Dijon-Prenois 50 years anniversary - Gérard Larrousse : "The turbo adventure had been difficult up to then"

What does this circuit of Dijon-Prenois evoke for you ?

We all have a cupboard of memories, and in mine, the Dijon circuit occupies a good place. I have a lot of memories there, both as a driver and as a manager. It is a circuit that I like very much.

Let's start with the driver period then...

I took part in the first races here in 1972. Then, in 1973, I won the 1000 km of Dijon with Henri (Pescarolo, on a Matra MS670B. Editor's note), a victory that is dear to me. It was one of the first races in which I was really competitive in a Matra, which made me happy. Unfortunately, I didn't qualify for the 1974 Grand Prix (he was in a Brabham BT42-Cosworth. Editor's note). But I won the Porsche race organised as a curtain raiser to the Grand Prix, which is still an excellent memory today. I must have done a lot of other races that I don't remember and I came back to race as a 'retiree' because I did a lot of racing, especially in Lamborghinis.

And as a manager?

Well, I simply experienced what is perhaps the most intense moment of my career in this position in 1979. We won the French Formula 1 Grand Prix here with Jean-Pierre Jabouille, while René (Arnoux) did his number with Gilles Villeneuve in the final laps. I will never forget that day, as we had struggled so much beforehand to develop this car (RS01 then RS10. Editor's note). The turbo adventure had been difficult up to then and I really needed a fabulous team of engineers to keep up.

Have you thought of giving up?

No, even if I have to admit that I myself had moments of doubt. Two weeks before this French Grand Prix, we had contested the Monaco Grand Prix. Our cars were not moving, it was a horror. But this Grand Prix here changed everything. I got other good results here, especially when we won with Alain Prost in 1981, which was also exceptional.

Driver or manager, how different are the emotions?

When you are a driver, it is very personal. You are happy with your own performance. As a team manager, the satisfaction is broader, more open, because without your whole team, it's impossible to achieve anything. And managing personalities is not always an easy task. You have to push them to give their best, the best of themselves, and when you succeed in doing that it gives you an immense feeling of satisfaction.

How did you feel when you drove around the big Le Mans 24 Hours circuit last June in this Matra, as the Grand Marshal of this 90th edition?

I was obviously very pleased, even though the car wasn't running very well, so it was a bit complicated. But just to be able to hear the melody of that V12 again was a fantastic experience. I found everything as it was then: the driving position, the gear lever... It was an exceptional moment.

As President of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Drivers' Club, what are you preparing for the centenary edition?

We are working on it. The ACO is preparing the centenary and I think they are going to do something quite exceptional. Pierre Fillon (President of the ACO) gave us a foretaste of what he was thinking of doing. Nothing is confirmed but there are many things in the pipeline. We, in the Drivers' Club, will also certainly do something important with all the drivers present and I think we will have many of them.

Is this a task that is close to your heart?

Yes, because I feel the same way as all my colleagues. After you stop racing, it's always a bit difficult to go and watch races. You enjoy yourself, but at the same time you're a bit reserved because you don't know where to go... The fact that we have a club where we can talk to each other or meet with the old-timers is really great.