going there 15 days before the race offers the team a chance to spend time together and share common experiences. You can instantly see how the drivers behave in the group and it’s a very good thing to create a shared identity. Patrick also provided a nice surprise by making his plane and boat available so that we could go to Corsica and the Lavezzi Islands. That was a nice training period.”
Friday 10th June 201118:00 – 20:00: Drivers' parade (City centre)Saturday 11th June 201109.00 - 09:45: Warm-Up14:22: Grid formation and starting procedure15:00: Start of the 79th running of the Le Mans 24 HoursSunday 12th June 201115:00: Finish of the 79th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours
