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The
Autosport 1000kms at Silverstone takes place on Sunday 14 September and
can be watched LIVE on Eurosport and Motors TV. For full listings
information, please visit
www.eurosport.com and
www.motorstv.com.
For
more info on Harold Primat please visit
www.haroldprimat.com.
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Continued from News
Harold Primat: Le Mans
Series, Silverstone 1000kms preview
The
battle to be the best petrol-powered car in the Le Mans Series could
hardly be more finely balanced as the 2008 season draws to a close this
weekend at Silverstone. Just two points covers the top four cars in the
title rankings and with Harold Primat and co-driver Christophe Tinseau
lying in second, the Geneva-based driver is determined to end the season
in style and claim top spot.
Harold on the petrol-car battle – “It is going to be a close call
but it is an exciting and very interesting challenge that we are going
to embrace with a lot of energy. Silverstone is a six hour race and we
will push all the way to the chequered flag. In many ways the last round
at the Nurburgring was very frustrating as without the transmission
problem, which cost us so much time, a really strong result was
possible. However the way we fought back from nowhere to take a point
for eighth place shows just how competitive our package is and who knows
how crucial that point will be at the end of the season.”
…on Silverstone – “I’ve got a lot of good memories of Silverstone
from my time racing in British F3 and without doubt it is my favourite
circuit in the UK. The Grand Prix lay out is so fast and provides an
exhilarating challenge for the drivers but there’s also some technical
sections towards the end of the lap at Priory and Luffield. Copse is my
personal favourite, the speed through there is phenomenal, and if you
get it right then Maggots and Becketts are awesome too.”
…on preparation for the race – “Since the Nurburgring race we’ve
had tests at the Le Mans Bugatti circuit and at Dijon. The team have
worked on some aero tweaks which have definitely improved the package
and we have also made some improvements to the traction control and
dampers. The test last week at Dijon was conducted mostly in wet
conditions and that should be useful for Silverstone! The UK weather
hasn’t been great recently so importantly we’ve developed a good base
wet set up.”
…on the 2008 season – “Overall we’ve had a good season and made
real progress since 2007. The whole package has improved and we’ve been
the best fuel car for much of the year and at Le Mans. We also scored an
outright podium at Monza and that achievement shouldn’t be
underestimated because with two Audis and two Peugeots on the grid, and
the massive advantage they have from running diesel engines, podiums
have been at a premium for everybody else. We’ve had a couple of
technical problems here and there which have cost us points, but
generally I think everyone is happy with 2008.”
…on the target for Silverstone – “We need to stay error-free and
not have any problems with the car’s reliability but with the work the
team did at the last two tests I am very confident. It is difficult to
make predictions for a six hour race but we know that we have to score
points to win the petrol class. The Charouz Racing Lola Aston Martin was
very strong at the Nurburgring, but they have had some reliability
issues at other races and so there is no reason why we can’t overhaul
them in the standings. From a personal perspective I’m going to qualify
the car and start the race. It is a high responsibility but that is why
I’m here. As always we want to finish the season on a high not only for
the team but also for all our partners who have supported us in 2008.”
mail your news to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk
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