Franck Perera dreams of taking part in the Le Mans 24h race with Lamborghini – but there have been no talks yet
“Le Mans with Lamborghini, of course,” says Franck Perera about the goals he still has in his motorsport career. The Frenchman has been a Lamborghini factory driver since 2018 and competes for Emil Frey in the ADAC GT Masters. Only recently, the Italian brand announced the development of an LMDh bolide that will be used in the major endurance races from the 2024 season onwards.
Perera already has his sights set on this programme: “Of course. If you look at my skills: I have been in Formula racing for so many years, so I have the experience. I was a Formula 1 test driver and so on. Surely I have that in my head somewhere. But I don’t know. At the moment, I honestly don’t know what Lamborghini’s goals are.”
Perera, who has experienced many ups as well as downs in the course of his career and was even on the verge of retirement, is focusing on the here and now for now: “For me, it’s important to just keep going. I always try to improve every day. You can always improve. You can’t say: now you’re at your best. So that’s my first goal. “
However, he is also looking to his future, where he still wants to do “a lot of things”. “And there are a few races I’d like to try,” he says. “I’ve never been to Bathurst. But I like what I do in my life and that’s my main goal. Just keep enjoying it, pushing to the limit and staying at this level for as long as possible.”
However, Lamborghini’s LMDh commitment has the 38-year-old itching mightily under his fingernails: “I also spent many years in GT racing. I think I’m one of the top drivers there now. And that is important for me. If I was younger, I would certainly say I want to push in some direction. But GT racing is important for Lambo, now, but also in the future. It will be there at Le Mans as well. “
Perera has not yet been involved in the LMDh programme itself, saying there have been “no discussions” about drivers as yet. “It’s still too early. We are still waiting for a plan,” he clarifies. The GT3 category will replace the GTE class at Le Mans in the 2024 season, and here too Perera sees his chance to shine at the endurance classic in France.
“We’ve already seen the success [of the class] in IMSA,” he says. “Fortunately, they’ve changed it now. They could have done it a bit earlier. Of course it’s great and of course there will be a lot of cars there. It’s good that it’s changing. If the opportunity keeps coming … I like GT3, everybody knows the level of the class is just crazy in so many series. “
