Pedro Lamy and Stephane Sarrazin are celebrating after being crowned Le Mans Series Champions for the first time after nursing their Peugeot to a crucial second place in the Mil Milhas at Interlagos.
Needing just a podium to be crowned winners in Peugeot's first season with the diesel powered 908 Coupe, Lamy and Sarrazin's second place was enough to deny Jean-Christophe Boullion a surprise title win.
Nonetheless, despite starting from the back of the grid after a clutch problem and enduring three unscheduled pit stops, the Franco-Portuguese duo were still a clear four laps up on third place – if a mammoth 12 laps behind team-mates Nicolas Minassian and Marc Gene.
However, with reliability not proving the Peugeot's strength this year and allowing the significantly slower but sturdier Pesacrolo into the reckoning until the final round, Sarrazin explains that the team were keen to keen a close eye on the car until the chequered flag.
"Towards the end, we preferred to make a number of precautionary stops for checks in order to ensure we weren't stopped as we were at
Silverstone. Our result with what was a new car is incredible. This team is fantastic; it's like a dream come true!"
although only the team's second 1-2 finish of the season, the results marks three wins apiece for the two Peugeots, bringing a hugely successful maiden year to a close for Peugeot Sport Director Michel Barge.
"It's a marvellous result for Peugeot and for everyone who has worked so hard at Peugeot Sport since the beginning of our endurance programme, not to mention for all the guests of Peugeot's Brazilian, Argentine and Chilean subsidiaries who were here today to watch the race."
