MATHIAS BECHE: “I COMPLETELY TRUST THEM TO HAVE THE BEST TEAM FOR US TO FIGHT FOR THE TOP SPOT”

At the end of this week, the Road Atlanta circuit in the USA will host a world premiere. Competitors of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) will be racing together during the 15th Annual Petit Le Mans. For Mathias Beche and his Thiriet By TDS Racing Team, the goal is clear: To become the 2012 ELMS Champions ! In addition to the other three ELMS Teams involved in LMP2, you are again racing tough competitors such as Level 5 Motorsports and Conquest Endurance which are coming from the ALMS. Another big challenge? “Another big challenge, but the same goal as always – victory! This is an amazing opportunity to have such a competitive field in P2. There are great teams in the ALMS Championship and we are really looking forward to racing them. Each driver line up is built around one or two very good drivers. It is a great honor for me to race in the same category as a driver like Dario Franchitti. Dario is a legend, he won 3 times the Indianapolis 500 and won several titles in Indycar Series. It is a superb benchmark for all of us. The race is going to be incredible!”

You have never driven the track of Road Atlanta, how will you prepare yourself? “Physically and mentally it’s going to be an intense race, with 47 cars on track and quite a small circuit compared to Le Mans. However, I’ve prepared for this event as I do with any other, even if the stakes are higher. As I drive relatively little – it’s been almost 4 months since I drove last – I train very hard physically and mentally to constantly improve and pursue my progression. To learn the circuits I have my “little tricks” which I’ve used for a while. I give a lot of energy during the testing sessions to use each lap to make progress. I will come one week before the race, just to get acclimatized to the time difference, remove any jet lag, but also to enjoy the place and do some sightseeing.” After joining you for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Christophe Tinseau will again team up with you and Pierre. Is this a great partnership for further success? “Indeed, I am delighted that Christophe will be joining us for this mythical race, that will mark the end of this years ELMS Championship. We all worked very well together at Le Mans, Chritophe is a man of great experience, is reliable and he knows the race and knows how to succeed. He has already driven several times in Atlanta and this help will be very important for both Pierre and myself. Last year Christophe was driving for the Pescarolo Team and could not make the final event in Estoril, so couldn’t score a deserved championship title. This year, he joins us to help win the Team and Driver Championship and I think it’s a great contrast. Christophe is the perfect ally to achieve our goals.”

The Thiriet By TDS Racing has never participated in the Petit Le Mans. How does a Team, still “young” in the world of Endurance Racing, prepare for an event like this? “Thiriet By TDS Racing is maybe still quite “young” in Endurance Racing, but they have proven time and again that they nothing like beginners! We draw the maximum from each test session, from every race and we’re still progressing by leaps and bounds. The time we had to organize this trip was very short. In addition, the team has to deal with another International race on the same weekend, as they’ll be running four Meganes Trophy cars in Barcelona for the World Series by Renault event, where they are still fighting for a new title! I completely trust them to have the best team for us to fight for the top spot.” As “team captain” of Thiriet by TDS Racing, what advice can you provide to Pierre to assist in success at Road Atlanta? “The work with Pierre is a continuous path. I’ve coached Pierre since his very first debut in prototypes back in early 2011 and it is true that he still has very limited experience. However, having had only three racing seasons behind him and had never raced any singe seaters previously, he’s done amazingly well. The jump from the Mégane to the LMP2 was big, but still successful. We are racing in a global and world class arena, so I try to give him several small pieces of advice, but in areas which can still which can make a significant difference to the teams performance. The way to work, guiding the engineers, understanding not only the driving but also the technical side. He started racing very late and has worked incredibly hard to catch up. He’s starting to understand the technical aspects much more and there impact on the behavior of the car. This wasn’t the case last year, as we could only work on the driving side of his development. We have learned to know each other well and have a mutual trust which is very important in Endurance Racing. When you share the same car and you experience these intense moments together, it’s a relationship that goes far beyond just a professional partnership.” You’ll race the final round of the WEC (World Endurance Championship) at the wheel of the NissanOreca03 of the ADR Delta team. How are did you get in contact with Alan Docking and what are your expectations from this race ? “I still do not know Alan personally, but I’ve seen their great performances in WEC this year. Two victories in the World Championship and a pole position in Le Mans 24h so far this season is impressive. Simon Dowson, the team boss, contacted my manager recently to see if I was available to drive for them in Shanghai. This is a great opportunity for me, I will re-discover the environment of the WEC but also a new team. I learned to race in China and this return will for sure be a highlight of the season. With John Martin and Tor Graves we have a great line up. I’ll be at the service of the team, to aim for the highest possible result and help them win the championship.” Two weeks before the 2012 grand final, are you thinking about your 2013 program ? “Of course I think about it, even though right now I’m fully focused on the Petit Le Mans race. However, now is the time to prepare and plan for next season and I’m working very hard on this right now. The Thiriet by TDS Racing has given me the possibility to show my true potential this year, although I’m always expecting to be even better and faster! This is my “heart team”, I feel great with them because we share the same values. With Jacques my engineer, we understand each other quickly and trust each other a lot, so we save a lot of time. I’d really like to continue to be involved with this outfit for 2013, if at all possible. But now, nothing is decided and everything remains open. We want to keep working together and continue our great collaboration but we will see if it is feasible. I would love to race in WEC next year. Everyone is working hard and Petit Le Mans will be a new step for us all…”
Wednesday, October 17, 2012 1:15 PM – 1:45 PM | Test Session – ALMS/ELMS – Competitors (P1/P2/PC) 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM | Test Session – ALMS/ELMS – Competitors (All Classes) 2:45 PM – 3:15 PM | Test Session – ALMS/ELMS – Competitors (GT/GTC) Thursday, October 18, 2012 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM | Practice – ALMS/ELMS – Competitors (All Classes) 3:20 PM – 4:20 PM | Practice – ALMS/ELMS – Competitors (All Classes) 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Night Practice – ALMS/ELMS – Competitors (All Classes) Friday, October 19, 2012 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Practice – ALMS/ELMS – Competitors (All Classes) 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Autograph Session – ALMS/ELMS Paddock 2:00 PM – 2:15 PM | Qualifying – ALMS/ELMS – Competitors (GTC) 2:20 PM – 2:35 PM | Qualifying – ALMS/ELMS – Competitors (GT) 2:40 PM – 2:55 PM | Qualifying – ALMS/ELMS – Competitors (LMPC) 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM | Qualifying – ALMS/ELMS – Competitors (LM P1/LM P2)

Saturday, October 20, 2012 9:15 AM – 9:40 AM | Warm up – ALMS/ELMS – Competitors (All Classes) 11:30 AM – | Petit Le Mans Race – 1000 Miles ou 10 Hours max