On February 5, the ACO revealed the names of some drivers due to attend the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the World Endurance Championship and the European Le Mans Series. Amongst these, the name of Ines Taittinger.
Taittinger is a twenty six year old French driver who will share the wheel of the Morgan Nissan engaged by Pegasus Racing in the ELMS with Julien Schell and Rémy Striebi. She will also be competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2016 – probably the only woman entering this race this year in an LMP car.
“My racing journey started very late, when I was 18. I was offered the opportunity to drive a Ferrari GT and got hooked ever since » says the French woman. “I knew former F1 and Le Mans driver Philippe Alliot. He understood very early that something could be done with my driving and kindly accepted to coach me.”
Taittinger and Alliot spent many days test driving until the she showed enough skills to enter a proper championship in 2013: the French Tourism Endurance trophy. She joined team CD Sport and led her Norma 20FC prototype to the podium on several occasions.
“I became acquainted with the car and also with my competitors. My real weakness in the early days was essentially physical. I would finish my stints in a state of exhaustion. Ever since then, I have been working out up to two hours a day.”
She remained with CD Sport in 2014 and entered the VdeV championship, finishing within the top three positions on several occasions. In early 2015, she met Benoit Morand and was selected as one of the twenty four contenders of the ill fated ‘Race to 24’ – a reality show where the last driver standing would compete in La Sarthe.
“I really wanted to be racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans but the show was never produced,” admitted Taittinger.
Again, she returned to the VdeV series in 2015 while relentlessy trying to promote herself in the French media. Her work paid off as she was invited on popular talk shows and was interviewed in several mainstream magazines. The French public appreciated her intelligence and kindness, even when asked condescending questions such as: “Do you know how to change a wheel?” or “As you are a female driver, are men still trying to seduce you ?”
Last fall, Taittinger tested a JSP3 in Magny-Cours.
“It’s a great car, fun to drive” she told DSC. “Unfortunately, you can’t go to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with it so I got in touch with Julien Schell of Pegasus Racing once more and we were able to work out a program for 2016. This will be my first season in the ELMS and my first 24 Hours of Le Mans. My main priority will be to learn.”
Ines Taittinger will be testing the Morgan Nissan during the ELMS Prologue in Le Castellet (France) on March 22 and 23 2016.
Mat Fernandez (@matlemans)
