Pierre Ragues will get preparations for his 12th participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans underway at this Sunday’s official test day at the iconic Circuit de la Sarthe. 

 

Pierre, who has been participating in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) so far in 2019, will join an impressive Duqueine Engineering line-up for Le Mans, alongside his ELMS team-mate Nicolas Jamin and two-time Le Mans winner Romain Dumas.  

 

For the Caen-born star, Le Mans is a local race, located just 1h15 from his hometown. He has contested the classic endurance race on eleven previous occasions. Among the highlights over the years was an LMP2 podium in 2008 and the same again in 2017, when he finished in a spectacular fourth overall. 

 

Having demonstrated blistering pace in the opening rounds of his 2019 ELMS campaign, Pierre will take the Michelin-equipped Oreca 07 to Circuit de la Sarthe knowing he has the performance to fight for the front-running positions.  

 

The official test day will give the Duqueine Engineering squad the first opportunity to evaluate the performance of its car around the demanding 13.62km circuit ahead of the big race week – ahead of their first-ever participation in the gruelling race. 

 

A record number of 62 cars will contest this year’s race, of which 20 will be competing glory in the LMP2 category. In total, 186 drivers will be turning their respective wheels in one of motor racing’s most beloved events over 15-16 June. The test day, which will be divided into two equal sessions, will represent the first step towards this year’s 24-hour extravaganza.  

 

Pierre said: “It feels like a long time since I have taken part in the Le Mans 24 Hours, even if it was only back in 2017. I am already starting to get the same feeling of excitement and anticipation as each of the previous visits. This year will be my 12th participation at Le Mans – and each one is just as special as the last. It feels second nature, almost like a second home, and I am revved up and eager to get started. Together with the Duqueine team, we have built up a strong connection to the Oreca 07, the Michelin tyres and we know we have strong performance in the car. With Nicolas and Romain, I think we will also have a competitive driver line-up. This weekend’s test will be the first litmus test of our potential, so I am thoroughly looking forward to it. As always, I have the support of my personal partners Yacco, Sparco and Ellip6, for whom this event is equally special. Let’s get it started!”