Oreca had a successful 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans, actively participating in Toyota‘s 2nd and 4th place finish, along with having eight Oreca chassis at the start of the race in the LMP2 class.
Oreca, in partnership with Toyota, saw the two TS030 Hybrids hold their own against the much favoured Audi R18 e-tron quattros, and fought back from a late race incident for Nicolas Lapierre to stop the German brand’s domination at Le Mans and to split the podium positions.
Oreca also took their third podium at La Sarthe thanks to G-Drive Racing by Delta-ADR. The team had been hoping to secure victory in the LMP2 class, but a faulty illuminated number cost the team a potential top step on the podium.
Six of the eight Oreca chassis which started the race made it to the finish, five making it in to the top ten.
“These results push us already to work even harder for 2014 with one mission : to even better support our customer teams to reach this common goal,” said Oreca president Hugues de Chaunac. “I know that our customer racing program members, including the engine department, were a little disappointed, but there are many positive things to come, I know it.
“2013 was the 90th year for the Le Mans 24 Hours and the 40th year for ORECA, that will remain unique,” he continued. “We’ve attained many marks in our history as a company, but this one is and will always be very special. It was also the first time that ORECA, either directly or indirectly, on the podium in two different classes – LM P1 and LM P2 – in the same year. We’re not finished being ‘Le Mans Addicts’. Actually, we’re already looking forward to going back, always with new and ambitious goals in mind.”
