Leconte: “Being the First Reserve is Not Enough to Run Le Mans”

It took a quarter of a century to see Larbre Competition run a prototype. But it’s never too late, especially since the Jack Leconte-led team has won everything there is in the GT ranks. (En Français)

After two years in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Corvette C6.Rs, the French squad takes on the challenge of LMP2 this year in the European Le Mans Series with a Morgan Judd.

However, despite having made 20 appearances in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it’s still not certain to see Larbre on the grid in year’s race, as the team’s entry sits as the first reserve.

The car, however, is present this week at the official ELMS test, with OAK Racing and Onroak Automotive boss Jacques Nicolet sharing the wheel with Keiko Ihara and Olivier Pla.

“Jacques has been my partner for several years,” Leconte told Endurance-Info. “We discover a new category and I am delighted to have Jacques by our side.

“We asked Olivier to also join us. This allowed us to have the knowledge of someone who knows the Morgan LMP2.

“We can say that the first day was productive, with the fourth quickest time in the morning and third best in the afternoon. We finished as the quickest Michelin-equipped car.”

Larbre, for the first time, is dipping its toes into the prototype ranks, as part of a new adventure.

“We’re writing a new chapter even if we wait for news on whether we will be accepted to Le Mans,” Leconte said. “We’ve successfully competed in Le Mans Series since the beginning: ALMS, Le Mans 1000 km, ELMS, ILMC, Asian LMS, FIA WEC.

“I have always been there when the ACO had a brilliant idea. It would be a shame to miss this year’s edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

With five victories in 20 previous starts, one would have expected Larbre to have been accepted to the around-the-clock classic this year.

“To not have a [confirmed] entry complicates the situation to initiate a serious and comprehensive program,” Leconte added. “The team helped Onroak Automotive assemble the car.

“We’re now waiting because to be the first reserve is not enough to run at Le Mans.”