[LM24] Pescarolo Sport future plans...?!?!

[Dario911]

Few weeks ago I've read on italian magazine Autosprint the new about Pescarolo Sport has been sold to Sora Composites.
Now Henri is not the owner of the team he created, but he's only the team manager. In fact, Sora Racing is the name of the team raced Pescarolo 01 in Asian Le Mans Series.
So, I'm worried because this may mean Pescarolo will disappear from motorsport. This would be terrible, in my opinion.
I don't find any new about Pescarolo Sport situation and future plans on the net. So, do you know something about?
I'm really worried, because I'm a great supporter of Pescarolo and his team.
Does someone of you know something more about the selling of Pescarolo Sport to Sora Composite?
I hope to see Pescarolo Sport with its name and its cars in the next years!

[LeMans.pt]

Originally Posted by Dario911

Few weeks ago I've read on italian magazine Autosprint the new about Pescarolo Sport has been sold to Sora Composites.
Now Henri is not the owner of the team he created, but he's only the team manager. In fact, Sora Racing is the name of the team raced Pescarolo 01 in Asian Le Mans Series.
So, I'm worried because this may mean Pescarolo will disappear from motorsport. This would be terrible, in my opinion.
I don't find any new about Pescarolo Sport situation and future plans on the net. So, do you know something about?
I'm really worried, because I'm a great supporter of Pescarolo and his team.
Does someone of you know something more about the selling of Pescarolo Sport to Sora Composite?
I hope to see Pescarolo Sport with its name and its cars in the next years!

Pescarolo was sold one year ago.
The future seems very dark. The Sora guys thought that this was cheap and now they don´t have the money for it. It was said that they needed a 8 million dollars budget for LMS and Le Mans, and they don´t have, but worse... they can't get it! Most probably, they will just be at Le Mans. Don´t believe that henri will continue if front of the team (as team manager) if they won't do a fulll LMS season.

[isynge]

I suspect it depends very much on what sort of 'golden handcuffs' have been put on Henri by Sora, and where exactly the intellectual property to the cars lies.

It's perhaps a little akin to the situation when Elf called a halt to the La Filliere programme in the late 1990s, which begat the Pescarolo Sport organisation. Obviously a lot of water has passed under the bridge, but Henri has proved able to raise the sort of sums needed in the past.

That said, I'm not sure it is all doom and gloom. Prior to Okayama Sora made some changes to the way they were run, including some pretty fundamental personnel shifts. It's probably honest to say they need finance to run (4m Euros was the figure I seem to remember) - but those numbers shouldn't be unachievable - and if they're smart about how they're running things, keeping Henri et al (e.g. de Cortanze and Bouillon for example) aboard would seem sensible.

[cmk]

I agree that all is not lost, and that some of the personnel changes might help (though just because someone departs due to not pulling the weight doesn't mean the replacement can) but the situation is rather dark at present. Worse, I think that Sora are more interested in the trackday car than the race team, which might prove to be a valuable income generator in the long term. Alas, in the short term, it might also spell the death knell of this iteration of Pescarolo Sport.

[Dario911]

I fear for Pescarolo. If this team would disappear, we would miss one of the most interesting and competitive team in the modern endurance scene. Pescarolo 01 has been designed by Pescarolo's men, so the Sora has only built the chassis, due they are specialized in composite materials.
Pescarolo is the father of the car, and I hope he will race next year with its own name.
Pescarolo's economical crisis is one of the collateral effects of the superdiesel dominion in Le Mans.
Pescarolo has been the only petrol P1 car capable to compete against Audi and Peugeot, but main sponsors have not been happy to finance a non-winning car.

[cmk]

I believe only one new Pescarolo tub, 08, was laid down since the takeover/merger with Sora so any of the influence they may have had on the Pescarolo 01 would be largely limited to the bodywork. Admittedly there was a good deal more intricately crafted bodywork seen on the car this year, including some which was deemed illegal before ever being raced, but that is down to the wind tunnel time as much as new carbon folks, methinks. The #17 chassis from this year was actually chassis 01-01 and didn't seem to be different from #16 after it received the new bodywork. Anyone know anything that might suggest otherwise?

