Le Mans24 Hours - Scrutineering Tuesday 4

Ferrari Folk Part 2 – LMS Teams

Rob Bell:

“I’m really looking forward to this one.  The car has been back to Michelotto for a full rebuild and an engine rebuild with some further 08 updates.  She’s been dyno tested and essentially what we’ll have to race is a new but proven car.

“Of course I was here last year with the LNT Panoz and I am very grateful indeed to Richard (Dean) and Lawrence (Tomlinson) for that chance to learn the circuit and learn the ropes here.

“It is different this year, of course we came to win last year but we knew we couldn’t do it on pace.  This time we have three quick guys in a quick car that is capable of winning the race on pace. 

“We should be in the mix but we can’t rely on the other guys throwing it off because there are just too many of them with a chance of winning from Risi, BMS, AF Corse and ourselves in the 430s through to the Lizards and IMSA Performance in the Porsches, that’s six cars at least that can win on pace alone.

“One thing though is that at least we shouldn’t get lost – After All we’ve got Tim in the car!”

Tim Sugden:

“I’m really pleased to be part of this.  I’ve been here five times before but had one trip where we didn’t qualify (in an EMKA 911GT2)  We were well in the mix at 2pm but then lost an engine and lots of others improved and put on new rubber.

“I really can’t wait for Saturday.  It’s still a very special place and a very special event.  There is no atmosphere like it anywhere in sport and with all due respect to the efforts I’ve been a part of before it my best chance ever of an overall class win.

“We’ve got a good team, a good car, good tyres, hey we even have a nice motorhome!”

Tim Mullen: (left)

“I talked to Jim McWhirter a while ago about this drive and I’m absolutely delighted to get the deal against what I know was competition from a lot of top blokes.

“I’ve led the race in the last two years and always did a good job and I know of course what a good job the team does in Le Mans Series.

“Astonishingly this will be my fourth Le Mans in a row and it would be good to seal the deal this year.

“As for the future I’d be amazed if CR Scuderia weren’t here some time very soon.  I know it’s a race that’s very much on Chris’s (Niarchos) wish list.

Pierre Ehret

“The Ferrari is a great car and I have been very happy indeed with the support we have been getting from Michelotto.

“The support at the track for Ferrari is now way better than it was even two or three years ago.  They are close now to the level that Porsche provides at the circuits for the major meetings.

“On tyres we were used to the Michelins but in the States we got tyres that were an entirely different standard to those that the LMS cars were given at Barcelona.  The customer Michelin was developed for the 997 and it just didn’t work very well on the Ferrari.

“It was an easy decision to switch to Dunlop and we are getting better support with tyre developments.  As far as I am aware we have much the same standard of rubber as Virgo.”

Pierre Kaffer (on his recent extraordinary outing in the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring where he drove two top-rated cars)

“It sounds strange to say it but I do not find driving at the Nordschliefe tiring at all.  In fact quite the opposite it relaxes me and with the help of a lot of vitamins I didn’t sleep at all during the race.  At one point in the night I was second AND third overall – I was close to having to make a decision on which step of the podium I would have to stand but then one of my team-mates made a mistake and I was down to one!” (he eventually came home second overall in a Manthey Porsche)