This year will be Emmanuel Collard’s 22nd at Le Mans. During that time, the Frenchman has driven 17 different cars, with 12 teams across nine classes. His accolades include two class wins, and three further podiums, including finishing second overall back in 2005 driving for the storied Pescarolo Sport team.
What is it that keeps Collard in the sport? And over such a long period of time, which car was best to drive? Who is his Le Mans hero? And what doesn’t he like about the big race?
To find out, DSC sat down at length with Collard at Spa-Francorchamps earlier this year over a coffee, for a debrief on his storied and fruitful career to this point. This is Part 2 of the tale he told (see here for Part 1):
In his second year at Le Mans, 1996, Collard had the privilege to drive with French motor racing legend Henri Pescarolo at the end of his career behind the wheel. Remarkably, with Franck Lagorce as the third driver, the La Fillère Elf Courage C36 Porsche finished seventh overall and second in LMP1.
It launched Manu’s career, which would see him come full circle, reuniting with Henri eight years later, but that time, driving for him under the Pescarolo Sport banner.
Of his 21 appearances, seven were with Henri’s team. Collard was there throughout its heyday, all the way to its final race at Le Mans in 2012.
The memories during that period were Collard’s best, and worst, so it was only right to give him the floor and give DSC insight into Le Mans’ most beloved privateer team.
“I think the best times at Le Mans were with Pescarolo Sport. It was a really small team, we were able to fight against Audi and nearly won if not for a gearbox issue.
“2005, we should have won that race.”
The 2005 edition was the most storied for the French outfit, which will always be remembered for disappointment. Collard, along with Jean-Christophe Boullion and Érik Comas finished second overall after 368 tours, but it wasn’t enough to beat Audi.
The C60 Judd was by some margin the fastest car that year, and had the pair enjoyed a perfect race they would have dominated.
“We had a problem straight away, after two or three hours, and we lost 40 minutes in the box,” he recounted. “It’s funny because at that point I thought it was over, even for a podium but at the end it’s never finished, you have to push and there’s so many cars that didn’t finish the race.
“We finished on the same lap as the winner after 45 minutes in the box!
“It was heartbreak and disappointment. We knew we should have won. Without the issue we would have won.
“In the end we were pleased with the result, finishing second behind the Audi was already a good result. We were always pushing, we didn’t give up, and in the end we finished second.”
Despite not getting the result he had longed for, his faith and respect for Henri was sealed. To Collard, he’s the best team manager he’s worked under.
“It was really special to have been a part of the team during those years. The team was just 10 full-time staff, even less sometimes, so I knew everybody like family.
“The good thing with Henri is that as a driver he was really good, and he was as a team manager too. If you made a mistake he would let you know. He will tell you what you can do to improve too. Even if it’s not easy to hear, if he’s not happy, he will let you know.
“He also always put the money into the car, and to gain something he would do everything he could.”
Then in 2011, after a two years away from the team, Collard rejoined the renamed ‘Pescarolo Team’ for its final two races at La Sarthe.
Being there at the end was tough, especially in 2012 when he drove the ill-fated Pescarolo 03 which was an adaptation of Aston Martin Racing’s failed AMR One chassis. By that time, the team’s finances were drying up, as were the hopes of returning to its former glories, finishing on the podium regularly in LMP1.
“The 03 was really bad. It was not a good car,” he admitted. “It was a complete disaster and we knew it straight away. When we’d finished preparing the car we went to check it on track, and we had less downforce than the car from the year before. We knew it would be a disaster.
“We were not competitive. We had the issue with Julien Jousse during the race week and my teammate Jean-Christophe crashed the car because it was so hard to drive; under braking we were losing the rear. So he decided to stop. He considered it too dangerous.
The 03 was really bad. It was not a good car. It was a complete disaster and we knew it straight away.
“I started the race. There was only me and Stuart (Hall). In the end I drove the first two hours and Stuart didn’t even get in. He’d only done a few laps in practice.”
Collard knew it was the end for the team.
“I knew it was the end because when they decided to produce the 03, it was a lot of money and we knew that we’d be finished after Le Mans. Too much money had gone into that car.
“Another story again was that we should have had a big sponsor, from Luxury Racing. They said they’d bring the money, and that there were two choices. The team was to get two Domes (only one ran, and at Le Mans alongside the 03) for the whole season and the budget was a lot less because they’d help us.
“Henri supposedly didn’t have to pay for the car. They’d given it to him and he then had to find the budget for the season. Henri decided that he’d make the new car though, with a higher budget, but he was never paid, so we were into the red with the money. It killed us.
We knew that we’d be finished after Le Mans. Too much money had gone into that car.
“Henri is old fashioned, he signed something, but the contract was shit. He couldn’t do anything about it. It was bad.”
That experience did nothing to sour the relationship between Collard and Pescarolo however. Looking back, Collard respects him more than anyone else in the paddock.
“We were the small family team everyone loved, with a small budget and we were able to do great things. The older cars were also nice to drive, very good cars. Honestly it was out of this world.
“I have a Le Mans hero, and it’s Henri. He’ll always be my hero.”
Hours after speaking to Collard, this writer interviewed Henri Pescarolo, who had just as many kind words to express in return. When asked how he felt to have been his hero, Pescarolo had just one thing to say.
“I feel incredibly humbled to have him think of me like that, especially as he’s one of the best drivers I’ve ever seen.”
This weekend Manu’s talents will be to the fore once again when the #83 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia takes to the track and Collard racks up his 22nd competitive appearance in the Vingt Quatre Heures du Mans. Only six other drivers have ever raced more times at La Sarthe, and topping that list is … Henri Pescarolo
