Le Mans Series 2007 : MONZA - First race for la 908 HDi FAP

This time last year, the 908 HDi FAP project was little more than a few lines sketched on a sheet of paper. Today, 365 days later, two of the new cars penned, designed and built from scratch at Peugeot Sport's Vélizy base are poised to line up for the start of their maiden race. But although the team has successfully risen to this initial challenge, a certain amount of development and reliability work stills remains to be done and that will include the opening round of the 2007 Le Mans Series at Monza.

Despite the six test sessions already organised since early January, the 908s still have a certain amount of ground to cover and, as announced at the beginning of the programme, the first two rounds of this year's Le Mans Series - Monza and Valencia - are viewed as full-scale test sessions. "Our schedule is very tight," recalls Peugeot Sport Director Michel Barge, "and it would be utopian to suggest that we will win! We learn something about the car each time it takes to the track and it demonstrated at the official Le Mans Series test days at Paul Ricard that it has the performance because we posted the fastest time. However, had those tests been a race, we would have found ourselves sidelined by a certain number of technical problems."

Since the pre-season workout at Paul Ricard on March 25-26, the entire team has been busy at Vélizy working on the three chassis that have been completed, taking onboard the information gleaned during the 5,600km covered since January. The first chassis will be used for development purposes, so it is the second and third chassis that will race at Monza. Although none of the cars has turned a wheel since the LMS tests, everything is gradually being put into place, including the team's first pit-stop rehearsal which was organised at the factory at the beginning of April. The mechanics will now have to put that lesson into practice in race conditions. Driver swaps will be practiced at Monza where the full Team Peugeot Total squad will be in attendance with the two 908 HDi FAP and their driver line-ups:

Car n°7: Marc GENE / Nicolas MINASSIAN

Car n°8: Pedro LAMY / Stéphane SARRAZIN

"Despite all the work that lies ahead, we go to Monza in a true spirit of competition," underlines Michel Barge. "Our objective will be to do the best job possible to qualify on pole and finish the race. But whichever way it goes, this event promises to provide our technical staff, drivers and team management with plenty of information because we have so much to learn."

Stéphane SARRAZIN: "I can't wait for the season to start with the 908 and everyone in the team. Although we lack development time and despite the fact that Monza is essentially seen as a full-scale test session, we will be in a competitive environment and racing is still really what makes a driver tick! I intend to enjoy the experience as much as possible, especially since I will be teaming up once again with my accomplice Pedro who is now over his injury."

Marc GENE: "I haven't raced since the British Formula 1 Grand Prix at Silverstone in 2004, so I'm very excited at the prospect of beginning the championship with Peugeot and Nicolas. On top of that, the first round takes us to Monza which is one of my favourite tracks. It is fast and there is no other track like it anywhere in the world. So many other venues have become too bland."