[Tom908V12]

There was a rumour about Pescarolo to associate with Charouz Racing...but only a rumour though

[JHamilton]

I would love to see an 01 raced in the US (assuming I'm not headed to LM this year). We've always had a few Zyteks/Creations and of course plenty of Lolas, but no on has bought what I consider to be one of, if not the best, customer package available. I always thought that was odd... I wonder if they are more expensive?

[joeb]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

I would love to see an 01 raced in the US (assuming I'm not headed to LM this year). We've always had a few Zyteks/Creations and of course plenty of Lolas, but no on has bought what I consider to be one of, if not the best, customer package available. I always thought that was odd... I wonder if they are more expensive?

There was that sale of a chassis to the Mundill team last year with plans to run the ALMS in 2010, but there has been little news since that initial press release. They keep their website updated with their StarMazda news, so the team hasn't disappeared, but we'll have to wait and see about their ALMS plans.

[Tom908V12]

According to today's Auto Hebdo, Henri Pescarolo could associate with Mexicans Fernandez Racing(ex-Acura LMP2 in ALMS)and run at Le Mans the 4th Peugeot 908 with an all-mexican drivers line-up

Where have they gone look for such rumours

[The Badger]

Wow..... I was hoping for something like this to happen . Theres no smoke without fire , and auto hebdo , do they normally report dross ?

An all Mexican Team with a Pug sounds brilliant !!!

[Dario911]

This sounds to my ears as the end of Pescarolo Sport story. So, it's a sad new. I'm very disappointed. Pescarolo has sold his factory to Sora Composites, abdicating to all his future plans to win Le Mans with a car built by himself.
In this way, Pescarolo will never win Le Mans at the same way of his hero Jean Rondeau.
Pescarolo Sport was created to accomplish this mission, and it's very sad this very bad end of the story.

[The Badger]

Be nice if henri could buy it back on the cheap side , if Sora cant afford to run it !!!

[Dario911]

I wrote an e-mail to Henri, few months ago. I suggested him to ask to a manufacturer for a joint venture. It should be wonderful to see a Pescarolo-Porsche (i.e.) on the starting grid in Le Mans.
Porsche is interested to come back in P1, but now its economical position may be a trouble for the next P1 program.
So, they could cooperate with Pescarolo Sport to supply them a huge engine to face Aston Martin, Audi and Peugeot in Le Mans, LMS and ALMS.
This could be possible, in my opinion. A winning strategy for both.
They may find a wonderful partner one each other, becoming one of the most competitive team in P1 panorama.
What do you think about?

[The Badger]

I think its a fine idea , but I cant see anything comin from Porsche in P1 for awhile . But old Henri has good links with Porsche from past years .

I reckon Pescarolo would make a fine partner for any manufacturer .

[Tom908V12]

By the way, Auto Hebdo gave the name of the mexican drivers if the deal Pescarolo/Fernandez/Peugeot was done: Diaz, Rojas and Duran

[CTD]

Originally Posted by The Badger

I reckon Pescarolo would make a fine partner for any manufacturer .

Renault?

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by The Badger

I think its a fine idea , but I cant see anything comin from Porsche in P1 for awhile . But old Henri has good links with Porsche from past years .

I reckon Pescarolo would make a fine partner for any manufacturer .

This is getting away from Henri's venture, but it really shouldn't take much for Porsche to update their Spyder to P1 specifications for 2011. Whether it is a factory backed entry, or simply updating and upgrading for customer cars, you would have to think the basic Spyder package would be one that could easily compete for overall wins in 2011.

[Félix]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

This is getting away from Henri's venture, but it really shouldn't take much for Porsche to update their Spyder to P1 specifications for 2011. Whether it is a factory backed entry, or simply updating and upgrading for customer cars, you would have to think the basic Spyder package would be one that could easily compete for overall wins in 2011.

The Spyder's formula car aero is exactly what the ACO said it wanted to change with the 2010 (now 11) rules. Flat nose and continuous bodywork.... They could start from the Spyder's tub and engine though.

