2009 Oreca 01

Introduced in 2009, the Oreca 01 was the first car to be unveiled with the Oreca name since Hugues de Chaunac purchased the constructor Courage back in 2007.

De Chaunac insisted the team would build their own chassis for the 2009 season and that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, early on the team focused on updating Courage's LC70. Immediately after purchasing the constructor, Project Technical Director David Floury went to work improving the design, making it more competitive. The AER engine originally designed for the LC70 was replaced with a Judd GV5. The drivetrain, front suspension and traction control system had all been revised. This made for a big improvement in mechanical grip.

Floury and the design department used CFD technology to improve the bodywork design and fashion on aero update necessary to achieve to two basic aims the team had from the outset. Those aims were performance and reliability. An important part of the puzzle came from Honda and the American Le Mans Series.

Honda purchased a few of Courage's lighter LMP2 LC75 chassis. They then used those chassis to form the basis of their Acura ARX-01 LMP2. Honda and Floury remained in contact and the good relationship led to information being exchanged. The ARX Honda conceived was notably different in design than the LC70 Oreca had used in 2007 and 2008, the influence of its design and the influence of the relationship formed between Honda and Floury would become quite evident with the introduction of the Oreca 01.

In what was the first time in the team's history, it had designed its own car. After making due in what Oreca dubbed its 'transitional' year, the Oreca 01 represented a major update from the LC70 Courage chassis. The only aspect of the Courage-Oreca LC70 that remained in the new design was the unibody. The changes to the chassis were so numerous it represented a huge difference to the previous year's model. Even the slightest detail of the chassis design had been reflected upon and it was noticeable right away to the drivers who would take to the wheel. Nicolas Lapierre remarked, 'At the wheel, you can feel the progress achieved thanks to the new aerodynamics, especially in middle-speed curves. We have been able to take in a few kilometers and to get a glimpse of the car's potential…' Olivier Panis said, 'You immediately feel confident in the new car. I had a good feeling every since the first laps. The overall car balance has been improved, with a considerable increase in grip…there's no doubt that the car has great potential.'

One of the important features that offered the drivers such confidence straight-away was the decision to use a new engine. Oreca changed engines once again. They had swapped from the Judd to the AIM 5.5-liter V10. The AIM V10 offered an advantage in power and car balance. The 90 degree V10 engine offered a low center of gravity. This low center of gravity and low height of the engine allowed designers to create a car that featured bodywork running low to the ground.

Overall, the carbon fiber monocoque chassis was entirely new. One of the most obvious changes between Oreca's 01 and the Courage-Oreca LC70s they had been running was the updated nose design. Immediately, the influence of the relationship with Honda became apparent. The front splitter featured a contoured splitter similar to the Acura ARX-01b. Gone was the raised irregular nose. Drawing again from the ARX-01b, the top of the nose featured smoothly flowing bulges that hid the suspension and other components.

The headlight and front wheel fairings on the Oreca 01 are more rounded than the LC70, but still remained largely squared off to the oncoming air. This design still allowed for the all-important small aero-elements to be attached to the out portion of the front wheel fairing to aid in downforce and stability of the nose of the car. The nose bodywork flows up and over the double-wishbone suspension members. The air passing under the nose of the car helps to create the considerable amounts of downforce necessary but then flows rearward toward the very low-positioned, well-sculpted sidepods.

One interesting feature used to help control and direct this flow of air is a carbon-fiber 'S'-shaped piece of paneling. This helps provide rigidity, but mostly, it helps bend the air to flow over the sidepod. It also features spaces whereby the air can escape and blend in the with air passing over the top of the wheel fairing and to the side of the car.

Due to the low center of gravity of the engine, to further maintain this advantage, the sidepods were designed to run shallow. This created a very large and rounded rear wheel fairing, but also a deep channel for air to flow in between toward the rear wing and the rear of the car. The low-positioned engine also enabled the design team to create an engine cowling and rear bodywork that was tighter than before. This helps with airflow to the rear wing and out the back of the car.

