Harold Primat will aim to help Pescarolo Sport overhaul the might of Peugeot in the fight for the Le Mans Series title as the season draws to a close next weekend at Interlagos.

The privateer team heads to the first LMS race on South American soil running just one car, with Primat stepping up to the lead #16 car to partner Emmanuel Collard and Jean Christophe-Boullion – with Collard going into the event just two points behind championship leaders Pedro Lamy and Stephane Sarrazin in the diesel-powered 908 that has won every race this season.

With the two teams split by the same margin, Primat will hope to play a part in giving Pescarolo a title few would have expected at the start of the campaign and the Swiss driver said the team would be doing all it could to secure success.

“For Pescarolo Sport to beat Peugeot in the overall Le Mans Series championship would be an unbelievable achievement and I am thankful to be part of that challenge,” he said. “Although the technical advantage the 908 enjoys by running diesel engines will be undiminished, it's a long hard race and we're determined to make them sweat a little bit! The team have been working very hard to make sure they are 100% ready and I honestly don't think they could be any better prepared for this race. We will all give it our best shot.

“I'm really looking forward to racing alongside Jean-Christophe Boullion and Emmanuel Collard, They are both very experienced, highly accomplished drivers and I'm certain that I will learn a lot from them. It will also be a great experience to work more closely with Claude Gallopin, the race engineer on the #16 car, throughout the weekend.

“I've never been to Interlagos before, but I'll do my homework to make sure I'm properly prepared. I know it's a challenging circuit, particularly due to its anti-clockwise layout, and it will be a very physically demanding race for the drivers because of the heat. However, the two races in the US have given me a good rhythm and I just can't wait to get to Brazil.”

Team boss Henri Pescarolo added that his team is poised to make the most of any mistakes that come from the Peugeot factory squad.

“The team has worked incredibly hard ahead of this race,” he said. “We've prepared for the bumpy surface at Interlagos by spending three days on the seven post rig at Matra and we've learned a lot. We know our car is more reliable than the Peugeots and so we must pressurise them as much as we can and capitalise on any slip-ups.

“Whereas the championship is evenly poised, this season hasn't really been an equal contest in LMP1 as Peugeot has such a huge technical advantage. To beat them, therefore, would be a very satisfying achievement.”