Fabrice, the Michelin technician who works closely with Peugeot, was recently invited to sit alongside Nicolas Minassian for a spin in the 908 HDI FAP. He was only too pleased to relate the experience to LeMansLive…

Fabrice, Michelin technician

“What with testing and races, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been to Le Castellet [France] this year. But this time was different: I went as a guest of Peugeot Sport for a drive in the 908 HDI FAP.

“I couldn’t imagine a better treat. I’ve worked with the team ever since it returned to endurance racing. I’ve shared all the tough times with it, as well as all the great moments, like the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours. I saw this fabulous car take form, saw it earn it stripes and saw it become increasingly competitive, to the point today where it is a benchmark in its class. At last, I was going to be able to discover what a racetrack looked like from inside the cockpit…

“There were only a handful of us. The others were competition winners, sponsors and technical people like myself, and my colleague from Bosch. My lap was scheduled for the end of the session, so there was plenty of time for the pressure to build up. The first guy to go out was a member of Club Peugeot Sport who had already had the good fortune to sit in a long list of racing cars. But the sight of him as he clambered out of the car after his run provided us with a pretty eloquent pointer of what awaited us!

“It was my turn at last. The Peugeot 908 HDI FAP being used was the same spec as the race car, except with an additional seat and belts installed to the left of the driver. It was a fairly tight fit, and I was under strict instructions to hold my right arm so as not to hinder the driver who, in my case, was ‘Nico’ Minassian. He promised me would give me the ride of my life…

Fabrice and Nicolas Minassian on Peugeot 908

“We started from the pit-lane with the rev-limiter on. But then he accelerated hard for the first time and I was in another world, thrust to the back of my seat. The sensation was incredible, but it all felt very quiet, with the exception of the clunking of the transmission. Nico climbed up through the gears with mindboggling speed and, in no time at all, we were at the Verrerie Esses. I think that was the most impressive spot. My head just rocked from side to side of its own will. There’s a slight crest and, as Nico dived into the unknown, I could feel my stomach churn.

“The track gets a little slower towards Sainte Baume, but the Peugeot is amazing nimble as it leaps from turn to turn like a gazelle. In the space of, what, 20 or 30 metres, Nico has time to shift up two gears then drop one down again. With the long Sainte Baume corner behind us, we hit the kerb with Nico’s foot flat to the floor and the ensuing Mistral straight just flashes by. I sneak a glimpse at the instruments and see that we’re travelling at more than 300kph, but it doesn’t feel that fast because the car seems glued to the ground.

“We enter Signes at 250kph and you can tell that Nico is especially focused through here, because the slightest error can have grave consequences. My neck is hurting badly, too, but Nico doesn’t bat an eyelid. The Beausset double right-hander is notoriously difficult, especially on the tyres, and you can sense that the car is on the verge of understeer as the steering wheel tugs at the driver’s arms. I now have a better understanding of what the front-left tyre has to put up with through here!

“And so we begin our second lap as Nico ups the pace a little bit. The speed is impressive, but the braking is even more so. At the end of the Mistral straight, we pass the 100-metre board at more than 300kph, and Nico eventually hits the brakes with 70 metres before turning in for the next corner. Our time of 1m44s is the sort of performance you would expect during a test, so it’s not bad at all. The car is quite comfortable, although it does start to feel a little painful after a couple of laps. That, in fact, was quite enough for me, although I couldn’t help imagining what it must be like to cover two stints in the car!

“I felt a little shaken but so happy as I climbed out of the cockpit. It’s a ride all motorsport tyre technicians should be forced to experience in order to get a grasp of the constraints tyres are subjected to and also of the driver’s needs. I’ve got even more respect than ever for them now: you need to be some sort of superman to stay in control of a machine like that. Thank you, Nico, and thank you, Peugeot Sport…”

A video of the run will be up shortly…

Castellet, Michelin, Peugeot