Frenchmen Pierre Ragues and Franck Maillieux have enjoyed a successful test for Signature’s newly-formed Le Mans Series team at Paul Ricard.

The two up-and-coming youngsters spent a day driving the team’s new Oreca-Judd last week at Le Castellet in France, running without problems throughout the session and getting a good taste of the cutting-edge sportscar.

Signature plans to compete on the entire Le Mans Series next year as well as the world-famous Le Mans 24 Hours, and the Bourges-based team is currently evaluating drivers in preparation for its 2009 programme.

The Paul Ricard test was designed to give Ragues and Mailleux an idea of what the powerful LMP1 challenger was like, even though the car was not specifically adapted to the needs of the drivers or the circuit. The cold weather also meant that the Michelin tyres took some time to get up to temperature, but the drivers still managed to get the most of the Oreca-Judd under the circumstances.

Pierre has enjoyed a successful season on the Le Mans Series in LMP2 this year with Saulnier Racing, finishing fourth in the teams’ standings (just behind three factory-supported Porsches) and fifth in the drivers’ rankings.

Franck has been competing on the 2008 Formula 3 Euroseries with Signature and Volkswagen, winning a race in Brands Hatch (England) and finishing in the top 10 of the championship at the end of the year.

Signature team principal Philippe Sinault commented: “Both drivers did an excellent job during the test and naturally they are both strong contenders to drive our car in 2009. We hope to have our driver line-up sorted out by the end of this year. This test was more of a shakedown as the car was completely new to us and we did not have time to adapt the settings to the drivers and the circuit, but it was still a very useful session for everybody as we prepare to embark on our latest adventure”

Pierre reported: “Having been used to the LMP2 car this year I already had some idea what to expect, but the performance of an LMP1 machine is still always a nice surprise! I enjoyed the test, and I was also able to suggest a few areas for improvement in the future.”

Franck added: “It’s a very nice car to drive, but it has a completely different feel to a single-seater. Having been in the car all day though, I do not think that it would take me long to adapt. There is definitely a lot of potential here, and I would like to thank Signature for giving me the chance to try it.”

For more information please contact:  
media@quadrasports.com
www.signature-team.com
www.pierreragues.com