Le Mans (France), June 18, 2024 – Everything happened on the Le Mans circuit, from safety cars to crashes, with rain alternating with clear skies. Despite an excellent start and performance, car number 30 of the Duqueine Team was forced to leave the track due to a sudden engine failure.
It was already the eighth hour of the race for the ORECA 07 (in the LMP2 category), which was in P3 Pro/Am class, when smoke coming from the engine of number 30 forced French driver Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer, who was at the wheel at that moment, to stop.
As yellow flags waved around the track, the driver immediately exited the car, waiting for the arrival of the support staff. With over 15 hours remaining in the race, Duqueine had to announce their withdrawal from the competition.
Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer: “We had every chance to have a great race, we started with excellent performances and a great strategy. It’s certainly disappointing to end a race like this, but we couldn’t prevent what happened; it’s part of the game. We will learn from this experience and prepare even better for the next race.”
Such an incident, common in endurance races, didn’t diminish the disappointment in the number 30’s box, especially given the strong performance the team was showing on the track. “In motorsport, there are always ups and downs. Le Mans was a hard blow, especially since the withdrawal wasn’t our fault,” said team manager Max Favard. “Remember, this is a mechanical sport, and failures can happen. I’m proud to have a team with three fast and reliable drivers. Now it’s time to look forward, we’ll come back next year at a higher level.”
The other two drivers of the team, who took turns at the wheel, also expressed their regret over the race outcome in a record event attended by 329,000 spectators despite the unfavorable weather.
James Allen: “The disappointment is huge; no one on the team expected this outcome, and no one could have done anything to prevent it. We were unlucky; at that moment, we were in a good position and aiming for the podium. But sometimes it goes like this. I really want to thank everyone who worked so hard over the past two weeks. We deserved more, but unfortunately, it ended this way.”
John Falb: “The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a special event where just finishing the race is a victory. Duqueine did everything to ensure a car at its highest performance. James and Jean-Baptiste did a great job! It’s a real shame that the engine failed at the eighth hour while we were performing well. Now we look ahead, and I can’t wait to get back on track.”
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