Franchitti: I've got my own Batmobileposted in LMANS31 | 05 | 2012

    IN THE WEEK his brother Dario won the Indianapolis 500, and cousin Paul di Resta finished seventh in the Monaco Grand Prix, Marino Franchitti will this weekend drive the car which could revolutionise sportscar racing worldwide.

    The 33-year-old from Bathgate will drive the Nissan-powered DeltaWing in the official test, on the famous French road course, ahead of the Le Mans 24-Hours on June 16/17 (see more official photos of Marino and his Nissan DeltaWing).

    And Franchitti, whose car has been dubbed a modern-day Batmobile because of its futuristic looks, is relishing the prospect of racing the car at Le Mans.

    "We're doing something which hasn't been done before. This concept is completely unique: you're learning huge amounts every time you go out. So for a driver like me, who enjoys developing a car, it's a dream come true. This is the ultimate development. It's high pressure, but that's what I'm really enjoying. And let's face it, when you come to work and you have your very own Batmobile, how could you not have fun?" Marino Franchitti

    "It's going to be fantastic, and I can't wait to see some people's faces when we roll the car out of the garage for the first time," Franchitti, who will be making his fourth appearance in the world's most gruelling 24-hour race, smiled today.

    "And I guess it's pretty cool that Nissan and the team chose a Scot to race while using less fuel than anyone else.

    Watch our video of the DeltaWing launch

    "The car's a real headturner. In many ways it's a singleseater-sportscar hybrid, with a long, narrow front and a wide rear. Yeh, it's different, but I know it's fast."

    Franchitti has already completed extensive testing in the DeltaWing, both in the States, where it was designed and built, and across Europe.

    But anyone who thinks the DeltaWing is nothing more than a gimmick, should think again.

    The DeltaWing is powered by a turbo-charged, 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine which will deliver around 300bhp. Audi's new diesel-electric hybrid racer pumps out 510bhp, plus an extra 200bhp when the 'harvested electric energy' is used.

    Where the DeltaWing really scores is weight: its 475kg is significantly lighter than the Audi's'S 900kg.

    Throw all those facts together, and the DeltaWing team believes it can complete the race using around half the fuel other petrol cars will consume.

    And it's this pioneering technology which persuaded the Automobile Club de l’Ouest , the organisers of the Le Mans 24 Hours, to give the DeltaWing the cherished 'Garage 56', which is allocated to experimental cars. And Franchitti is loving the challenge.

    Watch Marino drive the Nissan DeltaWing

    "It's hugely exciting and innovative," he continued. "We're doing something which hasn't been done before. This concept is completely unique: you're learning huge amounts every time you go out.

    "So for a driver like me, who enjoys developing a car, it's a dream come true. This is the ultimate development. It's high pressure, but that's what I'm really enjoying.

    "And let's face it, when you come to work and you have your very own Batmobile, how could you not have fun?"

    The question everyone wants to ask is, 'how does a car which resembles the styling of the paper darts we all used to throw in school, actually handle?' Franchitti smiles.

    "That was my first thought when I saw the car," he admitted. "And when I got out the car the first time after I'd driven it, I got asked the same question.

    "I remember standing there thinking of some grand, eloquent lines to come out with. And all I could say was: 'It feels like a racing car.' And that's what it is: a racing car."

    Without question though, it's a racing car with a difference. The gap between the two front Michelin-shod wheels is 23.62 inches, while at the rear it's 66.93in. The two front tyres are 4in wide, similar to those on a motorbike. The rear are "proper big" racing tyres.

    Franchitti's primary goal this weekend is to prepare the car for the race in a fortnight. As for the race?

    "We're in a class of one, so we can't lose"

    "Well, we're a class of one, so we can't win and we can't lose," he said. "The car is essentially a rolling science experiment.

    "Would we like to finish the race? Of course we would; that has to be the primary goal. But the No 1 target is the performance of the car. We have to ensure it performs within the parameters the organisers, the ACO, have set for us.

    "Then we want to be as reliable as possible and get to the end. But to be honest, that's down the list. No 1 is to be able to perform.

    "Remember, we could get taken out at the first corner of the race by someone else's accident: you never know in motorsport.

    "So, it's performance first, then try and get as far as we can. If we get to the finish, that would be fantastic."

    As to life after Le Mans, the DeltaWing is poised to race in next season's American Le Mans Series, a championship in which Franchitti has already won races. For now though his attention is on France.

    "Everything is focused on Le Mans," he said. "It was great watching Dario and Paul in action at the weekend, but this weekend I know they'll be keeping an eye on me. The DeltaWing could just be the start of something big in the world of motorsport."

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    Jim McGill

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