Panis Racing and PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports will be contesting the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a pair of one-off ‘art car’ liveries.
The pair of ORECA 07-Gibsons have been decked out in a set of striking colour schemes designed by French artist Laurent Minguet.
The #65 Panis Racing car, driven by Julien Canal, Will Stevens and James Allen, features a wood tone complimented by splashes of blue. The #24 car, meanwhile, entered by IMSA regulars PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports but operated by the French team, features blue tones accenting a marble look.
Minguet himself will be on site prior to the Test Day on August 15 to put the finishing touches on the design, which will be painted by hand.
“My target was to show direct coherence with my work,” said Minguet. “The hyper-realistic subject here is the ORECA car.”
In addition, reproductions of the paintings will both be able to be purchased online, and will also be on display within the Automobile Club de l’Ouest premises.
“This artistic and solidary project has been initiated by Olivier Panis, Sarah and Simon Abadie, who have developed a strong relationship with the artist Laurent Minguet,” said Muriel Belgy – Panis Racing & Tech1 Racing Communication Director. “His talent and his passion for motorsport have been well-known for years.
“The 24 Hours of Le Mans are a special event for a team, and for our sixth start here in La Sarthe, we wanted to do something special by adding some dream to the purely sporting side, with beautiful colors and materials to brighten up this so gloomy period.”
“Just like a painter, the Art Car #65 and #24 in the hands of our drivers will draw their lines on the Le Mans track.”
“After our podium finish last year in LMP2 and our win with W.Stevens/J.Allen/J.Canal three weeks ago in ELMS at Monza, the whole team is determined to shine in Le Mans with its two magnificent Oreca cars.”
The profits from the paintings sold online will be donated to charity, according to the team.
“We would like to thank Laurent Minguet who is donating his work to Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque, an association we fully support since the creation of the team,” continued Belgy.
“The “Heart’s Team”, as we are often called, continues to help, season after season, Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque by sharing strong emotions with the children, alongside Professor Francine Leca, Orso Chétochine and all the members devoted to their cause.”
“A big thank you also to Pierre Fillon and his ACO team who immediately supported us and put everything in place to promote our action.”
