The new H24 prototype tested during Friday’s Michelin Le Mans Cup first practice session in Portimao as it did at the last round at Spa Francorchamps.
Stephane Richelmi drove for eighteen laps in total. He was at the bottom of the time sheets, some six seconds behind the slowest GT3 car and seven seconds behind the slowest LMP3.
“It’s important for us to drive in real race conditions” said the Monegasque. “Things are logically more complex than just going up and down the Mistral straight at Ricard!
“It’s true that we are at the back of the grid right now but that’s not keeping us awake at night. We were here two years ago… we are now 3 seconds faster without the car’s setup even being optimized. That’s very encouraging”
Richelmi adressed the car’s main challenges: “Our testing routine is all about managing weight, heat and power. The car has a heavy, compact and powerful battery that discharges and loads energy very fast. That added to the car’s turbine generates a lot of heat, especially as 250 KW worth of power is released on each one of the rear tires.”
The H24 prototype will be further developed over the winter: “We already have two or three days worth of testing planned each month. I will continue to share that wheel with Norman Nato”.
Richelmi is enjoying his test driver role: “Every single lap in this car is important. I take a lot of pleasure in developing it and in trying to figure out the best balance between speed and endurance.
“It’s so much more fulfilling than just setting up monotype single seaters for instance, not to mention the solid competencies I acquired regarding that technology. I believe that knowledge could ultimately be of interest to hydrogen prototype manufacturers eyeing towards Le Mans in 2025. I’ll be 35 years old with some proper credentials… let’s wait and see!”
