Le Mans Series

Hugues de Chaunac: “A bitter disappointment” after battle for victory

The French Audi was battling for the lead until eliminated by an accident with an hour to go. A harsh blow for the ’Blues’. It was clear right from the first practice session for the Spa 1000 Kms that the Audi R8 complying with the 2005 Le Mans 24 Hours technical regulations was giving away around four seconds per lap to the quickest of the hybrids.

© Sander van Dijk / Planetlemans.com

“It’s all the tougher,” analysed Hugues de Chaunac, “because our drivers are obliged to take enormous risks to pass the GT’s that are slower in the corners and almost as quick if not quicker on the straight.” Despite this the Audi PlayStation Team Oreca prepared for this race, and indirectly for the 24 Hours, intent on achieving the best possible performance.

Stéphane Ortelli’s fourth fastest time in qualifying in the rain was a big encouragement for the race, which started on a wet track under foggy skies. Stéphane found himself in second place at the end of the first lap thanks to a perfect set-up, decided after the Warm up on the morning of the race, and excellent Michelin tyres. He stayed there and taking advantage of the leader’s stop for fuel led for a lap. When it was his turn to come in he took a daring gamble that was to prove decisive and opted for slicks. He stayed behind the wheel and despite the race being neutralised under safety car regs, which played against him, was in the thick of the battle for victory.

© Sander van Dijk / Planetlemans.com

His gamble on slicks, the efficiency of Team Oreca’s pit work and a third successive stint raised hope of the impossible: a maiden victory for the French Audi on its first outing.

With around one hour and thirty minutes of the race to go (out of a total of six) Ortelli finally handed over to Jean-Marc Gounon. After another safety car intervention, Gounon was only five seconds behind the leader and Team Oreca’s hopes of victory rose even higher. And then accelerating out of the chicane, Gounon on slicks on a damp track lost control of the Audi R8, hit the wall and was forced to come into the pits. For good. The team’s disappointment was on a par with the hopes of success engendered by the overall performance. “It’s a bitter disappointment for us all,” said a pale-faced Hugues de Chaunac summing up the general mood of despondency in the French pit.