Vincent Capillaire – Driver and instructor

Last Thursday Extreme Limite Team contacted me to race the 5th round of V de V Series. So I jumped some jours laterto Le Castellet.

The car is a Norma M20 Honda engine (2.0l, 250CV to 8.200tr/min, 520kg, 6-speed sequential gearbox), very nice to drive.

Good warm up during practice (good performance, good uniformity of the crew). Qualified 4th, my teammate took the start and provided a good first stint. I then went on a 1/50 stint. We were leading, but were had to refuel once more that our pursuers. After stopping, the last short run was not enough to catch up our delay and we “fail” to 8s from the leader! However what a nice 2° place, for the whole team and for me (after the black series known in the Le Mans Series).

Thanks to my team-mate Fabien ROSIER (which I enjoyed meet back, pending a future collaboration …).

1.000km of Hungaroring

The fourth round takes place on the narrow circuit of Budapest (which hosted the Formula 1 three weeks earlier).

From free practices we have shown very good performances (fastest time of free practice 2). The night tests were quite shaken (nudge by a Porsche, only body’s car damage).

We went a little too far in our set for the qualifying: 3° (0″3 from pole).

We were confident for the race (with our car, our strategy ,…), but the old adage “never two without three” cut short our ambitions. One of my teammates went heavily off the track during the warmup, permanently damaging the car (shell pierced) (driver not injured). We will not start.

Blow! Really hard to take after all the investment in time, energy … our chances of winning the championship are compromised but I really do not give up and hopes to wring this bad shot in the final series at Silverstone in three weeks and produce a result showing our performance.

For a tenth of a second …

With William VERMONT (German championship ADAC Formula Masters) we passed close to a great weekend for the 5th round (Lausitzring – Germany). Magnificent Pole position in qualifying (rain), podium in race 1 (2nd), second at the finish of the race 2, but downgraded to an improvement of 0 “1 s in a yellow flag sector (sector he would improve more than 0 “4 after!). Relegated back of the grid for the last and taking the gamble of slick tires on a drying track, the victory was the appointment without a deluge unpredictable before the end of the race.

Keeping in mind the potential performance (Pole Position and three podiums including a win …).

1.000km of Portimao

I discovered the Portuguese circuit. A really fun track with its blind curves, despite some very bumpy places.

The tests helped us to find a good balance of self. The Free Practice 3 (night) allowed me to produce a good level of performance. The team then refocused our strategy for the race based on (the last 3 hours hapenning at night).

  Qualified in 2nd position our ambitions were halted at the first lap of the race (fuel supply problem). The second car of the team would suffer the same two laps later …

This is a second consecutive drop, hard to take, but we are not beaten and remain even more committed to the next race in Budapest.

HOPE VISION RACING POLE (my LE MANS SERIES team) organized 2 tests days (8-9 July) to prepare for the 3rd meeting.

During the first day I stayed at the trackside to support a young driver (O.Lombard) who joined the crew of the second car (# 47).

The second day we relayed the wheel of the # 48 with very good lap times. Very encouraging for the following of the championship.

Together with Christophe Tinseau, I ensured the development of prototypes schools operated by the School Steering Mans.

9 tests days to work very interresting with all the Pescarolo Sport team, including Claude GALOPIN (Chief Engineer).

 The Belgian team PMB and Ian DAWSON have organize a test at Spa where I was invited with Sylvain BOULAY (10 entries 24 Hours of Le Mans).

The test was especially designed to test the Nissan V8 4.0l block approval in 2011 prepared by the English IES, based on a radical-SR 9, which ran two times at Le Mans.

Very conclusive, revealing a great potential of the Nissan engine.

1.000km of  Spa

Team Hope Pole Vision trust me one more time for the second Le Mans Series meeting, after our first podium  (1st race at Le Castellet). This time, the crewwill be composed by Christophe PILLON and Nico VERDONCK (last year champion and belgian driver, a valuable ally).

This meeting is so the first real confontation between Audi and Peugeot beforf Le Mans 24H. Audi racing with three R15 plus and Peugeot three 908 (+1 peugeot 908 Oreca). 

Free Practices allowed us to setup a good car (best lap).

Qualifications = My team mate Nico VERDONCK, thanks to his great experience more his perfect knowing of the track gain the class pole position (19° of 50 cars).

The Race. Start was given with some few rain. We manage to increase our lead up to 55 seconds and even to reach the general 10° place overall (helped by safety car, and other cars outputs,… so we stop for the first refueling, then exiting of the pit, but arriving half the track, the car stop ! Car failure. The end of the race for us.

Conclusion, a great opportunity not realized. So now, I strongly intend to be at the next race (Portimao – Portugal).

 LE MANS SERIES folow same F1 regulation for drivers equipement.

Here is my new helmet (full carbone).

Same color base obviously but quite more design !

 8 hours of Le Castellet

We’re now on the magic Le Castellet track to compete for Le Mans Series Formula Le Mans classe (proto).

2° of the qualification (0″15 from pole position), start was given on sunday, 11:00 am. We lead the race several times, a strong battle vs Dams & Appelwood. Then we finaly cross finish line second, some few second from the 1st. A great performance built with my two teamate Christophe et Mahias.

So, first race, first podium with the 2° classe place (16° general rank of 41 cars), hopeful for future.

Thanks to Andy our engineer and mechanics staff for the accomplished work, they give us a reliable and competitive car. Thanks to the all team welcoming me and for their professionalism.
I learn many things this weekend, a great experience.

How enjoy it is to pass Signe curve about 240km/h, what a enjoy time to run next to Peugeot 908 or Audi R15,… ! A great time, wating for others…