It’s only right that Henri Pescarolo continues to be a figurehead for sportscar racing, years after his team stopped racing. The legendary Frenchman’s service to the privateer foundation in sportscars today shouldn’t be underestimated.
And at a time when Rebellion Racing is looking good for a strong finish at Le Mans too up against the big factories, and with the P1 privateer regs still hanging in the balance, getting the chance to speak with him was perfect timing.
DSC’s Deputy Editor caught up with Pescarolo back at Spa, earlier this year:
It’s good to see you still involved in the endurance scene Henri, what are you up to these days?
“Now I work for the TV, I don’t come to these races as a spectator, as you know when my team disappeared I was very upset, so this is a way of me staying involved with endurance racing. I’m not a good spectator, if I’m not working I’m interested in watching.”
The WEC is clearly growing since your team was involved back in 2012, what do you make of it now?
“I think there are two different points of view. Of course it’s very interesting to see manufactures with cars that have 1000 horses and using only 31 litres per 100km which is really impressive.
The budget is absolutely tremendous. It’s something like six times more than when I was racing with my Judd engines.
“The communication for them is also very good, they can communicate about hybrid cars which are racing and selling.
“But at the same time the budget is absolutely tremendous. It’s something like six times more than when I was racing with my Judd engines. So now to be competitive in endurance it’s necessary to have a Formula One budget.
“It’s good to have three manufacturers here, and they are pleased, I hope that will continue, but the problem is that the private teams in LMP1 are completely out of the running.”
Yeah, and P1 privateer is once again a big talking point. What do you make of the current situation?
“I still think it’s necessary to do something to keep private P1 teams coming. You saw what happened with Peugeot, a big manufacturer, could decide from one day to another to stop. It’s something that could not happen for private teams except if you kill it. They killed me because we weren’t competitive with the regulations, the diesel vs our engine.
“For the ACO and the WEC that is very important, having a private competitive team, because if tomorrow that VAG decide to stop Audi and Porsche’s programmes because of economical problems, nobody could step up and the private teams are too far away.
“We need private teams, not just in LMP2, which is a great category as a second division. Good LMP2 teams need to step up to LMP1, it’s necessary to give them some possibilities to be more competitive.”
What do you think the ACO will do now that Rebellion is back scoring podiums?
“The gap is so big right now that it’s so difficult. The actual regulations for private teams leave them with 500 horsepower, so the only way is to change the regulations to allow them to have cars with the same power as the manufacturers, but a very light car.
“The record I have at Spa on the long track, that was with a car that weighed 670 kilos. It was a 3 litre engine. There was no carbon fibre. If you say to a small manufacture that you can build a very light car to be competitive, then it’s good for communication and it allows the big manufacturer to compete with hybrid cars.
We need private teams, not just in LMP2,
“I don’t know what the FIA will do, but for me it’s necessary to push very good LMP2 manufactures to go to LMP1 privateer, we need them.”
It’s a big Le Mans for Manu Collard this year. DSC spoke to him at length recently about his time in racing, you must feel proud knowing that you’ve been a big part of his long career in sportscars?
“It’s a pity, because he should have been a very good Formula 1 driver. When I was in charge of the young drivers at Elf, we found a budget for him to be at Tyrrel, and he did some tests and he was fantastic as usual. And Tyrrel told us that it was possible, how was there a good driver like in France and not in Formula One? So we had a budget but unfortunately someone else came along with a bigger budget and he didn’t get the drive.
“He was one of the best and he should have been one of the best French F1 drivers. He’s one of the fastest I’ve ever had in my team, I had him as a teammate too. He’s had a very good career in endurance.
“I think he was unlike other drivers. All of the Elf drivers drove for me, what I tried to explain to them was that you must be as quick as a Formula 1 driver, but you must have more, you must be intelligent and able to adapt to the outside conditions, the car changing all that.
He was one of the best and he should have been one of the best French F1 drivers.
“You must always be on the limit but thinking that you are own the car to try and let it win the race for you.
“That’s something Manu understood very well, but he was also very clever.”
