Vieira: “Kairos Does Not Just Make Up the Numbers in Endurance”

Photo: John Brooks/Greaves Motorsport

Kairos Technologies, the British firm that had planned to support Team SARD-Morand’s bid for the FIA World Endurance Championship, is continuing its involvement in endurance racing, despite having recently parted ways with the Benoit Morand-led organization. (En Français)

Speaking with Endurance-Info, Kairos President Michel Vieira provided further insight into the situation with SARD-Morand, which has resulted in the two organizations going their separate ways and Morand set to only field a single Morgan LMP2 Evo car this season.

“Originally, we wanted to stick to the official communication indicating that it was all over but inaccurate statements were published in the media,” Vieira told Endurance-Info. “I do not wish in any case add fuel to the fire.

“We thought we had certain guarantees on the basis of the contract [with SARD-Morand]. An agreement was reached at the level of these guarantees. An amendment was then requested and several deadlines have not been met.

“It leaves the door open but it terminates the contract. I’m not saying that Kairos is no longer interested but if that were to happen, it would be in another form.

“We played the game at the FIA WEC Prologue. I have nothing to reproach Benoit Morand in sport. He’s very competent on the pit wall. However, Kairos will not pay for past mistakes.”

Vieira said its focus will shift to the newly renamed Greaves Motorsport secured by Kairos Technologies team, which is coming off victory in the European Le Mans Series season-opener at Silverstone earlier this month.

Kairos is expected to take a larger role with the British squad, including the likelihood of reviving its ‘Race to 24’ online reality show competition that was to originally place a driver in one of the SARD-Morand LMP2 cars at Le Mans this year.

“We signed a three-year partnership with Tim Greaves, with the aim of moving up to LMP1,” Vieira said. “The project is serious, square and concrete.

“Short-term, a joint venture was planned knowing it was too late to rename the team name. However, the entity is now under ‘Greaves Motorsport secured by Kairos Technologies.’

“There is a real level of interest from Tim Greaves to integrate ‘Race to 24’, even if nothing is finalized yet.”

Vieira, who has reiterated that Kairos is a British company, is hoping to still launch the reality show competition this year, potentially beginning with a U.S. component.

“The only concern is timing,” he said. “We can’t do this at the last minute. We’re considering a fallback to honor our commitments to the drivers that were somewhat cheated.

“There could be a first part with Greaves at Petit LeMans [this year] where we could have drivers from Race to 24.

“I believe in the program. I think there will be more [momentum] with the program once we have [top] judges, such as ex-Formula One drivers.”

Despite its recent setback, Vieira has confirmed the company’s long-term commitment to sports car racing.

“We want to build something serious in the long term and this discipline is perfect for us,” he said. “All this goes with our philosophy.

“It’s a great business platform with good visibility. Four and six-hour races are much better than Formula 1. We do not want to just make up the numbers.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John