[Dario911]

RS Spyder would be easily used as the base for the next Porsche P1. Hartmut Kristen told something about Porsche decision to back in P1. Porsche is experimenting a P1 in Leipzig, but that's not a new.
I hope they could help Pescarolo in his wonder adventure. It would be a dream.
Why don't we suggest to mr. Henri to ask for a joint venture with Porsche?

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Dario911

RS Spyder would be easily used as the base for the next Porsche P1. Hartmut Kristen told something about Porsche decision to back in P1. Porsche is experimenting a P1 in Leipzig, but that's not a new.
I hope they could help Pescarolo in his wonder adventure. It would be a dream.
Why don't we suggest to mr. Henri to ask for a joint venture with Porsche?

Why would Porsche choose Pescarolo? It isn't as if he is as accomplished as other options such as Joest or Penske.

[Dario911]

Why?

1) Joest is with Audi
2) Pescarolo is more competitive and knows better than Penske Le Mans, P1 class, and european endurance races (LMS)
3) Porsche and Pescarolo have a long story together behind their shoulders...
4) Pescarolo has worked with P2 Porsche drivers, Collard and Dumas
5) Pescarolo has the better petrol P1 car, with a wonder chassis, capable to win against works Aston Martin, too
6) Huge advertising for both

I suggest is enough to cooperate with a good success in P1.

[isynge]

I'm hoping it's far too early to draw a line under Pescarolo prospects for 2010 and beyond, but there are probably a couple of areas where, historically, things could have gone better.

- Sponsor relations - l'affaire Bouchut by all accounts cost them Matmut support, and rapportage at the time indicated that this wasn't the only time sponsors hadn't been given the warm and fuzzy feeling they wanted
- No US thrust when customer cars became possible. As others have said, this is potentially the fastest private car out there, and Rollcentre's experience showed it could be highly competitive, but never having run in North America probably raised questions about the level of support available from the Technoparc, and limited the ability to build into a small customer programme which might have driven additional financial interest for Le Mans.
- Endless 'confrontation' with the ACO. Generally with a point, but ultimately it's got to have hacked them off and building a perception as "Mr Bad News" doesn't help sell Pescarolo as a commercial proposition to the sort of organisations that could pay his bills
- Relations with Peugeot. For all that I think Joest lost its soul after it became a works Porsche/Audi outfit, the burning of the bridges with Peugeot prior to the 908 era, and then unfortunate Treluyer/insurance incident probably didn't help.

Personally I hope the Del Bello rumours have more legs than the Mexican connection reported by Auto Hebdo - somehow Henri feels like he should do it in a quintessentially French way, rather than being a figure backing an effort with a very different identity. Put a different way, we all remember Henri as a driver with Matra, to a lesser extent with Porsche or Sauber Mercedes, but as a Lancia works driver? Not really.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Dario911

Why?

1) Joest is with Audi
2) Pescarolo is more competitive and knows better than Penske Le Mans, P1 class, and european endurance races (LMS)
3) Porsche and Pescarolo have a long story together behind their shoulders...
4) Pescarolo has worked with P2 Porsche drivers, Collard and Dumas
5) Pescarolo has the better petrol P1 car, with a wonder chassis, capable to win against works Aston Martin, too
6) Huge advertising for both

I suggest is enough to cooperate with a good success in P1.

1. If Porsche was in P1, Audi would not be, rumoured to join McLaren in F1.
2. Pescarolo is more competitive? I'm not sure what that means, but you can't possibly be suggesting that Pescarolo is a better team. You surely underestimate Penske, if you think they wouldn't demolish Pescarolo in the same car, in any track or event anywhere.
3. As do Porsche and Penske
4. As has Penske
5. Old rules cars experience is irrelevant. How many times has Pescarolo beaten Audi? He couldn't even when they had a better car. But Penske managed to do it with a P2 car. 2011 will basically be P2 cars, how much experience does Pescarolo have running those vs. Penske? How much recent experience has Pescarolo running a Porsche with the 3.4V8?

[Tom908V12]

Don't dream too much guys !!! IF Porsche comes back to Le Mans in P1 it should be instead of AUDI and with the ex-Audi team, not a private one