Budapest :
Hugues de Chaunac, the ORECA Group President: “Obviously, it’s a disappointment. The team had a great first half to the race. We knew that traffic would be a problem, and that there would be many collisions, but we really weren’t expecting reliability glitches. Stéphane made a great start and we quickly got into the groove, which gave us a solid lead at half distance. After analyzing the problem we rejoined and saw the chequered flag scoring scored precious points. Stéphane leads the drivers’ classification and the Team ORECA-Matmut heads the teams’ ratings. We’re now turning our attention to Silverstone where our aim will be to win. In England, Olivier won’t be with us due to a clash of dates with the FFSA-GT Championship. It was foreseen at the start of the year and he won’t be replaced.”
Olivier Panis, no. 4 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP: “Budapest was my last race this season with the Team ORECA-Matmut. I was hoping to finish on a high note, but that’s how it goes. The team’s prepared like never before for this season and it hasn’t made any mistakes. This type of event is frustrating for us drivers, and also for all the guys in the team. That’s another reason why I’m disappointed. I hope that the team will manage to win the title so that all the efforts they’ve invested this year will be rewarded.”
Nicolas Lapierre, no. 4 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP: “This was a race that we clearly could have won. The start wasn’t easy but we managed to stay out of trouble. We were really in the right rhythm and we avoided all the pitfalls caused by the traffic. We were not the quickest in qualifying but we were the fastest in the race. The team’s efficiency during refuelling stops was remarkable, which is a positive point before Silverstone where the battle with Audi will be tough.”
Stéphane Sarrazin, no. 4 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP: ”The team put in an enormous effort this weekend, exactly like in Portimao. They did a great job, especially during pit stops where the mechanics were much quicker than the rest of the field. The engineers also gave us a great car. I’m leading the championship by several points, but I want to share that position with my team-mates – Olivier and Nicolas on several occasions, and Franck Montagny at Spa. Without them
I wouldn’t be in first place!”
