Manu Collard started his endurance career some 20 years ago. Since 1995, he has earned an impressive list of titles including several endurance classics victories (Petit Le Mans in 1998, the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2005, the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2008) and many driver championships (Le Mans Series 2006, 2007 and 2011). The 43-year-old Frenchman has had a very dense career, being a works driver for Toyota, Porsche, Cadillac and Corvette. In June, he will be making his 20th consecutive start in the 24 hours of Le Mans, a record among active drivers.
On the eve of heading to Silverstone, where he raced a Ferrari F458 in the WEC LM GTE Am category with team mates François Perrodo and Rui Aguas to a fine second place in class, Manu kindly spared some of his time to talk with DSC’s Matt Fernandez about his career, his 2015 season and beyond
Manu, tell us about your preparations for this new WEC season.
MC: “We have done a lot of testing with our Ferrari. Of course, there was the FIA Prologue at Paul Ricard, but we also practised a lot at Vellalunga and during the race at the 24 Hours of Daytona. On top of that, I have had several coaching sessions with François [Perrodo] in Silverstone and Barcelona.”
DSC: Could you tell us some more about these coaching sessions and about your collaboration with Francois?
MC: “They are part of a long-term program I initiated years ago for François. Back then, he was a gentleman driver in historic races like Le Mans Classic. He called me up and asked whether I would agree to become his coach in order to become a faster gentleman driver, only this time in a modern eudurance car.
“I accepted, especially as I was aiming to become a certified sports educator. So these coaching sessions in Silverstone and in Barcelona are about me sitting next to him in a Porsche 991 Cup and helping him reach that objective.”
DSC: As your name has long been associated with Porsche, it was a surprise for several fans to see you turn towards a Ferrari F458 for the 2015 WEC season. What led you to that choice?
MC: “We looked at several opportunities and the best was this Ferrari F458 prepared by AF Corse. It is a very serious team with great people. So far, the experience has been very positive, in particular with regards to their attitude towards François. Amato Ferrari and his team integrated him very well, making him feel like a key element of the team. That is important to me, as it is the gentleman driver who makes the difference in the GTE Am class.”
DSC: You have raced all types of GTs in your career. How would you rank the Ferrari F458?
MC: “It is the best in its category. You can put that car pretty much on any track you want, it won’t take you long to set it up, and it will behave well no matter what.”
DSC: What are your prospects for this coming season?
MC: “François has acquired some real speed. On top of that, we will be dealing with the same car throughout the season [unlike in 2014, when Perrodo and Collard had to adapt to several Porsche models throughout the season]. That consistency will help. We also streamlined our race calendar for 2015: we will focus on the World Endurance Championship, including Le Mans, and only do one or two 24 Hour races on the side. It will be a great opportunity for François to drive a lot and also to learn how to handle heavy traffic.”
DSC: Who do you think are the favourites in the WEC GTE Am category this year?
MC: “There will undoubtedly be intense competition in this category. All the cars and driver line-ups are of great quality. I think the Aston Martin of Lamy/Dalla Lana/Lauda looks extremely promising. So does the SMP Ferrari F458 of Shaytar/Bertolini/Basov.”
DSC: You started your career as Group C was coming to an end. Do you like how endurance racing evolved over the past 20 years?
MC: “It has evolved for the best I think. There used to be too many championships in the past. There are fewer now with greater numbers of participants. The quality of the cars has greatly improved too. Just look at the number of constructors present in the WEC now!
“I like the space given to privateers with the LMP2 and GT classes. Unfortunately, it has become impossible for them to win in LMP1, what we came close to achieving with Pescarolo [at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, his Pescarolo C60 Judd finished 2nd in 2005] would probably be impossible today.
“I also like the fact that it has become a viable series for young drivers who are unable to reach F1. In that respect, I think I paved the way for many of them. [Collard never raced in F1 but was test driver for several F1 teams such as Ligier, Prost GP, Tyrrell, Williams, Benetton and Arrows].”
DSC: You were talking earlier about the F458 being the best GT you probably ever drove. Over the last 20 years, what car did you most enjoy driving?
MC: “It was undoubtedly the Toyota GT One [1997-1998]. Driving that car was like driving an F1. I also enjoyed the Porsche RS Spyder and the Pescarolos. Beyond the cars, being part of the Pescarolo team was really something special… it was like being part of a small family.”
DSC: How do you see your career beyond 2015?
MC: “I hope I still have several years of racing ahead of me. When it is time to retire, I don’t think I want to become a team manager. I have seen several people like Henri [Pescarolo] struggle so much when seeking sponsorships… that is not something I aspire to do. I have recently become a certified sports educator, so I think I want to head in that direction to coach people like François and young drivers.”
Mat Fernandez (@matlemans)
