Solid start to the 24h Le Mans race for the Richard Mille Racing Team 12.06.2022: • The 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans started on Saturday at 4 pm • The n°1 Oreca-Gibson put in an excellent start with Charles Milesi and Sébastien Ogier behind the wheel • As the sun began to set, the Richard Mille Racing Team was into the top ten

•    The 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans started on Saturday at 4 pm
 
•    The n°1 Oreca-Gibson put in an excellent start with Charles Milesi and Sébastien Ogier behind the wheel
 
•    As the sun began to set, the Richard Mille Racing Team was into the top ten



After receiving a warm welcome from the public during the driver parade in the Le Mans city centre, the Richard Mille Racing Team returned to the track on Saturday morning for the warm-up, the last opportunity to check all the Oreca-Gibson n°1's systems and procedures.



The tension mounted just until the start, which got underway under bright skies and in front of a large crowd. Charles Milesi put in an excellent start to climb from seventh to fourth place in the LMP2 category in the first few corners before settling into his rhythm.



Serious and diligent in the scorching conditions, the Frenchman completed his first triple stint in the top ten overall and fifth place in the LMP2 category before being relayed by Sébastien Ogier. The eight-time world rally champion also set off on a triple stint in his first 24 Hours of Le Mans, avoiding the many hazards of Le Mans to consolidate the efforts of his teammate.



While on the verge of challenging for the top three, the team received a stop-and-go penalty after Sébastien Ogier crossed the pit entry line and committed an unsafe move. Charles Milesi served the sanction during his quadruple stint before resuming the Richard Mille Racing Team charge.



The Richard Mille Racing Team was in ninth place in the LMP2 category at 9 pm, shortly before Lilou Wadoux made her debut in the race.



"It was a good start, says Charles Milesi. I took advantage of the misfortunes of some of the crews at the start. It is regrettable to see their hopes dashed at the first corner of a 24-hour race. We have a good pace despite a slight top speed deficit which has allowed gaps to widen in traffic. I'm happy with the job we've done so far and we need to keep up the good momentum despite this stop-and-go costing us more than 90 seconds."


"Charles made an excellent start to the race, and it was truly satisfying to see him set the same pace as the leaders while keeping a close eye on the degradation of his tyres right up to the end of his triple stint, added team manager Philippe Sinault. Sébastien then took over with a solid performance that enabled the team to consolidate its position in the top eight despite a small excess of optimism at the pit entrance. They have made a rock-solid start to the race, although there is still a long way to go."
 



RESULTS

Start : 12th / 7th LMP2
Hour 1: 10th / 5th LMP2 - 17 laps
Hour 2: 13th / 8th LMP2 - 33 laps
Hour 3: 12th / 7th LMP2 - 49 laps
Hour 4: 8th / 4th LMP2 - 63 laps
Hour 5: 13th / 9th LMP2 - 79 laps

    


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