Pescarolo 01
First fully in-house prototype from French team Pescarolo Sport.
The Pescarolo 01 marked the first time French team Pescarolo Sport built a sports prototype entirely on its own. It was designed to comply with both LMP1 and LMP2 regulations for Le Mans Prototypes in the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, taking over from the C60 chassis, which had been extensively reworked from cars originally bought from Courage Compétition. The car made its first appearance at the 2007 1000 km of Monza.
New rules from the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) at the end of 2006 forced major chassis layout changes, making many existing cars ineligible for 2007. Pescarolo Sport had been running two heavily modified C60s, but these no longer met the regulations. Team owner Henri Pescarolo decided to become a full constructor for the first time, carrying over many features from the C60 into the 01. Unlike the C60, the 01 was built not just for the team but also for customer sale, so it was designed to meet both LMP1 and LMP2 rules with only minor adjustments.
In 2007, as the first 01s were finished, several teams announced purchases. British team Rollcentre Racing returned to LMP1 with an 01-Judd alongside the two factory Pescarolo cars. German team Kruse Motorsports bought the first LMP2-spec car, using a smaller Judd V8. Lister Cars also planned to buy a chassis, later modifying it to replace their ineligible Storm LMP.
At the 01’s debut in the Le Mans Series opener, the #16 Pescarolo finished second, sandwiched between the two factory Peugeot diesels, while the #17 car came fourth. The Rollcentre and Kruse cars also finished in points-paying positions. At the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Pescarolo Sport was the previous year’s runner-up, all four 01s entered, and three finished. The #16 car (driven by Emmanuel Collard, Jean-Christophe Boullion, and Romain Dumas) took third, eleven laps behind the winning Audi, with Rollcentre’s car another eleven laps back in fourth. The #17 Pescarolo finished 13th, while Kruse’s car retired early with mechanical issues.
At the Nürburgring 1000 km, the works car placed third again behind the two Peugeot 908s. At the Spa 1000 km on August 19, it finished second, beaten only by the surviving Peugeot of Lamy-Sarrazin (the other Peugeot retired with a rare mechanical failure), while the other works Pescarolo was fourth.
- First race
- 2007 1000 km of Monza
- Classes
- LMP1 and LMP2
- Manufacturer
- Pescarolo Sport
- Predecessor
- Pescarolo C60 (modified Courage C60)
- Notable customer teams
- Rollcentre Racing, Kruse Motorsport, Lister Cars, Saulnier Racing (later OAK Racing)
Lore & Background
At the end of 2006, new ACO regulations required extensive chassis layout changes, rendering the Pescarolo C60 ineligible for 2007. Team owner Henri Pescarolo chose to become a full constructor for the first time, carrying over many features from the C60 into the 01. Unlike the C60, the 01 was intended for customer sale, so it was designed to meet both LMP1 and LMP2 regulations with minor variation. At its debut in the Le Mans Series opener, the #16 Pescarolo Sport car finished second, between the two factory Peugeot diesels, while the #17 car finished fourth. At the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, the #16 car was classified third, eleven laps behind the winning Audi, and Rollcentre Racing's car finished fourth. In 2008, five 01s entered the Le Mans Series, including two by Saulnier Racing. In LMP2, the Saulnier car had a best finish of second in class at the 1000 km of Nürburgring. In 2009, Pescarolo Sport and OAK Racing (the new name of Saulnier Racing) each ran two Evo chassis. Pescarolo Sport finished second in the LMP1 Teams Championship. In December 2009, OAK Racing took over manufacturing of the Pescarolo prototypes. After Pescarolo Sport's bankruptcy in 2010, a new team named Pescarolo Team raced in 2011, winning the 6 Hours of Castellet overall with a grandfathered V10-powered car. OAK Racing continued to run modified versions of the 01.
Reader's Guide
The Pescarolo 01 marked a pivotal shift for Pescarolo Sport from modifier to full constructor, enabling the team to control its own design and supply customer cars. Its dual-class compliance broadened its market, attracting teams like Rollcentre Racing, Kruse Motorsport, and Lister Cars. The 01 consistently challenged diesel-powered factory entries, achieving podium finishes at Le Mans and in the Le Mans Series. Its evolution into the Evo chassis and continued use by OAK Racing (later Onroak Automotive) extended its competitive life into the early 2010s. The 01's legacy includes enabling Pescarolo's return as a works team in 2011 after financial difficulties, and its design principles influenced subsequent prototypes from Onroak Automotive. The car demonstrated that a privateer constructor could produce a competitive, customer-friendly platform in an era dominated by manufacturer diesel programs.
Did You Know?
- The Pescarolo 01 was the first sports prototype built entirely by Pescarolo Sport, replacing the Courage-derived C60.
- At its debut race, the 2007 1000 km of Monza, the #16 car finished second between two factory Peugeot diesels.
- In 2007, Kruse Motorsport was the first customer to purchase an LMP2-spec 01, using a smaller Judd V8.
- In 2011, a grandfathered V10-powered Pescarolo 01 won the 6 Hours of Castellet overall for the revived Pescarolo Team.
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