In the land of Manga comics and the team’s Japanese engine manufacturer, Nissan, the French Signatech team has more than one reason to want to stand out from the crowd.
After their great second place in the LMP2 class in the 6 Hours of Bahrain last month, with the No.23 Oreca 03-Nissan, the French trio of Franck Mailleux-Olivier Lombard-Jordan Tresson are keener than ever to claim another podium in front of the many Japanese spectators expected for the 6 Hours of Fuji, the seventh round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. As can be seen from the Manga-style artwork on the car’s fin, which shows a warrior’s stare, there is a strong bond between team and country.
Philippe Sinault: “The end of the season is approaching, but over the last few races we have reached a level which allows us to face this final straight of the 2012 season with plenty of ambitions. We have had some fine performances since the start of the season, but each time we were unlucky. Since our second place in Bahrain, it looks as if we have averted the bad luck. We are aiming for the podium, and why not even a win, either here or in Shanghai!”
Jordan Tresson, No.23 Signatech-Nissan Oreca 03 Nissan: “It was a great feeling to climb onto my first LMP2 podium in Bahrain, especially after the bad luck we had suffered in the previous races. We knew all along that we had the pace and the technical package to succeed so it was good to be able to prove that. I hope we can repeat this performance at Fuji, or even go one better. I think the competition will be tough but, you know, we are tough too.
“Fuji looks like a really good track, with a very long straight and interesting corners, and I think we will have to work very hard on the car set up to get this one right. This will be my first visit to Japan so I’m looking forward to the experience. I’ve been to Fuji many times virtually via Gran Turismo 5 and it certainly looks impressive. I hope that we will have a lot of support from the knowledgeable Japanese fans as we are powered by the Nissan engine.”
Fiona Miller (quotes from team press releases)
Photo: Signatech-Nissan's Manga-style artwork on the No.23 Oreca-03 Nissan.