A deep gull-wing like design was incorporated to the rear of the bodywork. This uses the air flowing between the rear wheel and the engine cowling to help provide downforce. The channeled portion also causes the airflow above to be accelerated. This helps to pull air from underneath the car out through the very important diffuser. The diffuser is what helps to generate most of the car's downforce.

The width of the rear wing was made narrower to adhere to new regulations. The wing elements themselves are gently contoured to provide the greatest amounts of downforce and stability at the rear of the car.

The internals of the car are what makes this aerodynamic machine a strong competitor. It houses an XTrac 6-speed sequential gearbox that is actuated with steering wheel mounted paddle-shifters. The AIM 5.5-liter V10 is quoted as being capable of producing 650 bhp. Stopping power for all those horses came in the form of carbon ceramic disc brakes.

The team chose to retain the open-cockpit design to aid in driver exchanges and simplicity. Therefore, the twin-roll hoop design has remained, but slightly changed to take advantage of the lower engine position.

At its first race, the Oreca 01's performance enabled the Oreca Matmut Team to qualify 7th and 8th on the starting grid for the 1000km of Catalunya. In the race, car number 11 would fail to finish, but car 10 had a great day in the Oreca 01's debut. At the end of the race, Stephane Ortelli and Bruna Senna guided the Oreca chassis to a 3rd place finish overall.

Then, at Spa, the team had one of its cars start the 1000km race from 4th on the grid. During the 1000km test the team was able to finish with another good result. Though not on the podium like Catalunya, the team still finished a fine 4th place overall.

At the crown jewel race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Oreca Matmut team faced some difficult obstacles with the presence of a full stable of Audi and Peugeot diesels. As a result of the presence of the top teams in the series, the best the team could do in qualifying was to have their cars start 15th and 16th. However, qualifying means very little in a 24 hour race. Endurance is everything.

Despite having one of its cars suffer from a couple of driver mistakes and damage that ultimately led to one of the car's retirement, the team's other entry was able to have an enjoyable Le Mans experience. Olivier Panis, Nicolas Lapierre and Soheil Ayari guided their Oreca 01 chassis to a 5th place overall finish. This result would seem to bolster the team for the rest of the Le Mans Series season.

At Algarve, the Le Mans Series' next race, one of Team Oreca Matmut's Oreca 01 chassis was able to earn pole for the race. Unfortunately, the pole didn't automatically translate in to a win. However, the team managed to finish the race 3rd and 4th.

The team skipped the next round of the championship, and instead, focused on the remaining test, the 1000km of Silverstone. It was good they did.

Throughout the race weekend, the Oreca 01 proved to be the class of the field. Of course Aston Martin Racing probably didn't push as much as they could have, but much has to be said for Team Oreca Matmut. They didn't just appear at the end and take a good result. Right from the start the team was a strong presence.

In qualifying, the number 10 car set the top time and would start from the pole. The team only brought one car for the race. So, if that one car suffered from problems the team's chances of success took a drastic hit. No such fear ever came to be during the race, however.

The Oreca 01's first season was capped off fittingly with an overall race victory at Silverstone.

Hugues de Chaunac pronounced his team would build its own prototype chassis. It was obvious the team thought it could produce a competitive chassis. After all of the hard work and experience, the race results confirmed Team Oreca Matmut's Oreca 01 chassis would be a potent challenger in the Le Mans Series.

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'Courage LC70 the most versatile LMP', (http://www.racecar-engineering.com/articles/sportscar/312208/courage-lc70-the-most-versatile-lmp.html). Racecar Engineering: The International Journal of Motorsport Technology. http://www.racecar-engineering.com/articles/sportscar/312208/courage-lc70-the-most-versatile-lmp.html. Retrieved 24 January 2011.

'Oreca 01 AIM', (http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/4130/Oreca-01-AIM.html). Ultimatecarpage.com: Powered by Knowledge, Driven by Passion. http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/4130/Oreca-01-AIM.html. Retrieved 24 January 2011.

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By Jeremy McMullen