Q:
You have a young team-mate too in Nicolas Lapierre, who drove for ORECA at Le Mans last year. How are the two of you working together so far?
OP:
I’m very happy to be working with Nicolas, first of all because I know him from A1GP. I like the guy; like me, he’s really quiet and really focussed, and he has a really good team spirit. I think all the drivers we have in the team have a really good relationship together. Last week we all went away to do a fitness test and there was a really good ambience, and I think everybody is pretty optimistic and happy about the year ahead.
Q:
Obviously the biggest objective for ORECA this year is the Le Mans 24 Hours, which is known as the hardest race in the world. How much of a challenge do you expect that to be?
OP:
For me it’s a very new race, but also one of the best races in the world. For sure I’m going there to do the best job I can with the team, and we’ll see where we are at the end of the 24 hours. For sure, though, if I like it I really want one day to have the possibility to win the Le Mans 24 Hours because it’s a very, very good race.
Q:
The Le Mans 24 Hours also forms part of what is known as motor racing’s ‘Triple Crown’, along with the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500. You’ve won at Monaco already – it would be quite something to win two out of the three, wouldn’t it..?
OP:
Yes, you’re right. I really want to win the Le Mans 24 Hours, but I think I’m a bit old for the 500 miles of Indianapolis! I don’t have the spirit of American racing – I don’t think I have enough time to win that race – but the 24 Hours, yes, I’d very much like to win that and I will be trying my best in the future.
Q:
You retired from racing back at the end of 2004, and left the
Formula 1 paddock at the end of 2006 before taking a year off. How does it feel to be back competing again now?
OP:
I feel really good. I had a year off, and I really appreciated the opportunity to spend time with my family and just cool down and do what I wanted to do, but I missed the steering wheel and that’s why I came back. I’m really happy to be here and I’m really ready for the fight.
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![Former Monaco Grand Prix winner Olivier Panis making his sportscar bow with the ORECA-MATMUT team at Paul Ricard in early 2008 [pic credit: DPPI]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/416889.jpg)
