Probably the best prototype in the world! - September 26th 2009

Minassian celebrates pole in Atlanta

Nicolas Minassian was delighted to take Pole Position in Road Atlanta, separated from the sister Peugeot by just two tenths of a second giving the team a deserved one-two ahead of the Audi's.

"It's a big thrill to have secured a pole position!" said Minassian. "Road Atlanta has always tended to be a good race for me. In 2006, I qualified on pole with the Creation ahead of the Audi R10s. We have gone well all week, even though we have had our work cut out for us because the other 908 was the faster of the two cars. We have been able to make good progress thanks to a free exchange of information between the two crews. I got in two clean laps in qualifying which allowed me to push hard and make the most of my tyres. Since the beginning of the year, everyone one at Peugeot Sport team has made
progress and I am sure that our prototype is the best in the world! Wet weather is predicted for tomorrow, so race strategy is likely to play a key role as usual."

Since Peugeot Sport's arrival in the United States at the beginning of the week, it is the team's two Peugeot 908 HDi FAPs that have clocked up the highest number of laps during the squad's preparations for the third longest race of the 2009 endurance racing calendar, namely tomorrow's Petit Le Mans.

Team Peugeot Total was greeted by an enthusiastic welcome from the American spectators and the North American endurance fraternity following its one-two finish in last June's Le Mans 24 Hours. The team then knuckled down to working through its established programme, with the two cars covering the equivalent of a full race distance – i.e. close to 1000 miles – in the course of the four free practice sessions and this afternoon's qualifying run. "We have covered more laps than any other team," reports Technical Director Bruno Famin. "Apart from a brake problem on the N°07 car during the opening session, we succeeded in working through our programme as planned, including the fine-tuning of our aero set-up, tyre testing and fuel consumption evaluation ahead of the race. Rain is expected tomorrow, and we haven't been out in the wet yet, but I'm not unduly concerned about that."

The two Peugeot 908 HDi FAPs lined up for the qualifying session in searing heat, with the thermometer reaching 33°C as the track temperature soared to 40°C. Franck Montagny and Nicolas Minassian spearheaded the team's bid for pole over five flying laps, with Minassian finally taking the spoils at third attempt with a time of 1m 6.937s; compared with a best of 1m 7.351s for his team-mate.

Minassian gives Atlanta the thumbs up

"It's always nice to get both cars on the front row, but that can't in any way be taken as a pointer for how tomorrow's race will go, especially here in the USA where the show for the spectators is so important," stresses Peugeot Sport Director Olivier Quesnel. "The way qualifying unfolded mirrored what we saw during the other practice sessions. Our two cars were extremely consistent and succeeded in lapping in practically identical times from their first to their 50 th lap, and that's what endurance racing is all about. We've got a tough task ahead of us, though, especially since a combination of heat and wet weather is expected for the race. Our aim is to reach the finish with both cars. Road Atlanta is a full-scale dress rehearsal for the team as we prepare for 2010."

Pedro Lamy will start the race in the N°07 908 HDi FAP car, while Stéphane Sarrazin will line up on tomorrow morning's grid in the sister machine. The 2009 Petit Le Mans will last 1,000 miles or 10 hours, with the start scheduled at 11:20am local time (GMT-5) for the 30-strong field.