Following on the press release published Saturday afternoon by the ACO regarding performance adjustments to be made to the LM P2 prototypes of the three other manufacturers, Hugues de Chaunac, President of ORECA Group – major player in endurance and the 24 Hours of Le Mans – wishes to respond.
“ORECA Group acknowledges ACO and FIA’s decisions, and though we’ve been informed, more dialogue and consultation would have been appreciated. We disagree with these decisions and contest their legitimacy, considering the detailed analyses conducted and provided by ORECA. Only European Le Mans Series races were looked at – four rounds to start with, then five. As for IMSA races, they haven’t been taken into account, which we think is regrettable. Contrary to technical regulations, these decisions regarding performance adjustments are not based on data evaluating performance deficits.”
“As the only manufacturer not allowed to develop its car, ORECA finds itself unfairly penalised today, together with all the teams which have put their trust in us and have successfully entered the ORECA 07. We would like to express our support to them. In the early days of the project, all LM P2 players had agreed on the idea of an open competition between four chassis manufacturers sharing the same rules, with the same engine too. Less than a year in, we are now moving towards a balance of performance system which has nothing to do with this original idea. Originally, performance evolutions were possible and clearly intended to make sure that no manufacturer facing difficulties would be left by the wayside. Only one of us is in this situation today.”
