Franck Montagny joins Superleague grid with
Alongside Olympique Lyonnais, Bordeaux will become the second French club to race in Superleague Formula, meaning the two Ligue 1 giants will extend their rivalry from the football pitch to the race circuit, ensuring huge interest this season, particularly during the club’s home race at Magny-Cours on 22-23 May.
Bordeaux’s car, one of 18 identical V12 750bhp single-seaters that race in Superleague Formula, will be operated by the Le Mans-based Barazi-Epsilon team and will fight with renowned football clubs from across the world, including Liverpool, AC Milan, AS Roma, PSV Eindhoven, Anderlecht, Sevilla, Corinthians and Flamengo, for the 2010 title.
The six-time French Ligue 1 champions have also secured a coup for their first season with the signing of ex-Formula One and current Peugeot Sport works driver, Franck Montagny.
The Frenchman, who drove for Renault, Toyota and Super Aguri in F1, is now part of Peugeot’s sportscar program at the Le Mans 24 Hours, where he finished second last season. He also has previous experience working with Barazi-Epsilon having raced with the French squad in Formula Nissan, later to become World Series by Renault, in 2001.
Frank Montagny: “I’m delighted and I can’t wait to participate in this championship, especially with its expanded calendar and continued growth. Superleague Formula will allow me to meet some old friends from F1 and other categories again. The involvement of Barazi-Epsilon, with whom I have already achieved great things in the past, as well as FC Girondins de Bordeaux, the current French champions, makes this challenge very motivating for me."
Vincent Repoux, Deputy General Manager of Girondins de Bordeaux: “The club has followed the launch of the Superleague Formula project closely, but was not able to put everything in place to sign up immediately. Now, with a partnership which sees a driver such as Franck Montagny and a technical team led by Michel Lecomte, who has a proven record in single-seater championships over the last 20 years, the chances of the colors of Girondins de Bordeaux flying high against the group of other big international clubs represented in the series, are very good."
Michel Lecomte, Team Manager of Barazi-Epsilon: “We are delighted to be participating in this high-profile championship which benefits from good publicity and media coverage and gathers together the best drivers on the market. Superleague Formula is developing well and by associating ourselves with Franck Montagny and Girondins de Bordeaux, Barazi-Epsilon is making this championship our main focus in 2010."
Alex Andreu, President of the Superleague Formula by Sonangol: “Our discussions with FC Girondins de Bordeaux started at the beginning of last year. I am proud today to be able to reveal that the French Champions will join Superleague Formula this year with a driver of the talent of Franck Montagny, who has shined in many disciplines from Formula One to endurance racing. After only two years of existence, this shows the growing interest of the Superleague Formula concept from the most reputed football clubs at the international level. FC Girondins de Bordeaux will now race on-track against Olympique Lyonnais, another great French football club, which promises a magnificent French ‘derby’ during the Magny-Cours race. France deserved to have its best drivers in a high-level international championship such as Superleague Formula. We are proud to be able to offer this opportunity to French motorsport."
The season, which includes 12 weekends of racing including 11 in Europe, will start on 3/4 April at Silverstone and will stop in Magny-Cours on 22/23 May