In the 2022 season, the team from near Montpellier will again be fielding well-known names from the world of Porsche Customer Racing, and everyone involved is focussed entirely on winning races. Above all, the team is aiming for a podium finish at its home track, Paul Ricard. We asked team manager Philippe Alméras about his strategy and goals, and what his priorities were when putting together his team.

Hi Philippe.
Two vice championship titles in 2021 – what are your goals in the PMSC in 2022? What aces do you have up your sleeve this season?
The answer is already in your question. Our goal is to get even faster and climb one podium place higher than last season. We scored a lot of points and were often on the podium, but we didn't win all the races we thought we could. 
This year, however, we’re competing with a line-up of fast and experienced drivers, so we will be aiming for podium finishes at every circuit. But particularly at Paul Ricard, Spa-Francorchamps, Monaco and Silverstone, the major goal is definitely a race win. 

 

What are your expectations for your home race in Le Castellet? Do you have a message for the home crowd?
At Le Castellet, we definitely expect Dorian Boccolacci to win. We know this track very well, it just suits us. Last season we won both races here in the Porsche Carrera Cup France ahead of other talented Supercup drivers.
This year we are really looking forward to seeing our fans at the track – after not being able to race there last season because of Covid – we hope for full grandstands and big and loud support.

 

Can you say a few words about each of your drivers and what makes the team special this season?
After a season as a Rookie, Dorian Boccolacci will be our number one this season. The main goal will be his first Supercup win, and from there we want to fight for the drivers' championship title.
We are also very happy to welcome Jaap van Lagen back to our team. His tremendous experience can only be an advantage for the whole team.
Roar Lindland has already won the ProAm championship with us, and we’re definitely aiming for this title again this season.
Our second ProAm, Stéphane Denoual, makes huge progress every time he gets in the car, so we are hoping for many ProAm podium finishes for him.
ProAm Aaron Mason is in our team for a second season. Now he knows the level of competition and has experience on all the tracks. He, too, will be aiming for a win in his classification.
So the stage is set for an exciting and successful season.

 

You brought Porsche Supercup veteran Jaap van Lagen back to the team this season. What do you expect from him and to what extent will he complement the other drivers?
We are very happy to have Jaap back on the team. He has a lot of experience in the world of racing within different categories and in different teams.
We will be aiming for a top 5 finish in each of his races.
With his experience and knowledge, he is an absolute asset to the team, which can and will only benefit from him this season.

What is your verdict after a whole year with the new Porsche GT3 Cup? What is the potential for 2022 now that you’ve gathered more data?
The new Porsche GT3 Cup is the benchmark for all drivers in all Porsche one-make cups. The car no longer has to prove its performance or reliability. The 992 Cup has improved on the 991 to such an extent that we simply can't compare the two models anymore.
As with any new car, we will be faster than last year with the experience we have gained. We just expect and hope that we have learned more than our competitors!

 

Looking at our 30 year anniversary: Tell us your favourite memory from the past Supercup seasons – which one particularly stuck in your mind and why?
As far as the team is concerned, our best memory is the P2 & P3 double podium last season in Monaco. It was the first race of the 2021 season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, and we pulled off something like that! What a great day with incredible moments!
But when I look back at the past, I especially remember all the famous guest drivers: Ogier, Loeb, Häkkinen, Heidfeld... seeing drivers like these on the track made me dream when I was a kid!

 

Thanks and good luck, Philippe!