AT THE WHEEL OF A LOTUS! - 6 HEURES V DE V DU GPFH (7-8 APRIL 2023)
Jean Alesi will make his debut in an endurance event reserved for historic racing cars called “Endurance 6 Heures V de V du GPFH” on the circuit on which he began his Formula 1 career, and of which he was recently elected president. With only a few days to go to the race the driver from Avignon, who has taken part in 201 Formula 1 Grands Prix, gave us his impressions.
How did the opportunity arise for you to take part in this 6-hour endurance race organised by V de V Sports on the Paul Ricard circuit?
“Philippe Gache, the boss of the SMG team, which has entered a car for this race asked me to be part of his driver lineup. Like me Philippe is from Avignon; we’re childhood friends, so I’m really delighted to be doing this race with him. All the more so as I made my debut at the Paul Ricard circuit which confirmed my passion for motor sport. When I was younger I saw my first French Grand Prix there and I also attended the F1 winter tests as a spectator. But above all, I made my F1 grand prix debut at Paul Ricard in 1989. I signed for one race and I did 200 more! And recently I became its president. My destiny is linked to this circuit.”
You’ve taken part in other major events for historic cars like the Goodwood Revival and the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. Do you like this type of event?
“I have a real passion for cars that made me dream when I was a kid. So being able to drive the ex-Niki Lauda Ferrari 312 B3 in the Monaco Historic Grand Prix gave me great pleasure. It’s a very powerful, very light car from 1974 that I’m able to drive. I can’t say the same for Charles’s (Leclerc) F1 which is equipped with much more sophisticated technology!”
Have you already been able to drive the 1965 Lotus Elan R that you’ll be sharing with Philippe Gache, Jean-Pierre and Stéphane Richelmi?
“So far, all I’ve done is sit behind the wheel when it’s stationary! I’m going to have my first taste of it this weekend. On the other hand, I know my team-mates well. Philippe of course! But also Jean-Pierre and Stéphane, his son, whose early career I followed very closely. He’s very quick and he’s got a great long career in motor sport ahead of him. Thanks to this six-hour race, we’re going to enjoy a unique experience together in a super environment with some really great people!”
The Lotus Elan 26R entered by SMG will find itself up against very competitive, battle-hardened crews in this type of racing at the wheel of extremely well-prepared cars. Among its rivals from the same historic period is the Ford GT40 run by the Hyracing team entrusted to the Franco-Belgian crew Olivier Muytjens-Brice Pineau, the E-Type Jaguar entered by Jean-Paul Petit, the WKMR team’s Porsche 911 2.0 driven by father and son trio Stéphane, Mathieu and Baptiste Guyot-Sionnest, as well as the Team V de V’s TVR Griffith 200 with Eric Van de Vyver, the man behind the endurance events reserved for historic racing cars, at the wheel. He will team up with Guillaume Maillard and Patrick Brossard.
Matthieu and Jean-Baptiste Chateaux will share the family’s BMW 635 CSI
The Skoal Bandit team’s Porsche 944 turbo driven by Hugo Mezard-Nicolas Doquin.
GTs...
Various BMWs and Porsches, two brands famous for their matchless reliability and results in endurance, will be on the grid for this six-hour race starting with the BMW 635 CSI run by the Chateaux Sport Auto team shared by Matthieu and Jean-Baptiste Chateaux plus the Help Events 530 ius entered by Black-Flag Engineering for Patrick Bourguignon-Jorge Vargas-Clement-Pierre Laversanne-Malivaï Castelli. Another car flying the Bavarian brand’s flag, the 2002 TI, is in the hands of Jérémy and Alexandre Ferrer associated with Quentin Jouanny. Without forgetting the Wassermann Racing 323i crewed by Eric Wassermann-Eric Baumard-Thierry Mathez.
Among the Porsches entered is the Flatsix Le Mans Circuit team’s 911 3.0 SC for Christophe Gaultier-Stéphane Deshayes-Mickael Bossuet and a 964 for Pierre Le Flem-Bruno Vieren. Other 911 3.0 SCs down to race are those entered for the driver lineups comprising Damien Alfano-Maxime Tandel-Alexandre Boutin-Renaldo Da Cunha and Philippe Achard-Philippe Martin-Jean-Yves Granddidier. Duigou Racing has also entered a 911 3.0 RS for Philippe Burel-Bob Arezina-Fabrice Chapon. Two versions of the 944 will be competing: an S2 run by the Cudini Racing Team for Arnold Noret-Philippe Vigneron-Eric Truffet and a Turbo by the Skoal Bandit team for Hugo Mezard-Nicolas Doquin. Finally, two 964 Cup Porsches will complete the GT field, one prepared by I Cupulati-Ninjas for Pierre Vivier-Frédéric Comtet-Louis Antonini-Jean-Pierre Raffalli and the other by Simon Racing for German driver, Jurgen Pentz.
... AND THE PROTOTYPES
And of course, the prototype category will be part of the race with the Ecurie Quattro Cardinale/Chateaux Grac MT-14B driven by Axel de Ferran-Bernard Zimmer, the Tiga SC 83 of the aptly-named British team Rosbif for Ross and Charlie Hyett, as well as the Tiga SC 79 run by the Palmyr squad for Swiss-Monegasque crew Marc Faggionato-Christian Vaglio-Giors-Gislain Genecand.
Please note that the start and the opening hours of the race until nightfall will be broadcast live on the Kennol Grand Prix de France Historique social networks
The competition will be open to cars from the following groups
GT Group:
Periods E, F (1947-1965)
Periods G1, G2, H1, H2, I, J1 and J2 (1966-1990)
- Group 3: Series Production GTs
- Group 4: Competition GTs
- Group 5: Groups 1-4 Special Production Cars
- Saloon Cars
- Group B competition GTs
Touring group:
Periods E, F (1947-1965)
Periods G1, G2, H1, H2, I, J1 and J2 (1966-1990)
- Group 1: Series Production Touring Cars
- Group 2: Competition Touring Cars
- Group 5: Groups 1-4 Special Production Touring Cars
- Saloon Cars
- Group N: Series Production Touring Cars
- Group A: Competition Touring Cars
Sports Prototypes Group:
Periods E, F (1947-1965)
Period GR (de 1966-1971)
- SP 1: -2L Sports Prototypes
- SP 2: +2L Sports Prototypes
Period HR (1972-1976)
- SP 3: 2L Sports Prototypes
- SP 4: +2L Sports Prototypes
Sports 2000 until 1986 admission on application, without aerodynamic appendices, complying with SRCC Sports 2000 Historic, SRCC Sports Pinto regulations and appendix 3 of these regulations “Technical criteria Sport 2000.”
