Geneva-based driver Harold Primat tackles his third Le Mans 24 Hours this week and having never seen the morning in his previous two attempts, as mechanical problems forced retirement during the twilight hours, he is hoping to make it all the way around the clock this year. And for Harold, he has no better chance to achieve that aim as he takes his seat in one of Le Mans legend Henri Pescarolo’s Pescarolo-Judd 01s.
How does it feel to be back at Le Mans?
Obviously I am very happy because this is such a special place. It’s probably the most famous race in the world and has such a rich history.
Is it very different from your regular races in the Le Mans Series?
It’s quite different purely because of the size of the race. It’s such a massive event that it attracts a huge amount of media and press attention and of course an incredible number of spectators. But also it’s so different because the circuit is unlike any other in the Le Mans Series. You reach speeds of over 330kph and at first that takes some time to get used to. It’s a fantastic feeling though, especially when you have the set-up on the car just right.
What’s the key to a good lap here?
Well it’s crucial to have a set-up that you’re comfortable with. The speeds are so high that you don’t want to be pushing if you aren’t confident in what the car is going to do. I think that’s a problem sometimes with the younger guys here. They want to go fast straight away and they push hard early on before they really should. You always see a few crashes because of that.
How have you prepared yourself for this year’s race?
Well unfortunately I was a bit unwell with a cold before the test day so that hampered my preparations a little. But last week I picked up my trainer and we went straight to the mountains for a training camp. We were a bit cautious I still wasn’t 100% but we did some cycling and lots of gym work. We also did some very specific training for Le Mans which included rowing sessions at 6am!
How satisfying is it to work with a Le Mans legend such as Henri Pescarolo?
Henri is the man of Le Mans. Along with Tom Kristensen, the Pescarolo name is synonymous with this race. He has been doing it for the past 40-years and is the master of this event and I’m very happy to be in his team. They are so professional and extremely well prepared. Nothing is left to chance, Henri even prepared the drivers two notebooks to read full of information about the race. Everything is perfect and I just hope that I can do my part now by driving a good race.
What do you hope to achieve this year at Le Mans?
Well on the two occasions I have driven Le Mans so far I have never seen the morning because we’ve had mechanical failure during the night. So my main aim is to finish. That might be a bit of a boring answer but its true! On a more personal level my aim is to not make a single mistake throughout. Obviously I’d love to win this race, but I am purely concentrating on my job. Apart from that then the aim for the two Pescarolo-Judd’s is to be the best placed petrol cars and if the diesel cars have some problems then who knows what can happen?